Florida state colleges and universities to report on public funds used to treat gender dysphoria

State colleges and universities in Florida are being required to report the amount of public funds used on services related to “gender dysphoria,” according to a newly published memo from the office of Governor Ron DeSantis.

The memorandum was initially published on Twitter by Henry Rodgers of the Daily Caller.

Issued on January 11, Director of the Office of Policy and Budget Chris Spencer writes that his “office has learned that several state universities provide services to persons suffering from gender dysphoria.”

[RELATED: PROF. JENKINS: DeSantis makes Florida where DEI goes to d-i-e]

The memo proceeds to define “sex-reassignment treatment” as a medical process “to change the body of an individual so that it conforms to the subjective sense of identity of the individual when such identity is at odds with the individual’s natal sex.”

Such treatments include the administration of puberty blockers or hormones and any other medical procedure, such as surgery.

The Governor’s Office requests the number of individuals diagnosed under the medical designation ICD-10 Code F64, or gender identity disorders, and the prescribed treatments for these diagnoses.

In addition to requesting the number and age brackets of patients prescribed puberty blockers and hormones, the Governor’s Office is requesting the same information of patients prescribed top and/or bottom surgeries as treatments.

State universities and colleges must also provide statistics relating to the length of time patients received “behavioral health services” prior to their first sex-reassignment treatment.

The memo clearly delineates that the Governor’s Office is only interested in statistical information and all personally identifying health information of patients should be removed from the reports. This request is only applicable to student health services at public colleges and universities, which utilize state funds.

Spencer cites Florida statutes that the Office’s duty consists of “governing institutional resources and protecting the public interest,” which includes public funding of gender dysphoria treatment.

Campus Reform received the following statement from Deputy Press Secretary Jeremy T. Redfern: “We are committed to fully understanding the amount of public funding that is going toward such non-academic pursuits to best assess how to get our colleges and universities refocused on education and truth.”

[RELATED: DeSantis admin requires public universities to report DEI, CRT-related expenditures]

Earlier this month, Campus Reform covered the memo released by DeSantis’ office that required all state colleges and universities to report on the use of public funds for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) initiatives. The deadline to report to the Governor’s Office for DEI/CRT funding was January 13.

The deadline to respond regarding the funding of gender dysphoria treatments is February 10, according to the memo. 

Campus Reform has reached out to Governor DeSantis’ Office for comment and will update this story as it continues to develop.

Follow Gabrielle M. Etzel on Twitter.