SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 372

Public Postsecondary Tuition and Fee Waivers for Sheriff’s Office Employees
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SPONSOR
Trumbull
FILED BY
Jay Trumbull — District 2, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Filed under Education.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Public Postsecondary Tuition and Fee Waivers for Sheriff’s Office Employees; Requiring state universities and Florida College System institutions to waive tuition and fees for sheriff’s office employees; providing requirements for the waiver of tuition and fees for sheriff’s office employees; providing requirements for a person to be considered a sheriff’s office employee, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Mandates tuition waivers for sheriff's office employees at state universities.

State universities and Florida College System institutions must waive tuition and fees for sheriff's office employees enrolling in up to 6 credit hours per term.

The waiver applies to full-time sworn law enforcement officers, correctional officers, and civilian employees of any sheriff's office in the state.

Agency heads or sheriffs must approve the enrollment, and the Chief Financial Officer must help verify employment status to reduce administrative burden.

This expands existing state employee tuition benefits to include local law enforcement personnel, effective July 1, 2026.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Mandatory Tuition Waiver for Sheriff's Office Employees majors. 1009.265(1)

AIState universities and Florida College System institutions are required to waive tuition and fees for sheriff's office employees enrolling in up to 6 credit hours per term on a space-available basis.

“each state university and Florida College System institution shall waive tuition and fees for state employees and sheriff's office employees to enroll for up to 6 credit hours of” bill text, line 20 →
§ 2 Definition of Sheriff's Office Employee majors. 1009.265(5)(b)

AIDefines eligible employees as full-time sworn law enforcement officers, correctional officers, or civilian employees of a sheriff's office.

“Employees of a sheriff's office include any full-time sworn law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or civilian employee of the sheriff's office.” bill text, line 35 →
§ 3 Approval Authority for Waivers moderates. 1009.265(1)

AIRequires approval by the sheriff or equivalent for the tuition waiver to be granted to sheriff's office employees.

“subject to approval by an employee's agency head or sheriff, or the equivalent” bill text, line 19 →
§ 4 Administrative Burden Reduction moderates. 1009.265(2)

AIRequires the Chief Financial Officer to implement ways to ease administrative burden, including easier access to verify sheriff's office employment.

“including, but not limited to, providing easier access to verify state or sheriff's office employment” bill text, line 29 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
1/14/2026
Now in Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/13/2026
Favorable by Education Postsecondary; YEAS 6 NAYS 0
1/8/2026
On Committee agenda-- Education Postsecondary, 01/13/26, 4:00 pm,...
11/17/2025
Referred to Education Postsecondary; Appropriations Committee on...
11/4/2025
Filed
1 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 1009.265
+50 / −1
STAFF ANALYSES