FSBA Legislative Update Week of January 19-23, 2026 | Session Week 2
Reminder: Committee meetings and floor sessions are recorded and available via the Florida Channel. Please go to https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/ to find past meetings, sessions, and press coverage of the legislative session.
Legislative activity picked up considerably during the second week of the 2026 session, with several education-related bills advancing through committees. Below are the key developments school board members should monitor.
Major Bill Movements This Week
- HB 1071 (Education omnibus bill) received a committee substitute and advanced from the House Student Academic Success Subcommittee with a 12-5 vote. The bill includes substantial revisions to K-12 expenditures, parental consent requirements, VPK programs, and educator certifications. Eight amendments were filed, reflecting significant debate around the measure’s scope. The bill now moves to the PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee.
- SB 320 (Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools) passed the full Senate with a 36-0 vote and has been transmitted to the House. Senator Simon’s bill streamlines district responsibilities by removing certain mandates, including the requirement for district school boards to employ internal auditors in specific circumstances and adjusting salary schedule requirements for instructional personnel.
- HB 731 (Interscholastic/Intrascholastic Extracurricular Activities) passed the House PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee 15-0 and advances to the House Education & Employment Committee. The bill authorizes booster clubs to supplement coach compensation and revises student transfer eligibility rules for extracurricular activities.
- SB 548 (Growth Management) advanced from Senate Community Affairs with an 8-0 vote. The bill strengthens concurrency requirements and impact fee regulations through a plan-based methodology, which will affect how school districts calculate and collect impact fees for new development. School districts should note the requirement that demonstrated-need studies include specific capacity standards.
Property Tax & School District Revenue Considerations
While no property tax bills moved this week, you should remain alert to growth management legislation like SB 548, which revises how local governments, school districts, and special districts approach impact fee studies. The bill prohibits using certain data for impact fee calculations, potentially affecting school district capital funding streams. Although property tax bills typically exempt school levies, reduced revenues to other local governments can indirectly impact collaborative funding arrangements.
Additional Bills of Note
- SB 654 (Traffic Infraction Enforcement) passed Senate Transportation 9-0. The bill expands school zone speed enforcement provisions and requires district school board authorization before installing school bus infraction detection systems, following a public hearing process.
- HB 753 (School Counselors) passed House Careers & Workforce Subcommittee 15-0 and moves to Education Administration Subcommittee. The bill exempts prospective school counselors from certain educator certification requirements while establishing evaluation criteria based on Florida School Counseling Standards.
To view the bills we are monitoring, see the bill tracker prepared by Dr. Kim McDougal and the Arrow Group. Questions about the inclusion or exclusion of any bill may be directed to Joe McGehee, Director of Advocacy and Legislative Services, at 850-933-1103. In addition to the bill tracker, here is the Education Report and the K-12 Education Calendar.
