A second antiscience bill in Florida

Florida's House Bill 825, prefiled on November 28, 2017, would, if enacted, require "[c]ontroversial theories and concepts ... [to] be taught in a factual, objective, and balanced manner," while allowing local school districts to use either the state science standards or alternatives "equivalent to or more rigorous than" them.

There is no indication in the bill about which "theories and concepts" are deemed to be "controversial," much less any guidance about adjudicating disputes about which are and which are not. 

But House Bill 825 is the counterpart of Senate Bill 966, prefiled on November 17, 2017, which — as NCSE previously reported — was introduced by Dennis Baxley (R-District 12), who has a record of antievolution advocacy both within and outside the Florida state legislature. HB 825's sole sponsor is Charlie Stone (R-District 22).