Florida Senate - 2026                              CS for SB 176
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education; and Senator
       Polsky
       
       
       
       
       608-02301-26                                           2026176c1
    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 safety policies
   23  and procedures applicable to campus facilities, classrooms, and
   24  other institutional settings to prevent, report, and respond to:
   25         (a) An act of violence or attempted violence against a
   26  person.
   27         (b) A credible threat as defined in s. 784.048(1)(c).
   28         (2) The policies and procedures must:
   29         (a) Identify a person responsible for:
   30         1. Coordinating the state university or Florida College
   31  System institution’s response to actions listed in paragraphs
   32  (1)(a) and (b).
   33         2. Implementing such policies and procedures, including all
   34  safety measures.
   35         (b) Establish clear internal and external reporting
   36  protocols, including notification of campus security or a local
   37  law enforcement agency when appropriate.
   38         (c) Outline the protective measures available to affected
   39  persons, which may include work or class relocation, security
   40  escorts, and restricting access to certain areas by a person
   41  engaged in an activity listed in paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph
   42  (1)(b).
   43         (d) Provide timely updates to an affected person regarding
   44  the status of an incident and any action taken.
   45         (e) Ensure the policies and procedures are prominently
   46  posted on the state university’s or Florida College System
   47  institution’s website and available to students, faculty, staff,
   48  and visitors upon request.
   49         (3) Each state university and Florida College System
   50  institution shall annually review and update the policies and
   51  procedures to incorporate the best practices in threat
   52  assessment, campus security, and safety.
   53         (4) The Board of Governors may adopt regulations and the
   54  State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer this
   55  section.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.