Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 1478
By
Senator Davis
5-00963-26 20261478__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to intellectual freedom and viewpoint
3 diversity; amending s. 1001.03, F.S.; deleting a
4 definition of the term “shield”; requiring the State
5 Board of Education to ensure that Florida College
6 System institutions are free from political influence
7 and interference; deleting a requirement that the
8 state board not shield Florida College System
9 institution students, faculty, or staff from protected
10 speech; amending s. 1001.706, F.S.; deleting a
11 definition of the term “shield”; requiring the Board
12 of Governors of the State University System to ensure
13 that state universities are free from political
14 influence and interference; deleting a requirement
15 that the board not shield state university students,
16 faculty, or staff from protected speech; creating s.
17 1004.022, F.S.; granting specified rights to students
18 of Florida College System institutions and state
19 universities; granting specified rights to faculty;
20 amending s. 1004.421, F.S.; conforming a cross
21 reference; providing an effective date.
22
23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (19) of
26 section 1001.03, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
27 1001.03 Specific powers of State Board of Education.—
28 (19) INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY
29 ASSESSMENT.—
30 (a) For the purposes of this subsection, the term
:
31
1.
“Intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” means the
32 exposure of students, faculty, and staff to, and the
33 encouragement of their exploration of, a variety of ideological
34 and political perspectives.
35
2. “Shield” means to limit students’, faculty members’, or
36
staff members’ access to, or observation of, ideas and opinions
37
that they may find uncomfortable, unwelcome, disagreeable, or
38
offensive.
39 (c) The State Board of Education
shall ensure that
may not
40
shield students, faculty, or staff at
Florida College System
41 institutions
are free
from
undue political influence and
42
interference in academic affairs, including curriculum design,
43
faculty appointments, research activities, and administrative
44
operations
free speech protected under the First Amendment to
45
the United States Constitution, Art. I of the State
46
Constitution, or s. 1004.097
.
47 Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (13) of
48 section 1001.706, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
49 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
50 (13) INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY
51 ASSESSMENT.—
52 (a) For the purposes of this subsection, the term
:
53
1.
“Intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” means the
54 exposure of students, faculty, and staff to, and the
55 encouragement of their exploration of, a variety of ideological
56 and political perspectives.
57
2. “Shield” means to limit students’, faculty members’, or
58
staff members’ access to, or observation of, ideas and opinions
59
that they may find uncomfortable, unwelcome, disagreeable, or
60
offensive.
61 (c) The Board of Governors
shall ensure that
may not shield
62
students, faculty, or staff at
state universities
are free
from
63
undue political influence and interference in academic affairs,
64
including curriculum design, faculty appointments, research
65
activities, and administrative operations
free speech protected
66
under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,
67
Art. I of the State Constitution, or s. 1004.97
.
68 Section 3. Section 1004.022, Florida Statutes, is created
69 to read:
70
1004.022
Academic freedom
.—Notwithstanding any other law to
71
the contrary:
72
(1)
Every student in the State University System and
73
Florida College System has the unalienable right to pursue
74
education access across all academic disciplines without
75
governmental or institutional interference, including, but not
76
limited to, a student’s prerogative to select, drop, or change
77
courses and areas of study without facing pressure or
78
restrictions based on political or ideological grounds.
79
(2)
Faculty members in the State University System and
80
Florida College System are entitled to full academic freedom in
81
their teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity.
82
This includes the right to
do all of the following
:
83
(a)
Investigate, discover, create, and disseminate
84
knowledge without undue interference or restriction from
85
political, ideological, or institutional forces.
86
(b)
Determine the content of their courses, methods of
87
instruction, and subject matter consistent with professional
88
standards and the mission of the institution.
89
(c)
Engage in extramural speech and professional discourse
90
without institutional discipline or reprisal, provided such
91
expression is consistent with their responsibilities as scholars
92
and educators. Academic freedom for faculty shall be exercised
93
in a manner consistent with the standards of the academic
94
profession, institutional policies of shared governance, and the
95
principles articulated by the American Association of University
96
Professors.
97 Section 4. Subsection (7) of section 1004.421, Florida
98 Statutes, is amended to read:
99 1004.421 Election Law Center at the Florida State
100 University.—The Florida State University Election Law Center is
101 hereby created at the Florida State University College of Law.
102 (7) The center’s research, work, activities, filings,
103 speakers, events, and operations shall be subject to academic
104 freedom protections. The center or any of its full-time faculty
105 or staff may not be compelled to conduct, consult on, or
106 otherwise assist any research or initiatives by any outside
107 federal, state, or local official or agency or private person or
108 entity. The center shall seek to promote intellectual freedom
109 and viewpoint diversity as defined in
s. 1001.706(13)(a)
.
s.
110
1001.706(13)(a)1.
111 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.