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SB0430 • 2026

Oaths of School Personnel

Oaths of School Personnel

Education Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Yarborough
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
Senate - Died in Education Pre-K - 12
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about professional ethics beyond mentioning it as part of the oath.

Oaths for School Workers

This bill requires certain school personnel and college/university staff to take an oath before starting their jobs.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires specified persons employed as members of school personnel, including prekindergarten instructors, to take a specific oath before entering upon the duties of a member of the school personnel.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Specified persons employed as members of school personnel, including prekindergarten instructors.
  • Persons employed in an administrative or instructional capacity at Florida College System institutions and state universities.

Terms To Know

Oath
A promise to do something important or serious.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone refuses to take the oath.
  • It is unclear whether this bill will be signed into law by the governor or face further legislative action.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

770460

Committee amendment S 430 Filed • Education Pre-K - 12 (Yarborough)

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds new requirements for school personnel and employees at state universities to take an oath before starting their jobs, with specific deadlines for existing and new hires.

  • Adds a new section (1012.591) requiring all instructional or administrative personnel in public schools, including charter schools, to subscribe to a specified oath before beginning their duties.
  • Creates another new section (1012.802) for employees at Florida College System institutions and state universities, mandating they take an identical oath before starting work.
  • Specifies that current employees must take the oath by July 1, 2027, while those hired after July 1, 2026, must do so immediately upon hiring.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if someone refuses to take the oath or fails to comply with the deadlines.
  • It is unclear how this new requirement will be enforced and what consequences might follow for non-compliance.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 Senate

    • Died in Education Pre-K - 12

  2. 2026-01-15 Senate

    • On Committee agenda-- Education Pre-K - 12, 01/20/26, 1:00 pm, 412 Knott Building --Temporarily Postponed

  3. 2026-01-13 Senate

    • Introduced

  4. 2025-12-01 Senate

    • Referred to Education Pre-K - 12; Education Postsecondary; Rules

  5. 2025-11-07 Senate

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Oaths of School Personnel; Requiring specified persons employed as members of school personnel to take a specified oath before entering upon the duties of a member of the school personnel; requiring persons employed in an administrative or instructional capacity at a Florida College System institution or state university to take a specified oath before entering upon the duties of a person employed in an administrative or instructional capacity, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 430

By
Senator Yarborough

4-00518A-26 2026430__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to oaths of school personnel; creating
3 s. 1012.591, F.S.; requiring specified persons
4 employed as members of school personnel to take a
5 specified oath before entering upon the duties of a
6 member of the school personnel; creating s. 1012.802,
7 F.S.; requiring persons employed in an administrative
8 or instructional capacity at a Florida College System
9 institution or state university to take a specified
10 oath before entering upon the duties of a person
11 employed in an administrative or instructional
12 capacity; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 1012.591, Florida Statutes, is created
17 to read:
18
1012.591

Oath of school personnel.—Before entering upon the

19
duties of a member of the instructional or administrative

20
personnel as defined in s. 1012.01(2) and (3), respectively, or

21
of a prekindergarten instructor as defined in s. 1002.51(6), a

22
person must subscribe to the following oath:

23
24
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support,

25
protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of

26
the United States and the Constitution and Government

27
of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified for

28
employment as a member of the school personnel in this

29
state; that I will well and faithfully perform the

30
duties of a
member of the
school
personnel
in a

31
professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan

32
manner; that I will uphold the highest standards of

33
academic integrity and professional ethics; that I

34
will foster a respectful learning environment for all

35
students which promotes critical thinking, civic

36
responsibility, and lifelong learning; and that I will

37
serve as a positive role model in both conduct and

38
character, so help me God.

39 Section 2. Section 1012.802, Florida Statutes, is created
40 to read:
41
1012.802
Oath of administrative and instructional

42
employees.—Before entering upon the duties of a person
employed

43
in an administrative or instructional capacity
of a Florida

44
College System institution or state university, a person

45
employed
in
such
capacity
must subscribe to the following oath:

46
47
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support,

48
protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of

49
the United States and the Constitution and Government

50
of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified as a

51
person employed
in an administrative or instructional

52
capacity
in this state; that I will well and

53
faithfully perform the duties of
a person employed in

54
an administrative or instructional capacity

in a

55
professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan

56
manner; that I will uphold the highest standards of

57
academic integrity and professional ethics; that I

58
will foster a respectful learning environment for all

59
students which promotes critical thinking, civic

60
responsibility, and lifelong learning; and that I will

61
serve as a positive role model in both conduct and

62
character, so help me God.

63 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.