SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 857

Student Support Services for K-12 Schools
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SPONSOR
López, J.; Plasencia
FILED BY
Johanna López — District 43, Democrat [search donations]
Susan Plasencia — District 37, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Student Academic Success Subcommittee

Filed under Education.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Student Support Services for K-12 Schools; Authorizes district school boards to recommend, endorse, or refer students to organizations providing specified student support services; provides requirements for district school boards, district school superintendent, schools, & organizations providing such services; provides requirements relating to Level 2 background screenings for specified persons.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Districts may refer students to outside support organizations.

District school boards gain authority to refer students to outside organizations providing mentoring, counseling, tutoring, and extracurricular programs.

Organizations must ensure every person contacting students completes a Level 2 background screening, whether services occur on or off campus.

Mentoring organizations claiming to serve a single race or ethnicity must prove diverse staffing before districts may refer students to them.

Superintendents must submit detailed compliance reports to the Department of Education upon request, including student demographic data.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Referral Authority majors. 1001.42(29)(a)

AIGrants district school boards the power to refer students to external organizations providing mentoring, counseling, tutoring, and extracurricular programs.

“A district school board may refer students to organizations that provide student support services” bill text, line 29 →
§ 2 Diversity Verification majors. 1001.42(29)(b)

AIRequires organizations that publicly claim to serve a single race or ethnic group to provide written proof of diverse staff before the district can refer students to them.

“must provide written verification to the district school board demonstrating that the organization employs or engages mentors, staff, or volunteers from diverse racial and ethnic” bill text, line 39 →
§ 3 Background Screening majors. 1001.42(29)(b)

AIMandates that every person who comes into contact with students or is present in the building during service delivery must have a completed Level 2 background screening.

“An organization must ensure that each person who comes into contact with students, or is present in the same building while services are being provided to students, has” bill text, line 45 →
§ 4 Compliance Reporting moderates. 1001.42(29)(e)

AIRequires district superintendents to submit a report to the Department of Education within 30 days of a request, including disaggregated demographic data of students served.

“submit a report demonstrating compliance with this subsection within 30 days after such request” bill text, line 82 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Student Academic Success Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/5/2026
Now in Student Academic Success Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Education & Employment Committee
1/5/2026
Referred to PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Student Academic Success Subcommittee
12/19/2025
Filed
1 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 1001.42
+572 / −0
s. 1001.42
+0 / −0