HB0307 • 2026

Public Postsecondary Tuition and Fee Waivers for Sheriff's Office Employees

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Johnson ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Grow
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official text defines 'state employees' separately from 'sheriff's office employees,' but this explanation focuses only on the sheriff's office provisions as per the candidate title.

Tuition Waivers for Sheriff's Office Employees

This law requires Florida state universities and colleges to waive tuition and fees for eligible sheriff's office employees.

What This Bill Does

Requires state universities and Florida College System schools to remove tuition and fee costs for qualifying staff.
Allows eligible employees to take up to 6 credit hours per term if space is available in the classes.
Needs approval from a sheriff or agency head before an employee can use this benefit.
Directs state officials to find ways to make it easier for schools to check employment status.
Sets rules that define who counts as a sheriff's office employee under this law.

Who It Names or Affects

Full-time sworn officers, correctional officers, and civilian staff working in Florida sheriff's offices.
State universities and colleges within the Florida College System.
The Chief Financial Officer of Florida who helps manage the program rules.

Terms To Know

Florida College System: A group of public community colleges, state colleges, and technical centers in Florida.
Space-available basis: The waiver only works if there are open seats left in the class after other students sign up.

Limits and Unknowns

Employees can only use this benefit for a maximum of 6 credit hours each term.
Schools do not have to create new classes just to fill spots for these waivers.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2025-11-12 House
• Referred to Careers & Workforce Subcommittee • Referred to Higher Education Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Education & Employment Committee • Now in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
2025-11-04 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Public Postsecondary Tuition and Fee Waivers for Sheriff's Office Employees; Requires state universities & FCS institutions to waive tuition & fees for sheriff's office employees; provides requirements for waiver of tuition & fees for sheriff's office employees; & provides requirements for person to be considered sheriff's office employee.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 307 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb307-00
Page 1 of 2
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 tuition and 2
fee waivers for sheriff's office employees; amending 3
s. 1009.265, F.S.; requiring state universities and 4
Florida College System institutions to waive tuition 5
and fees for sheriff's office employees; providing 6
requirements for the waiver of tuition and fees for 7
sheriff's office employees; providing requirements for 8
a person to be considered a sheriff's office employee; 9
providing an effective date. 10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
13
Section 1. Subsections (1), (2), and (5) of section 14
1009.265, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 15
1009.265 State employee and sheriff's office employee fee 16
waivers.— 17
(1) As a benefit to the employer and employees of the 18
state and each sheriff's office in the state, subject to 19
approval by an employee's agency head or sheriff, or the 20
equivalent, each state university and Florida College System 21
institution shall waive tuition and fees for state employees and 22
sheriff's office employees to enroll for up to 6 credit hours of 23
courses per term on a space-available basis. 24
(2) The Chief Financial Officer, in cooperation with the 25

HB 307 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb307-00
Page 2 of 2
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

Florida College System institutions and state universities, 26
shall identify and implement ways to ease the administrative 27
burden to Florida College System institutions and state 28
universities, including, but not limited to, providing easier 29
access to verify state or sheriff's office employment. 30
(5) For purposes of this section:, 31
(a) Employees of the state include employees of the 32
executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state 33
government, except for persons employed by a state university. 34
(b) Employees of a sheriff's office include any full-time 35
sworn law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or civilian 36
employee of the sheriff's office. 37
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 38