SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/CS/SB 7036

Education
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SPONSOR
Rules; Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education; Education Pre-K - 12
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
CS/HB 453 — CS/CS/SB 7036 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Education.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Education; Providing that district school boards are not subject to the requirements for rules in chapter 120 when making and adopting rules with public input at a public meeting; authorizing a student to carry a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved epinephrine delivery device, rather than an epinephrine auto-injector; revising requirements for attendance reporting by private prekindergarten providers; revising required instruction on the principles of agriculture; providing that completion of 2 years of marching band satisfies two specified credit requirements, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
School boards gain broad rulemaking and tax spending powers.

District school boards are exempt from state rulemaking procedures when adopting rules with public input at a public meeting. This allows boards to create local regulations without the standard administrative review process.

School boards may now spend the 1.5 mill levy for general operational or capital purposes. This removes the previous statutory list of specific allowable expenditures for that tax revenue.

Private schools enrolling 150 or fewer students are permitted uses in commercial or mixed-use zoning districts. They may operate in these areas without rezoning or special exceptions.

Schools designated as persistently low-performing are now included in the definition of an educational emergency. This allows boards to bypass contract restrictions in those specific schools.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 School Board Rulemaking Exemption majors. 120.81(1)(a)

AIDistrict school boards are exempt from Chapter 120 rulemaking requirements when adopting rules with public input at a public meeting.

“District school boards are not subject to the requirements for rules in this chapter when making and adopting rules with public input at a public meeting.” bill text, line 3 →
§ 2 Expanded Educational Emergency Definition majors. 1001.42(21)

AISchools designated as persistently low-performing are now included in the definition of an educational emergency, allowing boards to bypass contract restrictions.

“or are persistently low-performing schools as described in s. 1002.333” bill text, line 191 →
§ 3 Private School Zoning Preemption majors. 1002.42(19)(d)

AIPrivate schools enrolling 150 or fewer students are permitted uses in commercial or mixed-use zoning districts without rezoning or special exceptions.

“shall be considered a permitted use and occupancy in a commercial or mixed-use zoning district within a county or municipality without rezoning” bill text, line 476 →
§ 4 Applied Algebra for CTE majors. 1003.4936(3)(b)

AICreates a new course that can replace standard Algebra I for graduation credit.

“school districts may offer one or more applied algebra courses in lieu of Algebra I, and successful completion of the course will satisfy the Algebra I credit requirement” bill text, line 907 →
§ 5 Dyslexia Screening and Evaluation majors. 1008.25(4)(d)

AIMandates that screening results for dyslexia or dyscalculia trigger a disability evaluation process.

“Treat the screening result as reasonable suspicion that the student may be a student with a disability for purposes of s. 1003.57” bill text, line 1278 →
§ 6 District School Tax: Expanded Use of 1.5 Mill Levy majors. 1011.71(2)

AISchool boards may now use the 1.5 mill levy for general operational or capital purposes, removing the previous list of specific allowable expenditures.

“for operational or capital purposes” bill text, line 150 →
§ 7 Epinephrine Device Broadening moderates. 1002.20(3)(i)

AIStudents may carry any FDA-approved epinephrine delivery device, not just auto-injectors, for self-administration in school.

“a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved epinephrine delivery device” bill text, line 10 →
§ 8 VPK Curriculum Approval Expansion moderates. 1002.67(2)(d)

AIThe Department of Education may approve proprietary or purchasable curricula outside the standard review process for providers operating in more than five locations.

“The department shall review and may approve a curriculum that is proprietary or available for purchase outside of the established review and approval process” bill text, line 551 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died on Calendar, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 453 (Ch....
3/12/2026
Retained on Special Order Calendar -SJ 884
3/11/2026
Retained on Special Order Calendar -SJ 824
3/10/2026
Retained on Special Order Calendar -SJ 747
3/6/2026
Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/10/26
2/25/2026
CS/CS by Rules read 1st time
2/25/2026
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
2/25/2026
Pending reference review -under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/24/2026
CS/CS by- Rules; YEAS 22 NAYS 0
2/19/2026
On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/24/26, 12:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
2/18/2026
CS by Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education read 1st time
2/16/2026
Now in Rules
2/16/2026
Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/12/2026
CS by Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education; YEAS 10 NAYS 0
2/10/2026
Introduced
2/9/2026
On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12...
2/5/2026
Referred to Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education; Rules
2/4/2026
Filed
2/3/2026
Submitted as Committee Bill and Reported Favorably by Education...
1/29/2026
On Committee agenda-- Education Pre-K - 12, 02/03/26, 3:30 pm, 412...
1/29/2026
Submitted for consideration by Education Pre-K - 12
15 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 120.81
+26 / −0
s. 1001.42
+25 / −4
s. 1002.20
+56 / −20
s. 1002.33
+42 / −0
s. 1002.42
+421 / −8
s. 1002.67
+169 / −3
STAFF ANALYSES
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