Florida passes anti-Semitism bill for public schools

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill prohibiting anti-Semitism in Florida’s public schools and universities is going to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Senate unanimously passed the bill Monday, two days after a gunman opened fire in a California synagogue, killing one and injuring three others.

Lawmakers mentioned the shooting before passing the bill, which would mandate that discrimination against Jewish people be treated the same as acts of racial discrimination in public schools.

The bill also includes an extensive definition of anti-Semitism, including speech that makes dehumanizing or stereotypical allegations about the Jewish community.

The anti-Semitism definition also includes expressing hatred for Jews, calling for the killing or harming of a Jewish person, criticizing the collective power of the Jewish community, or accusing Jewish people or Israel of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.