Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 730
       
       
        
       By Senator Arrington
       
       
       
       
       
       25-01028-26                                            2026730__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to sexual violence policies; creating
    3         1006.149, F.S.; defining terms; requiring schools to
    4         establish sexual violence policies and supportive
    5         measures; specifying requirements for the policies and
    6         measures; requiring schools to notify specified
    7         persons of the policies and measures; specifying
    8         requirements for such notifications; requiring the
    9         policies and measures to be published in specified
   10         places and on certain websites; specifying
   11         requirements for the notification of students under
   12         the age of 18; providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 1006.149, Florida Statutes, is created
   17  to read:
   18         1006.149Notification of sexual violence policies and
   19  supportive measures.—
   20         (1)For purposes of this section, the term:
   21         (a)“Child advocacy center” means a center that coordinates
   22  the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse
   23  cases by using multidisciplinary teams of professionals involved
   24  in child protective and victim advocacy services, law
   25  enforcement and prosecution, and physical and mental health
   26  services.
   27         (b)“Frequently encountered language” means a language that
   28  is the primary language spoken by:
   29         1.At least 5 percent of the overall student and employee
   30  population of the school;
   31         2.At least 5 percent of the population in the county in
   32  which the school is located; or
   33         3.At least 1,000 people in the county in which the school
   34  is located.
   35         (c)“School” means a public K-12 school, public
   36  postsecondary educational institution, or a private K-12 school,
   37  college, or university.
   38         (d)“Sexual assault service provider” means an agency that
   39  provides victim advocacy and support services to survivors of
   40  sexual violence.
   41         (e)“Sexual violence policies” means any policy, procedure,
   42  protocol, guideline, or rule regarding sexual assault, sexual
   43  abuse, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking that
   44  occurs on school premises, on school transportation, or at a
   45  school-sponsored off-campus event, or where a student, school
   46  staff, or school volunteer is the purported victim or offender.
   47         (f)“Supportive measures” means nondisciplinary or
   48  nonpunitive individualized measures related to sexual assault,
   49  sexual abuse, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking
   50  which are offered to a student, the school staff, or a school
   51  volunteer to protect the safety of all parties, provide
   52  reasonable accommodations, and support educational success.
   53         (2)(a)A school’s sexual violence policies must meet all of
   54  the following requirements:
   55         1.Include options for a student to report an incident of
   56  sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence, dating
   57  violence, or stalking to the school or law enforcement.
   58         2.Include the rights of victims and offenders during any
   59  investigation or disciplinary proceedings conducted by the
   60  school.
   61         3.Include the process the school will use for the
   62  investigation and disciplinary proceedings, including any right
   63  to an appeal.
   64         4.Include whether or not the school has an affirmative
   65  duty to report to law enforcement when a report is made to the
   66  school.
   67         5.Be written in clear, plain language in a color, size,
   68  and font that enhances readability.
   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 include, if
   76  available, the current:
   77         1.Name, title, e-mail address, mailing address, and
   78  telephone number of the person designated by the school to
   79  receive reports of violations of the sexual violence policies
   80  and to provide information regarding sexual violence policies
   81  and supportive measures.
   82         2.Name, telephone number, and website address for a local,
   83  state, or national hotline providing information to victims of
   84  sexual assault or sexual abuse.
   85         3.Name, telephone number, and website address of the
   86  nearest child advocacy center and sexual assault service
   87  provider.
   88         (c)A school’s supportive measures may include, but not be
   89  limited to, the following:
   90         1.Counseling, health care, and mental health care.
   91         2.Victim advocacy and legal assistance.
   92         3.Extensions of deadlines or other class-related
   93  adjustments, modifications of work or class schedules, and
   94  campus safety escorts.
   95         4.Mutual restrictions on contact between relevant parties,
   96  changes in work or housing locations, leaves of absence,
   97  increased security and monitoring of certain areas of the
   98  school, or other similar measures.
   99         (3)Each school shall notify every student, parent, school
  100  staff, and school volunteer of the school’s existing sexual
  101  violence policies and supportive measures by:
  102         (a)Including the school’s sexual violence policies and
  103  supportive measures in any student, parent, school staff, or
  104  school volunteer handbook or catalog or similar publication
  105  listing rights, responsibilities, or standards of conduct.
  106         (b)Providing the sexual violence policies and supportive
  107  measures directly to a student, parent, school staff, or school
  108  volunteer using the process by which the student, parent, school
  109  staff, or school volunteer has elected to receive communication
  110  from the school.
  111         1.For students and parents, schools shall provide the
  112  sexual violence policies and supportive measures at the time of
  113  initial enrollment or registration, and each academic year
  114  thereafter within 30 days after the first day of school.
  115         2.For school staff or school volunteers, schools shall
  116  provide the sexual violence policies and supportive measures at
  117  the time the school staff is hired or the school volunteer
  118  begins volunteering and require that school staff and school
  119  volunteers review the sexual violence policies and supportive
  120  measures each academic year thereafter within 30 days after the
  121  first day of school.
  122         (c)Placing a physical copy of the sexual violence policies
  123  and supportive measures in a clearly visible location and public
  124  area of the school which is readily accessible to and widely
  125  used by students, and in a location that is readily accessible
  126  to parents, school staff, and school volunteers.
  127         (d)Posting the sexual violence policies and supportive
  128  measures in a prominent location on the school’s website which
  129  is accessible from the homepage by not more than three clicks.
  130  The school shall also provide a copy of the policies to the
  131  school district, or governing body of the institution, to be
  132  posted on that organization’s website which is accessible from
  133  the home page by not more than three clicks.
  134         (4)To provide notice to a student under 18 years of age,
  135  the school shall provide the notice to the student’s parents.
  136  However, the school may also provide notice to the student in an
  137  age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate manner.
  138         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.