Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1232
By Senator Davis
5-00491B-25 20251232__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to notification of anti-harassment
3 policies and supportive measures; creating s. 1000.09,
4 F.S.; providing definitions; requiring schools to
5 establish anti-harassment policies and supportive
6 measures; providing requirements for the policies and
7 measures; requiring schools to notify specified
8 persons of the policies and measures; providing
9 requirements for the notifications; requiring the
10 policies and measures to be published in specified
11 places and on certain websites; providing requirements
12 for the notification of students under the age of 18;
13 providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Section 1000.09, Florida Statutes, is created to
18 read:
19 1000.09 Notification of anti-harassment policies and
20 supportive measures.—
21 (1) For purposes of this section, the term:
22 (a) “Anti-harassment policies” means any policy, procedure,
23 or rule regarding sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic
24 violence, dating violence, and stalking that occur on school
25 premises, on school transportation, or at a school-sponsored,
26 off-campus event.
27 (b) “Child advocacy center” means a center that coordinates
28 the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse
29 cases by using multidisciplinary teams of professionals involved
30 in child protective and victim advocacy services, law
31 enforcement and prosecution, and physical and mental health.
32 (c) “Frequently encountered language” means a language that
33 is the primary language spoken by:
34 1. At least 5 percent of the overall student and employee
35 population of the school;
36 2. At least 5 percent of the population in the county in
37 which the school is located; or
38 3. At least 1,000 people in the county in which the school
39 is located.
40 (d) “School” means a public K-12 school, public
41 postsecondary educational institution, or a private K-12 school,
42 college, or university.
43 (e) “Sexual assault service provider” means an agency that
44 provides victim advocacy and support services to survivors of
45 sexual violence.
46 (f) “Supportive measures” means individualized measures
47 related to sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence,
48 dating violence, and stalking which are nondisciplinary or
49 nonpunitive measures that are offered to a student, a member of
50 the school staff, or a school volunteer to protect the safety of
51 all parties, provide reasonable accommodations, and support
52 educational success.
53 (2)(a) A school’s anti-harassment policies must:
54 1. Include options for a student to report an incident of
55 sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence, dating
56 violence, and stalking.
57 2. Include the rights of victims and offenders under the
58 law during any investigation or disciplinary proceedings
59 conducted by the school.
60 3. Include the process the school will use for the
61 investigation and disciplinary proceedings, including any rights
62 to an appeal.
63 4. Confirm, after a report has been made to the school,
64 whether the school has an affirmative duty to report to law
65 enforcement.
66 5. Be published and posted on the school’s campus in a
67 color, size, and font that allow the anti-harassment policies
68 and supportive measures to be easily read.
69 6. Be available in frequently encountered languages to
70 ensure timely and meaningful access for students, parents,
71 school staff, and school volunteers with limited English
72 proficiency. Processes should be in place for access to the
73 material in less frequently encountered languages through oral
74 interpretation upon request.
75 (b) A school’s supportive measures must:
76 1. Include all of the following:
77 a. The name, title, e-mail address, physical address, and
78 telephone number of the person designated to receive reports of
79 violations of the anti-harassment policies and provide
80 information regarding anti-harassment policies and supportive
81 measures.
82 b. The name, telephone number, and website address for a
83 local, state, or national hotline providing information to
84 victims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence,
85 dating violence, and stalking.
86 c. The name, telephone number, and website address of the
87 nearest Child Advocacy Center and sexual assault service
88 provider.
89 2. Be published and posted on the school’s campus in a
90 color, size and font that allow the supportive measures to be
91 easily read.
92 3. Be available in frequently encountered languages to
93 ensure timely and meaningful access for students, parents,
94 school staff, and school volunteers with limited English
95 proficiency. Processes should be in place for access to the
96 material in less frequently encountered languages through oral
97 interpretation upon request.
98 (c) A school’s supportive measures may include, but are not
99 limited to, the following:
100 1. Counseling, health care, and mental health care.
101 2. Victim advocacy and legal assistance.
102 3. Extensions of deadlines or other class-related
103 adjustments, modifications of work or class schedules, and
104 campus safety escort services.
105 4. Mutual restrictions on contact between relevant parties,
106 changes in work or housing locations, leaves of absence,
107 increased security and monitoring of certain areas of the
108 school, and other similar measures.
109 (3) Each school shall notify every student, parent, school
110 staff, and school volunteer of the school’s anti-harassment
111 policies and supportive measures by:
112 (a) Including the school’s anti-harassment policies and
113 supportive measures in any student, parent, school staff, or
114 school volunteer handbook or catalog, or similar publication
115 listing rights, responsibilities, or standards of conduct.
116 (b) Providing the anti-harassment policies and supportive
117 measures directly to the student, parent, school staff, or
118 school volunteer through the mode of communication the student,
119 parent, school staff, or school volunteer has elected to receive
120 communications from the school.
121 1. For students and parents, provide the anti-harassment
122 policies and supportive measures at the time of enrollment or
123 registration, and each school year thereafter within 30 days
124 after the first day of school.
125 2. For school staff or school volunteers, provide the anti
126 harassment policies and supportive measures at the time the
127 school staff is hired or the school volunteer begins and require
128 school staff and school volunteers to review the anti-harassment
129 policies and supportive measures within 30 days after the first
130 day of school each school year thereafter.
131 (c) Placing a physical copy of the anti-harassment policies
132 and supportive measures in a clearly visible location in a
133 public area of the school that is readily accessible to and
134 widely used by students and in a location that is readily
135 accessible to parents, school staff, and school volunteers.
136 (d) Posting the anti-harassment policies and supportive
137 measures in a prominent location on the school’s website which
138 is accessible from the homepage by use of not more than three
139 clicks. The school shall also provide a copy of the policies to
140 the governing body of the school to be posted on the governing
141 body’s website, in a prominent location, that is accessible from
142 the school’s homepage by use of not more than three clicks.
143 (4) To provide notice to a student under 18 years of age,
144 the school shall provide the notice to the student’s parent.
145 However, the school may also provide notice to the student in an
146 age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate manner.
147 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.