Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 176
       
       
        
       By Senator Polsky
       
       
       
       
       
       30-00576-26                                            2026176__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public postsecondary education
    3         safety policies and procedures; creating s. 1004.0983,
    4         F.S.; requiring state universities and Florida College
    5         System institutions to adopt and implement specified
    6         policies and procedures relating to safety; providing
    7         requirements for such policies and procedures;
    8         requiring state universities and Florida College
    9         System institutions to annually review and update the
   10         policies and procedures; authorizing the Board of
   11         Governors and the State Board of Education to adopt
   12         regulations and rules, respectively; providing an
   13         effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created
   18  to read:
   19         1004.0983 Public postsecondary safety policies and
   20  procedures.—
   21         (1) Each state university and Florida College System
   22  institution shall adopt and implement written policies and
   23  procedures to protect the physical safety of its students,
   24  faculty, staff, and visitors in campus facilities, classrooms,
   25  and other institutional settings from:
   26         (a) Physical threats.
   27         (b) Other conduct or language that would cause a reasonable
   28  person to believe his or her physical safety is at risk.
   29         (2) The policies and procedures must:
   30         (a) Identify a person responsible for:
   31         1. Coordinating the state university or Florida College
   32  System institution’s response to actions listed in paragraphs
   33  (1)(a) and (b).
   34         2. Implementing such policies and procedures, including all
   35  safety measures.
   36         (b) Establish clear internal and external reporting
   37  protocols, including notification of campus security or a local
   38  law enforcement agency when appropriate.
   39         (c) Outline the protective measures available to affected
   40  persons, which may include work or class relocation, security
   41  escorts, and restricting access to certain areas by a person
   42  engaged in an activity listed in paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph
   43  (1)(b).
   44         (d) Provide timely updates to an affected person regarding
   45  the status of an incident and any action taken.
   46         (e) Ensure the policies and procedures are prominently
   47  posted on the state university’s or Florida College System
   48  institution’s website and available to students, faculty, staff,
   49  and visitors upon request.
   50         (3) Each state university and Florida College System
   51  institution shall annually review and update the policies and
   52  procedures to incorporate the best practices in threat
   53  assessment, campus security, and safety.
   54         (4) The Board of Governors may adopt regulations and the
   55  State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer this
   56  section.
   57         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.