Education train bill emerges in Florida House as session end nears
Tampa Bay Times | By Jeffrey S. Solochek |April 17, 2025
The big story: Florida legislative watchers routinely say they worry less about many of the bills filed at the start of session than they do about the ones submitted near the end.
It’s those later measures that they have less time to review, and also have a better chance of moving through the process.
They’ll be keeping close watch on a proposed committee substitute for HB 1267, which is shaping up to be the House education train legislation that captures a variety pack of schooling-related issues that the chamber is pushing.
The 75-page proposal, which builds on a 9-page bill originally focused on Hope charter schools, now includes some legislation that already has passed the full House.
One such measure — reforms to university presidential searches — won a near unanimous vote on Wednesday despite Gov. Ron DeSantis’ threat to veto it, News Service of Florida reports. Another — a resolution seeking a referendum to commemorate school board term limits in the state Constitution — also passed Wednesday, Florida Politics reports.
Other ideas included in HB 1267 include changes to school grading, amendments to the New Worlds Reading Initiative, and the creation of an incentive for teachers in rural communities. The charter school proposals also remain in the bill.
If the bill advances, it likely will see changes as it works through the give and take process with the Senate, which has not modified its own version (SB 1708), which is in the Rules Committee. Its first hearing is today before the House Education and Employment Committee, which has scheduled nearly six hours to hear 15 bills when it meets at 8 a.m.
