Florida 2025 Regular Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 4 R · 2 D cosponsors

HB 261 — Middle School and High School Start Times

Last action — Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 296 (Ch. 2025-53)

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2025 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Middle School and High School Start Times; Provides that schools districts & charter schools are in compliance with certain provisions relating to middle school & high school start times upon submission of specified report to DOE.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

80 added · 17 removed

80 line(s) added, 17 removed.

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HB 261 2025 A bill to be entitled An act relating to middle school and high school start times;
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/HB 261 2025 A bill to be entitled An act relating to middle school and high school start times;
amending s.
amending ss.
1001.42, F.S.;
1001.42 and 1002.33, F.S.;
removing a requirement that middle schools and high schools start by specified times beginning in a certain year;
providing that district school boards and charter schools are in compliance with certain provisions relating to middle school and high school start times upon submission of a specified report to the Department of Education by a specified date;
requiring district school boards to consider certain benefits relating to school start times when adopting middle school and high school start times;
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hb261-00 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HB 261 2025 1.
hb261-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/HB 261 2025 1.
Each district school board must inform its community, including parents, students, teachers, school administrators, athletic coaches, and other stakeholders, about the health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation on middle school and high school students and consider the benefits of a later school start time when adopting middle school and high and discuss local strategies to successfully implement the later school start times.
Each district school board must inform its community, including parents, students, teachers, school administrators, athletic coaches, and other stakeholders, about the health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation on middle school and high school students and the benefits of a later school start time and discuss local strategies to successfully implement the later school start times.
3.
A district school board shall be deemed in compliance with the requirements of subparagraph 2.
if the district school board submits to the department, by June 1, 2026, a report, in a format prescribed by the department, that includes at a minimum all of the following:
a.
The start times of elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in the school district.
b.
Documentation of strategies the school district considered to implement a later school start time for middle schools and high schools within the school district, including the number of board meetings and public hearings held to discuss the strategies and any parent input the school district received.
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hb261-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/HB 261 2025 c.
A description of the impact of implementing the school start time requirements in subparagraph 2., including the financial impact to the school district.
d.
Any identified unintended consequences to the school district, students, and the community from implementing the school start time requirements in subparagraph 2.
Paragraph (b) of subsection (16) of section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1002.33 Charter schools.— (16) EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES.— (b) Additionally, a charter school shall be in compliance with the following statutes:
1.
Section 286.011, relating to public meetings and records, public inspection, and criminal and civil penalties.
2.
Chapter 119, relating to public records.
3.
Section 1003.03, relating to the maximum class size, except that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s.
1003.03 shall be the average at the school level.
4.
Section 1012.22(1)(c), relating to compensation and salary schedules.
5.
Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions.
6.
Section 1012.335, relating to contracts with instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011.
7.
Section 1012.34, relating to the substantive requirements for performance evaluations for instructional Page 3 of 4 CODING:
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hb261-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/HB 261 2025 personnel and school administrators.
8.
Section 1006.12, relating to safe-school officers.
9.
Section 1006.07(7), relating to threat management teams.
10.
Section 1006.07(9), relating to School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting.
11.
Section 1006.07(10), relating to reporting of involuntary examinations.
12.
Section 1006.1493, relating to the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool.
13.
Section 1006.07(6)(d), relating to adopting an active assailant response plan.
14.
Section 943.082(4)(b), relating to the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool.
15.
Section 1012.584, relating to youth mental health awareness and assistance training.
16.
Section 1001.42(4)(f)2., relating to middle school and high school start times unless the governing board has submitted a report to the department pursuant to s.
1001.42(4)(f)3.
A charter school-in-the-workplace is exempt from this requirement.
Section 3.
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hb261-00
hb261-01-c1
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How this bill changes current law

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AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill requires school districts to adopt later start times for middle and high schools and provides a compliance mechanism for reporting to the Department of Education.

  • 1001.42

    middle school and high school start times. → middle school and high school start times. By July 1, 2026, the instructional day for middle schools may not begin earlier than 8 a.m. and the instructional day for high schools may not begin earlier than 8:30 a.m. Each district school board must inform its community, including parents, students, teachers, school administrators, athletic coaches, and other stakeholders, about the health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation on middle school and high school students and the benefits of a later school start time and discuss local strategies to successfully implement the later school start times.

    This change establishes specific later start times for middle and high schools and requires school boards to inform the community about the implications of these changes.

  • 1002.33

    unless the governing board has submitted a report to the department pursuant to s. 1001.42(4)(f)3. → unless the governing board has submitted a report to the department pursuant to s. 1001.42(4)(f)3. A charter school-in-the-workplace is exempt from this requirement.

    The change clarifies that charter schools must also comply with the new reporting requirements for school start times unless they meet the exemption criteria.

Action History

  1. Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/SB 296 (Ch. 2025-53)

  2. Added to Second Reading Calendar

  3. Bill released to House Calendar

  4. Reported out of Education & Employment Committee

  5. Favorable by Education & Employment Committee

  6. Added to Education & Employment Committee agenda

  7. 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)

  8. Now in Education & Employment Committee

  9. Referred to Education & Employment Committee

  10. CS Filed

  11. Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)

  12. Reported out of Education Administration Subcommittee

  13. Favorable with CS by Education Administration Subcommittee

  14. PCS added to Education Administration Subcommittee agenda

  15. 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  16. Now in Education Administration Subcommittee

  17. Referred to Education & Employment Committee

  18. Referred to Education Administration Subcommittee

  19. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 5 co-sponsors · 157 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

  • Gerwig, Anne Republican
  • Education Administration Subcommittee

Co-sponsors (5)

Not signed on (157)

157 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 157 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Favorable (Education & Employment Committee)

Passed 18 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democrat 6000
Republican 11004
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 18004
% of votes cast 82%0%0%18%
How each member voted (22)
Member Party Vote
Temple — Yea
Aristide, Wallace Democrat Yea
Daniels, Kimberly Democrat Yea
Dunkley, Lisa Democrat Yea
Edmonds, Jervonte "Tae" Democrat Yea
Harris, Jennifer "Rita" Democrat Yea
Hinson, Yvonne Hayes Democrat Yea
Berfield, Kimberly Republican Yea
Canady, Jennifer Republican Not Voting
Gerwig, Anne Republican Yea
Jacques, Berny Republican Yea
Kendall, Kim Republican Yea
McFarland, Fiona Republican Yea
Michael, Kiyan Republican Not Voting
Nix Jr., Danny Republican Yea
Persons-Mulicka, Jenna Republican Not Voting
Sapp, Judson Republican Yea
Stark, Paula A. Republican Yea
Trabulsy, Dana Republican Not Voting
Valdés, Susan L. Republican Yea
Yarkosky, Taylor Michael Republican Yea
Yeager, Bradford Troy "Brad" Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Favorable (Education Administration Subcommittee)

Passed 16 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 12001
Democrat 4001
Total 16002
% of votes cast 89%0%0%11%
How each member voted (18)
Member Party Vote
Alvarez, Jose Democrat Not Voting
Aristide, Wallace Democrat Yea
Bracy Davis, LaVon Democrat Yea
Nixon, Angela "Angie" Democrat Yea
Woodson, Marie Paule Democrat Yea
Albert, Jon Republican Yea
Basabe, Fabián Republican Yea
Black, Dean Republican Yea
Gossett-Seidman, Peggy Republican Yea
Holcomb, Jeff Republican Yea
Mayfield, Debbie Republican Not Voting
Mooney Jr., James Vernon "Jim" Republican Yea
Nix Jr., Danny Republican Yea
Porras, Juan Carlos Republican Yea
Sapp, Judson Republican Yea
Trabulsy, Dana Republican Yea
Valdés, Susan L. Republican Yea
Weinberger, Meg Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

education
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Frequently asked questions

What does HB 261 do?
Middle School and High School Start Times; Provides that schools districts & charter schools are in compliance with certain provisions relating to middle school & high school start times upon submission of specified report to DOE.
Who sponsors HB 261?
HB 261 is sponsored by Weinberger, Meg (Republican), Tendrich, Debra (Democrat), Mooney Jr., James Vernon "Jim" (Republican), Edmonds, Jervonte "Tae" (Democrat), Booth, Erika (Republican), Gerwig, Anne (Republican), and Education Administration Subcommittee.
What is the current status of HB 261?
This bill died with 2025 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HB 261?
Track HB 261 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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