TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new bill filed this week is pushing to change language rules in workplaces across the state.
The bill — HB 641 — was filed by state Rep. Rachel Plakon (R-Lake Mary), who dubbed it the “Freedom of Conscience in the Workplace Act.”
Under the bill, employers can’t require employees to use another person’s “preferred pronouns” if they don’t correspond to the other person’s sex.
“It is the policy of this state that a person’s sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person’s sex,” the bill reads.
By extension, employees would be protected from punitive actions by employers over their “religious, moral, conscience-based or biology-based beliefs” regarding gender ideology. This includes suspensions, transfers, demotions, withholding of bonuses and more.
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Any employees who suffer these consequences would thus be able to seek remedies under state law.
Furthermore, the bill says that job applications asking for an applicant’s sex may only ask whether a prospective applicant is male or female — no “nonbinary” or other options.
And for employers receiving any funding from the state, this proposal would similarly bar them from requiring training on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
If approved during next year’s Legislative session, the bill is slated to take effect on July 1, 2026.