HB0077 • 2026

Public Postsecondary Safety Policies and Procedures

Education Taxes

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Woodson ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Chambliss ; Driskell ; Harris
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Education Administration Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill has passed both chambers but its final status is uncertain as it may not have been signed into law by the governor yet.

Public College Safety Rules

This bill requires Florida's public colleges and universities to create safety policies and procedures that protect students, teachers, staff, and visitors from physical threats and harmful behavior.

What This Bill Does

Requires state universities and Florida College System institutions to make written safety rules.
Specifies that these rules must cover actions like physical threats or language that could cause fear of harm.
Sets up a person responsible for handling safety issues and implementing the policies.
Establishes clear ways to report safety concerns, including contacting campus security or local police when needed.
Ensures affected people know about protective measures available to them, such as moving classes or getting security escorts.
Requires annual updates to these rules based on best practices in threat assessment and safety.

Who It Names or Affects

State universities
Florida College System institutions
Students at public colleges and universities
Teachers, staff, and visitors of state universities and Florida College System institutions

Terms To Know

Threat assessment: The process of evaluating potential dangers to ensure safety.
Best practices: The most effective methods or procedures used in a field, such as campus security and safety.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear if the bill will be signed into law by the governor.
Details of specific policies and procedures are left to each institution to decide.
The effectiveness of these rules in improving campus safety remains to be seen.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2025-10-07 House
• Referred to Education Administration Subcommittee • Referred to Education & Employment Committee • Now in Education Administration Subcommittee
2025-10-02 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Public Postsecondary Safety Policies and Procedures; Requires state universities & FCS institutions to adopt & implement specified policies & procedures relating to safety; provides requirements for policies & procedures; & requires annual review & updates policies & procedures.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 77 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public postsecondary safety 2
policies and procedures; creating s. 1004.0983, F.S.; 3
requiring state universities and Florida College 4
System institutions to adopt and implement specified 5
policies and procedures relating to safety; providing 6
requirements for the policies and procedures; 7
requiring the universities and institutions to 8
annually review and update the policies and 9
procedures; authorizing the Board of Governors and the 10
State Board of Education to adopt regulations and 11
rules, respectively; providing an effective date. 12
13
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
15
Section 1. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created 16
to read: 17
1004.0983 Public postsecondary safety policies and 18
procedures.— 19
(1) Each state university and Florida College System 20
institution shall adopt and implement written policies and 21
procedures to protect the physical safety of its students, 22
faculty, staff, and visitors in campus facilities, classrooms, 23
and other institutional settings from: 24
(a) Physical threats. 25

HB 77 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

(b) Other conduct or language that would cause a 26
reasonable person to believe his or her physical safety is at 27
risk. 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 34
all 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 paragraphs (1)(a) or (b). 42
(d) Provide timely updates to an affected person regarding 43
the status of an incident and any actions taken. 44
(e) Ensure the policies and procedures are prominently 45
posted on the state university's or Florida College System 46
institution's website and available to students, faculty, staff, 47
and visitors upon request. 48
(3) Each state university and Florida College System 49
institution must annually review and update the policies and 50

HB 77 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

procedures to incorporate the best practices in threat 51
assessment, campus security, and safety. 52
(4) The Board of Governors may adopt regulations and the 53
State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer this 54
section. 55
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 56