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SB 896FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/HB 757
High Impact

SB 896: School Safety and Guardian Program Expansion

Original title: School Safety

December 12, 2025

Companion · HB 757same policy, House version
school safetyhigher educationlaw enforcementcriminal justicestudent recordsfirearms

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Where This Stands

Currently Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/HB 757. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Procedural history

15 actions
  1. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    CS/CS by Appropriations read 1st time
  2. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
  3. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    Pending reference review -under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
  4. Feb 24, 2026Senate
    CS/CS by- Appropriations; YEAS 11 NAYS 6
  5. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 02/24/26, 9:00 am, 110 Senate Building
  6. Feb 18, 2026Senate
    CS by Criminal Justice read 1st time
Show 9 earlier actions
  1. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations
  2. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Remaining references corrected to Appropriations
  3. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Original reference(s) removed: Appropriations Committee on Higher Education; Rules
  4. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
  5. Feb 11, 2026Senate
    CS by Criminal Justice; YEAS 7 NAYS 1
  6. Feb 6, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 02/11/26, 3:00 pm, 37 Senate Building
  7. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  8. Dec 16, 2025SenateCommittee
    Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Higher Education; Rules
  9. Dec 12, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill changes security protocols and legal obligations for Florida's public colleges and universities, requiring them to adopt active assailant response plans, conduct annual security risk assessments, and manage student threat assessment records, while also creating new criminal penalties for weapon discharge near school property.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Public postsecondary educational institutions

Must implement new security plans, threat management teams, and record-transfer procedures.

College students

Subject to the transfer of their behavioral threat assessment records upon enrollment.

Sheriffs

Required to provide guardian training to college employees and report certification data to the Department of Law Enforcement.

School guardians

Must complete 144 hours of training and annual re-certification to serve in schools or colleges.

What changed

Last recorded activity December 12, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill expands the state's school to include public colleges and universities, allowing them to appoint certified guardians and implement new security requirements. It also creates a new felony for discharging a weapon near a school and mandates the transfer of student threat assessment records to higher education institutions.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can college employees carry firearms under this bill?
Yes, if they are certified as school guardians by a sheriff after completing 144 hours of training, passing psychological and drug screenings, and being appointed by the institution's president.
What happens to my student records if I transfer to a state college?
If your records contain threat assessment reports or psychological evaluations, the school is required to transfer those specific documents to your new institution.
Are there new penalties for firing a gun near a school?
Yes, discharging a weapon within 1,000 feet of a school is now a , and the accused must be held in custody until a court hearing for bail.

Why It Matters

The bill changes security protocols and legal obligations for Florida's public colleges and universities, requiring them to adopt active assailant response plans, conduct annual security risk assessments, and manage student threat assessment records, while also creating new criminal penalties for weapon discharge near school property.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

on behalf of Florida Association of School Safety Specialists (FS3)

2026

Senate LDAView filing →

on behalf of Florida Association of School Safety Specialists (FS3)

2026

Senate LDAView filing →

on behalf of Florida Association of School Safety Specialists (FS3)

2026

Senate LDAView filing →

on behalf of Florida Association of School Safety Specialists (FS3)

2026

Senate LDAView filing →

ACG ADVOCACY

on behalf of MARCH FOURTH

View filing →

FORZA DC, LLC

on behalf of MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.

View filing →

CORCORAN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DBA CORCORAN PARTNERS

on behalf of THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

View filing →

CORCORAN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DBA CORCORAN PARTNERS

on behalf of THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

View filing →

ZEROEYES GOVERNMENT SOLUTION

View filing →

ACG ADVOCACY

on behalf of MARCH FOURTH

View filing →

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate2/24/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

22

Yes

14

No

7

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededhouse2/11/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

8

Yes

7

No

1

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Expansion of Guardian Program to Higher Ed

The bill marks a formal policy shift by extending the K-12 'Guardian Program' model to public colleges and universities, which were previously not included in the statutory framework for school guardians.

Florida College SystemChris Hixon, Coach Aaron Feis, and Coach Scott Beigel Guardian Program

Connected Entities

organizationRules“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →
organizationAppropriations Committee on Higher Education“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →
organizationCriminal Justice“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →
locationSenate Building“Meeting location”Map →
bill_numberCS“Committee Substitute”Map →
bill_numberCS/CS“Committee Substitute”Map →
organizationAppropriations“Current committee”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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