THE BILL ITSELF
HB 1555
Postsecondary Education
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to postsecondary education; providing
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legislative findings; creating s. 1004.0983, F.S.;
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providing definitions; requiring Florida College
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System institutions and state universities to report
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specified information; requiring such information to
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be deidentified and aggregated by specified
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categories; prohibiting the boards of trustees of such
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institutions from delegating such responsibilities;
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authorizing the State Board of Education and the Board
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of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
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respectively; creating s. 1004.0984, F.S.; defining
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the term "institution"; prohibiting Florida College
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System institutions and state universities from
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requiring specified persons to participate in training
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that endorses specified concepts; providing
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construction; providing that specified violations by
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certain persons create a cause of action for specified
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relief and recovery of certain fees and costs;
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providing for specified forms of relief; creating s.
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1004.0985, F.S.; requiring Florida College System
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institutions and state universities to maintain
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websites that publish specified information;
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providing an effective date.
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WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that every year the state
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makes a substantial investment in public postsecondary education
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and that ensuring the wise use of public funds is a critical
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interest of the state in setting the priorities for public
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postsecondary education in the state, and
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WHEREAS, the Legislature further finds that it is important
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to ensure that discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity,
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or sex has no place in the state's public institutions of
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postsecondary education, NOW THEREFORE,
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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1004.0983 Florida College System institution and state
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university admissions reporting requirements.—
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(1) For purposes of this section, the term:
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(a) "Admissions data" means information related to
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applications for admission, the disposition of applications for
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admission, and enrollments for undergraduate and graduate
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programs.
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(b) "GPA" means any numerical measure of an applicant's
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academic performance at any preceding educational institution
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that is requested or used as part of the admissions process.
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(c) "Institution" means Florida College System
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institutions and state universities.
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(d) "Standardized test" means a test that is considered
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part of the admissions process and is administered and scored in
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a consistent manner with the same questions, testing conditions,
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and scoring procedures for all test takers, including, but not
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limited to, the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and GMAT.
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(2) Annually, the board of trustees of each institution
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must submit to the Department of Education a report detailing
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it's admissions data from the previous academic year for the
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institution and for each undergraduate program, graduate
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program, and professional school that conducts its own
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admissions process. The report must include all of the following
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deidentified data aggregated by race, ethnicity, and sex:
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(a) The total number of applicants to the institution.
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(b) The average and median standardized test scores for
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applicants to the institution.
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(c) The average and median GPAs for all applicants to the
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institution.
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(d) The total number of applicants offered admission to
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the institution.
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(e) The average and median standardized test scores for
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all applicants offered admission to the institution.
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(f) The average and median GPAs for all applicants offered
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admission to the institution.
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(g) The total number of applicants who enroll in the
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institution.
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(h) The standardized test scores for all applicants who
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enroll in the institution.
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(i) The average and median GPAs for all applicants who
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enroll in the institution.
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If an undergraduate program, graduate program, or professional
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school has its own GPA requirements, such GPAs must be included
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in the data reported under paragraphs (c), (f), and (i).
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(3) The board of trustees of an institution may not
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delegate its duties under this section to any other person,
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official, or entity.
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(4) The State Board of Education and the Board of
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Governors may adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to
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administer this section.
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Section 2. Section 1004.0984, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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1004.0984 Training and licensing requirements for Florida
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College System institutions and state universities.—
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(1) For purposes of this section, the term "institution"
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has the same meaning as in s. 1004.0983(1).
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(2) An institution may not require any officer, employee,
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student, or other member of the institution to attend or
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participate in training that endorses the concepts outlined in
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s. 1000.05(4)(a). This subsection may not be construed to
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prohibit discussion of the concepts listed in s. 1000.05(4)(a)
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as part of a larger course of training or instruction, provided
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such training or instruction is given in an objective manner
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without endorsement of the concepts.
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(3)(a) Any officer, employee, student, or other member of
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an institution who is subjected to a violation of subsection (2)
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may bring a civil action, within 3 years of the violation,
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against any person, in the person's individual capacity for:
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1. Declaratory or injunctive relief.
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2. Compensatory damages.
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3. Punitive damages.
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4. Statutory damages of $25,000 per violation.
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5. Attorney fees and costs.
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(b) For purposes of this subsection, a state court may not
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recognize any form of official immunity from suit, such as
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qualified immunity, on behalf of the person subject to suit.
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(c) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as a
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waiver of the state's sovereign immunity.
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Section 3. Section 1004.0985, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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1004.0985 Public disclosure for Florida College System
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institutions and state universities.—
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(1) For purposes of this section, the term "institution"
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has the same meaning as in s. 1004.0983(1).
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(2) Each institution must maintain a publicly accessible
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website that publishes the following educational materials and
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extracurricular materials:
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(a) A course description of each course offered at the
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institution.
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(b) The current syllabus for each course, including
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required readings, assignment descriptions, and grading
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criteria.
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(c) Any existing lecture materials that are representative
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of the material to be covered in each course.
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(d) A list of each club, organization, and association
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recognized by the institution.
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(e) A mission statement for each club, organization, and
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association recognized by the institution.
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(f) A statement of purpose for each club, organization,
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and association recognized by the institution.
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Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.