Texas risks losing billions in federal funds over Abbott LGBTQ directive

[Lori Dee]

Texas risks losing billions in federal funds over Abbott LGBTQ directive, Democrats say
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The Hill - Brooke Migdon
Published 06/18/24 2:56 PM ET

Texas colleges and universities risk losing billions in federal funding if they comply with Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) directive to ignore a new federal rule bolstering nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ students, ...

In a congressional inquiry letter to Texas's Higher Education Coordinating Board, the state agency overseeing public post-secondary education, four House Democrats from Texas said public colleges could violate students' civil rights and lose government funding if they follow Abbott's orders to disregard changes to Title IX — the federal civil rights law preventing sex discrimination in schools and education programs that receive government funding — that the Education Department finalized in April.

The new rule, which covers discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time, is slated to take effect Aug. 1, though federal judges have temporarily blocked enforcement in 10 GOP-led states.

Although Title IX is a federal law, each administration takes a different approach to enforcing its regulations, which schools are then required to follow as a condition of receiving funding from the government. Former President Trump last month said he would reverse the Biden administration's rule "on day one" of his presidency if he is reelected in November.

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