School Safety Legislation Signed into Law

May 29, 2025

by The Florida Senate - Senator Ben Albritton

Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch on Unsplash

TALLAHASSEE, FL–Senate Bill (SB) 1470, School Safety, by Senator Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills), was signed into law on May 21, 2025 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The bill expands the Chris Hixon, Coach Aaron Feis, and Coach Scott Beigel School Guardian Program, clarifies perimeter and door security requirements, modifies training and oversight for school security guards, and refines procedures for threat assessment and emergency response. SB 1470 unanimously passed the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives earlier this month.

“Over the last several years, the Legislature has partnered with Governor DeSantis, local school districts, and law enforcement to determine steps we can take to keep our schools safe. With input from parents, teachers, school administrators, and law enforcement, this legislation builds on our track record of continuous improvement in school safety,” said Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula). “A secure school environment is vital to academic success for our students. Strengthening school safety training requirements will help safeguard students and faculty and give families peace of mind that their children are safe during the school day. I’m grateful to Governor DeSantis for signing this tremendous piece of legislation into law.”

“Every Florida student deserves to feel safe at school. And every parent should be able to put their children on the school bus, or drop them off at school in the morning, without worrying about whether or not they will make it home that evening,” said Senator Burgess. “As a father of three young children, like Governor DeSantis, we stand with parents across our state who want to make certain our schools are safe. The strengthened security measures across Florida schools outlined in this bill will foster a safer environment for students to learn. By improving coordination and creating more uniformity with how protocols are implemented, we can bolster campus protections and further prioritize the safety of both students and staff. Every year, we are incorporating lessons learned and looking for improvements. Florida families expect us to get this right. We can’t and we won’t let them down.”

School Guardian Program Options and Oversight The bill aligns the training, certification, and oversight of school security guards with requirements for school guardians. Specifically, the bill:

• Requires all school security guard training, including initial and ongoing training, to be conducted or approved by a sheriff;
• Requires background screening, psychological evaluation, and drug testing before training;
• Prohibits sheriffs from waiving training or screening costs for security agencies;
• Requires sheriffs to maintain training, certification, and firearm qualification records for each certified guard; and
• Allows sheriffs to provide training to individuals legally allowed to carry a concealed firearm under Florida law, including under permitless carry provisions.

The bill authorizes child care facilities to participate in the school guardian program to the same extent as a private school.

Reporting Requirements for School Safety Personnel

The bill modifies existing reporting requirements for school guardians and school security guards, which:

• Aligns school security guards reporting to school guardian requirements;
• Requires security agencies, in addition to schools and sheriffs, to report school security guard employment and separation data to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE); and
• Directs the FDLE to maintain a consolidated statewide list of both school guardians and school security guards, including certification, appointment, and separation data, and any firearm discharges or misconduct reported under law

Clarifications to Locked Campus and Access Requirements The bill clarifies and modifies school perimeter and door security requirements. Specifically, the bill:

• Limits the school perimeter, locked access, and door security requirements to the time beginning 30 minutes before the school day and ending 30 minutes after;

• Allows doors or gates to remain unlocked if a locked barrier separates the space from student-occupied areas;

• Provides exemptions for:

o Career and technical education spaces where locking doors would pose health or safety risks (with documentation in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool);

o Common areas such as cafeterias and media centers, except during instructional time or student testing; and

• Requires each substitute teacher to receive school safety protocols and procedures before his or her first day of substitute teaching

Temporary Door Lock Use During Active Assailant Incidents The bill allows classrooms with permanently installed door locks to also use temporary door locks during active assailant incidents if the devices:
• Can be removed from the egress side in a single operation without a key;

• Can be removed from the ingress side with a key or other credential;

• Comply with the Florida Fire Prevention Code, with allowance for installation at any height; and

• Are incorporated into the school’s active assailant response plan.

Panic Alert and Digital Mapping System Integration Subject to appropriation, the bill requires the Florida Department of Education to establish and maintain a centralized system that integrates panic alert systems and digital maps used by public and charter schools. All such schools must connect their panic alert systems to the centralized system and ensure interoperability for real-time emergency coordination.

Behavioral Threat Management and Data Privacy The bill clarifies the responsibilities of the Office of Safe Schools (OSS) regarding behavioral threat assessment and management. The bill codifies OSS’s role in maintaining the statewide threat management process and the Florida-specific threat assessment instrument and authorizes the State Board of Education to adopt rules governing access to threat assessment reports stored in the statewide threat management portal.

Florida Institute of School Safety Workgroup The bill directs the OSS to convene a stakeholder workgroup to develop recommendations for the creation of a Florida Institute of School Safety. The workgroup must include law enforcement, school personnel, mental health professionals, and other experts. OSS must submit its recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2026.

For more information, please visit www.FLSenate.gov .