The Florida House on Wednesday passed legislation that would overhaul how public college and university presidents are selected, curbing the influence of state officials and ending confidentiality in the search process.

The bill, approved 104-8, would repeal a 2022 law that shielded presidential applicants’ identities from public disclosure. It requires full transparency in searches and bars public officers, including the governor, from discussing vacancies or candidates with members of institutional boards.

Sponsored by Rep. Michelle Salzman, House Bill 1321 eliminates the role of the Board of Governors in confirming presidential selections. Each institution’s board of trustees would have sole authority to appoint a president, based on recommendations from a mandated search committee composed of at least two trustees and other stakeholders. State education officials would be prohibited from serving on these committees.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has denounced the proposal and vowed to veto it if it reaches his desk, warning that it would weaken oversight and invite politically motivated hires. Speaking Wednesday, he accused House leadership of pushing the bill for internal political reasons.

Salzman, in a post on X, defended the legislation and rejected suggestions that it was aimed at the governor.

“Policy disagreement will not make the Governor my enemy,” she wrote. “We just disagree.”

The bill also imposes term limits on higher education board members, including a single seven-year term for appointees to the Board of Governors and two consecutive five-year terms for university trustees. Starting in 2027, appointed members must be Florida residents or graduates of the institutions they serve. Board of Governors members would be required to file full financial disclosures beginning in 2026.

Additional provisions require institutions to adopt presidential succession plans and limit interim appointments to those named in the plan or selected through a formal search. Presidential contracts may be renewed for more than one year but cannot exceed the original term.

The legislation additionally mandates greater transparency in academic operations, including requirements that universities must post admission criteria for all programs online, and the Board of Governors must review them for compliance with the Florida Educational Equity Act.

The bill also bans graduation requirements that include content based on identity politics or critical theories of systemic inequality.