SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/CS/SB 896

School Safety
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SPONSOR
Appropriations; Criminal Justice; Gaetz
FILED BY
Don Gaetz — District 1, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law
COMPANION
CS/CS/HB 757 — CS/CS/SB 896 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

School Safety; Requiring sheriffs to assist public postsecondary educational institutions in implementing guardian programs under certain provisions; authorizing public postsecondary educational institutions to participate in the school guardian program; creating the offense of discharging a weapon or firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Creates a new felony for discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.

The bill creates a new second-degree felony for discharging a weapon or firearm within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours or sanctioned activities. This expands the existing prohibition, which currently only covers discharges on school property itself.

Public postsecondary educational institutions are now required to adopt active assailant response plans, family reunification plans, and annual security risk assessments. They must also train faculty to detect and respond to student mental health issues and establish threat management teams.

Sheriffs are now required to assist public postsecondary educational institutions in implementing the school guardian program. This includes providing training and certification for school guardians, with the institution responsible for the actual cost of that training.

The bill requires the transfer of student threat assessment records to a student's postsecondary institution of enrollment. It also mandates that public postsecondary institutions promote the use of the state's mobile suspicious activity reporting tool on their websites and devices.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 New felony for discharging a weapon near a school majors. 790.115(2)(d)

AICreates a new second-degree felony for discharging a weapon or firearm within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours or sanctioned activities, with exceptions for lawful defense or use on authorized private property.

“Discharges any weapon or firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, during school hours or during the time of a sanctioned school activity, unless discharged for lawful defense of hims” bill text, line 323 →
§ 2 Mandatory custody for near-school discharge arrests majors. 790.115(4)

AIRequires that a person arrested for discharging a weapon or firearm within 1,000 feet of a school be held in custody until brought before a court for bail, removing the option of release at the scene.

“A person arrested for a violation of paragraph (2)(d) must be held in custody until brought before the court for admittance to bail in accordance with chapter 903.” bill text, line 333 →
§ 3 Sheriffs must assist public postsecondary institutions majors. 30.15(1)(k)

AIMandates that county sheriffs assist public postsecondary educational institutions in implementing the school guardian program, including providing access to training and establishing programs if requested.

“A sheriff must also assist public postsecondary educational institutions, as described in s. 1000.04(3), in implementing a guardian program under s. 1006.601.” bill text, line 73 →
§ 4 Postsecondary institutions must adopt safety plans majors. 1006.601(3)(a)

AIRequires public postsecondary educational institutions to adopt active assailant response plans, family reunification plans, and mental health threat management teams, and to conduct annual security risk assessments.

“Each public postsecondary educational institution shall: 1. Adopt an active assailant response plan, including methods for issuing campus-wide alerts, and annually certify that all” bill text, line 556 →
§ 5 Transfer of threat assessment records to postsecondary schools moderates. 1003.25(4)

AIRequires that student education records containing threat assessment reports be transferred to a Florida College System institution or state university when the student enrolls there.

“When the education records of a student contain the documents described in subsection (2) and the student enrolls in a Florida College System institution or state university, such” bill text, line 447 →
§ 6 Postsecondary institutions must promote suspicious activity reporting tool moderates. 943.082(4)(c)

AIRequires public postsecondary educational institutions to advertise the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool on their websites, install it on issued mobile devices, and bookmark it on maintained computers.

“Each public postsecondary educational institution, as defined in s. 1000.04(3), shall promote the use of the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool by advertising it on the inst” bill text, line 420 →
TIMELINE
3/11/2026
Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/HB 757 (Ch....
3/11/2026
Substituted CS/CS/HB 757 -SJ 824
3/11/2026
Read 2nd time -SJ 824
3/10/2026
Retained on Special Order Calendar -SJ 747
3/5/2026
Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/10/26
2/25/2026
CS/CS by Appropriations 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- Appropriations; YEAS 11 NAYS 6
2/19/2026
On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 02/24/26, 9:00 am, 110...
2/18/2026
CS by Criminal Justice read 1st time
2/13/2026
Now in Appropriations
2/13/2026
Remaining references corrected to Appropriations
2/13/2026
Original reference(s) removed: Appropriations Committee on Higher...
2/13/2026
Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/11/2026
CS by Criminal Justice; YEAS 7 NAYS 1
2/6/2026
On Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 02/11/26, 3:00 pm, 37...
1/13/2026
Introduced
12/16/2025
Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Higher...
12/12/2025
Filed
14 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 30.15
+97 / −1
s. 790.115
+141 / −20
s. 921.0022
+7 / −0
s. 943.082
+55 / −0
s. 1003.25
+76 / −0
s. 1006.07
+26 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES