The most notable of these bills was the Parental Rights in Education Act, a law which restricted the instruction of homosexuality, gender identity, and various other LGBT+ issues and content within public elementary schools up to third grade.

The law was additionally protested by organizations representing various groups of people, from lawyers[7] to pediatricians,[8] and received scrutiny from the US federal government[9][10] and a United Nations-affiliated official on LGBT+ discrimination.

By further contrast to HB 999, SB 266's languages prohibits “theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political and economic inequities".

The courses under SB 266 are prohibited from core requirements, though after a review by Florida state officials and committees, may be permitted into electives.

[21] DeSantis' office has backed the bill, saying that it is necessary to prevent colleges and higher education within the state of Florida from leaning too far towards the Democratic Party.

A statement released by his office claims that backers to American liberalism "suppress free thought in the name of identity politics and indoctrination", and that a "course correction" is necessary.

[3] Florida's education commissioner, Manny Díaz, further backs the bill, claiming the administration he works under wishes that students learn to pursue the truth.

Stanley Kurtz argues that professors are promoting what he sees as an unnecessary fear of educating students on the Bill of Rights, the US Constitution, and the Federalist Papers.

[22][23] Akin to Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, students have been the most prominent demographic group opposed to the bill.

Technician, North Carolina State University's student-run newspaper, blasted the bill and labelling it as white supremacy "at its finest".

[28] Legislators in the Florida legislature have raised alarm to line 315 of the bill in particular, the provision restricting public universities' use of funds to support DEI efforts.

Democratic state representative Yvonne Hinson raises concern that the legislation would potentially impact the ability of black sororities to continue to function, despite the attempt of Andrade to calm her fears.

Florida state senator Shevrin Jones, in an op-ed written for MSNBC, also raised the possibility that House Bill 999 could be used in the future by DeSantis and his supporters to censor and cut funding to the Divine Nine historically-Black college fraternities and sororities.

[29][30] The American Council of Learned Societies raised its own protest against the bill and started an online petition signed by numerous organizations and students.