The Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy advanced a bill Tuesday to the chamber floor that would increase school safety protocols by expanding oversight of security personnel and tighten campus security requirements to safeguard students and faculty.
Sen. Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills) sponsored the bill (SB 1470). Sen. Burgess detailed his reasoning for the bill in a press release.
“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,” Burgess said.
“Safety should never be left up to chance. Strengthened security measures across Florida schools 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," Burgess added.
SB 1470 is very much related to safety measures following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The bill does several things, including mandating Florida schools have properly trained security guards provided by the Chris Hixon, Coach Aaron Feis, and Coach Scott Beigel Guardian Program overseen by a sheriff. The men were three of seventeen people who were tragically murdered in the Stoneman Douglas shooting on Valentine's Day.
The guardian program includes "rigorous firearms training, background screening, psychological evaluation, and a drug test" to prevent future tragedies. A certificate will then be presented once the requirements are met, and ongoing training thereafter will be required.
“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," Senate President Ben Albritton said.
In addition, SB 1470 would provide a real-time "interoperable panic alert system" managed by the Florida Department of Education (DOE). The system is designed to improve communication with police and emergency responders to provide instant situational awareness using digital maps of schools.
The bill also mandates that district school boards remain locked during school supervision hours, with some exceptions in certain areas. Finally, the bill would develop a Florida Institute of School Safety to address further enhancements and safety measures.
The institute would be developed through the Office of Safe Schools within DOE and include members of post-secondary institutions, school administrators and facility staff, law enforcement and first responders.
A report of findings would then be given to the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker no later than January 1, 2026.
"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," Burgess said.
