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Florida Board of Education Issues Rule to Implement Ban on Use of Funds for DEI
Initiatives; Utah Sends Similar Bill to Governor
On
Jan. 17, the Florida Board of Education adopted a rule to implement and further clarify a 2023 law that prohibits the use of state and federal funding
for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. While the new law specifically
prohibited the use of funds for DEI initiatives that involved training or instruction,
advocating for DEI, or promoting or engaging in political or social activism,
it required the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors to define
many of those terms. The new rule creates definitions for “diversity, equity,
and inclusion,” “political or social activism,” “federal funds,” “social
issues,” and several additional terms that were undefined in the legislation.
Additionally, the rule cites specific activities that would meet the definition of advocating for DEI.
According to a press release that announced adoption of the new rule, the State
Board also replaced the course "Principles of Sociology" with a comprehensive
general education core course in American History.
The Utah legislature will send similar legislation to Gov. Spencer Cox (R) after passing a bill
that prohibits institutions of higher education from employing anyone in a DEI
position. Institutions will now be required to “ensure that all students have
access to programs providing student success and support.” Additionally, institutions
will be prohibited from using diversity statements and requiring students or employees
to participate in mandatory diversity training. Finally, the state will contract
with a third party to conduct a climate survey of each institution to assess student,
faculty and staff perceptions of and experiences with an institution's campus
environment. The survey measures those groups’ perception of and experience
with an institution's campus environment, as well as their perception and
experience with campus policy and practice regarding freedom of speech and academic
freedom. Gov. Cox has indicated he will sign the bill.
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Medicaid Update: States Make Additional Attempts to Add Work Requirements; Georgia
May Consider Full Medicaid Expansion
Although federal courts struck down multiple attempts to add work requirements
to state Medicaid programs, several states are again considering tacking work requirements onto their
programs. Lawmakers or governors in Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana and South Dakota
have either proposed legislation to implement the requirements or, at the very least, floated the idea.
Georgia, which implemented a partial Medicaid expansion in 2023, and is currently
the only state where a work requirement has been allowed to be implemented, may
consider full Medicaid expansion this year. According to at least one report,
Republican lawmakers in the state have shown interest in Arkansas-style expansion where the state would
purchase ACA health care plans for expansion populations rather than adding them
to the state-run Medicaid program. Enrollment in the state’s partial expansion,
which provides coverage to individuals who earn up to 100% of the federal poverty
level, rather than 138% as allowed under the Affordable Care Act, has been underwhelming, and is likely to be contributing factor in the
decision to explore full expansion. Georgia was allowed to implement its work
requirement owing, in part, to a federal judge who determined that the state would not have implemented
the program without the requirement, which would have reduced Medicaid coverage in the state.
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2024 ADEA/AADOCR/Friends of NIDCR Advocacy Day
On
Thursday, April 11, 2024, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the
American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR), and
the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR)
will join forces for our 2024 Advocacy Day!
This
event will be held in person on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Participants
will receive a legislative briefing and advocacy training on Wednesday April 10,
2024, that will feature speakers from Congress, HRSA and NIDCR. The following
day, April 11, will be dedicated to group meetings on Capitol Hill with targeted
congressional offices, including participants’ own elected officials. The deadline
to register for the 2024 Advocacy Day is Feb. 23. See you there!
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