FSBA Legislative Update Week of February 9-13, 2026 | Session Week 5
The Senate has released their proposed General Appropriations Act. You can find all 490 pages here. Dr. McDougal and I will begin going over the proposals this weekend and by next week, have a full budget report sent out to you. On Monday, the House will proceed to the Budget Committee for hearings. The Senate’s appropriations subcommittees will meet later in the week. The afternoon of Wednesday, February 18, should see our first look at the full Budget Committees’ progress and proposed amendments. It was great to see those of you who came up for the Greater Florida Consortium of School Boards’ time in the legislature, and I appreciate the feedback I received from those of you who took meetings and had thoughts about bills. Without further ado:
The legislative pace is picking up. This week saw significant action on the education omnibus, school board transparency (now moving in both chambers), school safety expansion, teacher compensation, and the PERC overhaul.
Bill-related news
Here are just a few of the key bills working their way through session:
Passed House Floor and Sent to Senate:
- HB 1119 (Materials Harmful to Minors) – Defines “harmful to minors” and strengthens processes for objecting to and removing objectionable instructional materials. Passed House 84-28.
- HB 4027 (Hillsborough County Public Schools) – Transitions the Hillsborough County Superintendent from an appointed to an elected, partisan position pending voter approval. Passed House 86-26. This is a local bill, but it signals continued legislative interest in superintendent governance structures statewide.
Major Bills Advancing Through Committees:
- SB 1620 (Public Education – Leek) – This was heard in Judiciary this week and passed 11-0. With HB 1073 already on second reading in the House, both chambers are moving in tandem on school board governance reform, though recent amendments have postured the bills differently on key provisions.
- SB 7036 (Education Omnibus) – Passed Senate Appropriations on Pre-K-12 Education 10-0. Notably, the controversial provisions on door locks and DOE-developed instructional materials have been removed from the current version. The bill still addresses charter contracts, educational emergency triggers, epinephrine policies, pre-K screening, and new math pathways.
- HB 1071 (Education – Trabulsy) – Prohibits using funds for certain DEI-related activities, expands parent opt-out rights for health and reproductive education, and revises school operations and accountability requirements. Passed House Education & Employment 15-4. Several amendments from the sponsor were adopted; three amendments from Rep. Hinson were rejected.
- SB 1296/SB 1298 (PERC Overhaul – Martin) – Both the main bill and its public records companion advanced through Senate Governmental Oversight. SB 1296 passed 6-3, with opponents calling it a “union-busting” measure. The bill modifies union certification thresholds, bargaining timelines, and decertification procedures. This continues to be one to watch closely given its impact on school district labor relations.
- SB 1216 (Personnel Compensation – Rodriguez) – Passed Senate Appropriations 18-0. Expands COLA adjustments to more school employees, removes certain pay limitations, and broadens the use of advanced degrees for salary purposes. Senator Berman praised the flexibility it may give school boards.
- HB 757/SB 896 (School Safety) – Both versions advancing. HB 757 passed House Budget 23-5; SB 896 passed Senate Criminal Justice 24-0 with a committee substitute. Both expand school safety measures to postsecondary institutions, create new firearm discharge offenses near schools, and expand the Guardian Program. The expansion of the Guardian Program to colleges and universities drew the most debate.
Charter Schools/School Choice:
- HB 1437 (Conversion Charter Schools – Sapp) – Requires disputes between school boards and conversion charter schools over management plans to be resolved through mediation. Passed Education Administration 18-0 unanimously, including all five minority-party members. This is a relatively narrow bill, but districts should be aware of the new mediation framework.
- SB 1318 (Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program – Rodriguez) – Removes the requirement that leftover scholarship funds revert to the state. Passed Senate Education Pre-K-12 8-0.
Other Notable Bills:
- HB 859 (ESE Classroom Cameras – Chambliss) – Requires video cameras with audio in self-contained ESE classrooms. Passed House Education & Employment 20-0. Funding and privacy concerns were raised but the bill maintains strong bipartisan support.
- SB 182 (Teacher Mentoring – Jones) – Passed Senate Ed Pre-K-12 8-0 with a strike-all aligning it with the House companion, focusing on underperforming schools and adding mentor stipends.
- HB 561 (Educator Certification – Gerwig) – Streamlines teacher certification and preparation pathways. Passed 20-0.
- SB 1104 (Religious Expression – Massullo) – Constitutional amendment protecting religious expression in schools. Passed Senate Judiciary 8-3.
- SB 556 (HS Diploma Requirements – Berman) – Senate companion to HB 453, allowing marching band and Special Olympics substitutions. Passed Children, Families, and Elder Affairs 6-0.
- HB 173 (Parental Rights – Kendall) – Strengthens parental consent requirements for minors’ health and educational services. Passed House Judiciary 15-4.
Here you will find the weekly education reports, bill tracker, this week’s schedule, and a property tax report. Additionally, you may find recordings of the committee meetings and floor sessions here.
As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or you just feel the need to discuss how these proposed changes may impact your district, please do not hesitate to text, email, or call anytime.
Joe McGehee
Director of Advocacy and Legislative Services
850-933-1103 | mcgehee@fsba.org
