HB 1539 — Materials Harmful to Minors

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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 A bill to be entitled An act relating to materials harmful to minors;

hb1539-02-c2hb1539-01-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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 electronic media, and computer courseware or software that serve as the basis for instruction in the core subject areas of mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, reading, and literature.

hb1539-02-c2hb1539-01-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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 "purchase" includes purchase, lease, license, and acquire.

hb1539-02-c2hb1539-01-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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 identify the school district point of contact and contact information for the submission of an objection.

(II) Is considered harmful to minors;minors or depicts or describes sexual conduct as defined in s.

(III)(II) Depicts or describes sexual conduct as defined in s.

or 3., or identified by State Board of Education rule for specific educational purposes;purposes.

(IV)(III)(A) IsUpon notreceipt suitedof toan studentobjection needsunder andthis theirsub-sub- abilitysubparagraph regarding material that is harmful to comprehendminors, the materialPage presented;4 of 9 CODING:

or Page 4 of 9 CODING:

hb1539-02-c2hb1539-01-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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 (V)(IV)material Ismust inappropriatebe forremoved thewithin grade5 levelschool anddays; age group for which the material is used.

the material must remain unavailable throughout the objection review process;

and the school board may not consider potential literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as a basis for retaining the material.

(B) The State Board of Education shall monitor district compliance with the requirements of this sub-sub-subparagraph through regular audits and reporting.

Upon finding that a district has failed to comply with these requirements, the State Board of Education must provide written notice of noncompliance to the district and require the district to submit a corrective action plan within 30 days after receiving such notice;

may withhold the transfer of state funds, discretionary grant funds, discretionary lottery funds, or any other funds specified by the Legislature until the district complies with the requirements;

and may impose additional sanctions or requirements as conditions for the continued receipt of state funds;

(III) Is not suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented;

or (IV) Is inappropriate for the grade level and age group for which the material is used.

The State Board of EducationPage may5 adoptof rules9 toCODING: implement this provision.

Any material that is subject to an objection on the basis of sub- sub-subparagraphs b.(I)-(III) sub-sub-subparagraph b.(I) or sub- sub-subparagraph b.(II) must be removed within 5 school days after receipt of the objection and remain unavailable to students of that school until the objection is resolved.

The school district may not consider potential literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as a basis for retaining the material if it contains material harmful to minors.

Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection.

If the school board denies a parent the right to read passages due to content that meets the requirements under sub-sub-subparagraph b.(I) or sub-sub- subparagraph b.(II), the school district shall discontinue the use of the material in the school district.

If the district school board finds that any material meets the requirements under sub-subparagraph a.

or that any other material contains prohibited content under sub-sub-subparagraph b.(I) or sub-sub- subparagraph b.(II), the school district shall discontinue use Page 5 of 9 CODING:

hb1539-02-c2hb1539-01-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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 ofEducation themay material.adopt rules to implement this provision.

IfAny thematerial districtthat schoolis boardsubject findsto thatan anyobjection otheron materialthe containsbasis prohibitedof contentsub- undersub-subparagraph sub-sub-b.(I) subparagraphsor b.(III)-(V)sub-sub-subparagraph b.(II)-(IV),b.(II) themust schoolbe districtremoved shallwithin discontinue5 useschool days after receipt of the materialobjection forand anyremain gradeunavailable levelto orstudents ageof groupthat forschool whichuntil suchthe useobjection is inappropriateresolved. or unsuitable.

TheParents State Board of Education shall monitorhave districtthe complianceright withto theread requirementspassages offrom sub-sub-subparagraphsany (I)-(III)material throughthat regularis auditssubject andto reporting.an objection.

UponIf findingthe thatschool board denies a districtparent hasthe failedright to complyread withpassages thesedue requirements,to thecontent Statethat Boardmeets ofthe Educationrequirements mustunder providesub-sub- writtensubparagraph noticeb.(I), of noncompliance to the school district andshall requirediscontinue the districtuse toof submitthe amaterial correctivein actionthe planschool withindistrict. 30 days after receiving such notice;

mayIf withhold the transferdistrict ofschool stateboard funds,finds discretionarythat grant funds, discretionary lottery funds, or any othermaterial fundsmeets specified by the Legislaturerequirements untilunder thesub-subparagraph districta. complies with the requirements;

andor maythat imposeany additionalother sanctionsmaterial orcontains requirementsprohibited ascontent conditionsunder forsub-sub-subparagraph b.(I), the continuedschool receiptdistrict shall discontinue use of statethe funds.material.

If the district school board finds that any other material contains prohibited content under sub-sub-subparagraphs b.(II)-(IV), the school district shall discontinue use of the material for any grade level or age group for which such use is inappropriate or unsuitable.

The parent or resident must file a petition, on a form provided by the school board, within 30Page calendar6 days after the adoption of the9 instructionalCODING: material by the school board.

The school board must make the form available to the public and publish the form on the school Page 6 of 9 CODING:

hb1539-02-c2hb1539-01-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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 district's30 website.calendar days after the adoption of the instructional material by the school board.

The school board must make the form available to the public and publish the form on the school district's website.

Meetings of committees convened for the purpose of resolving an objection by a parent or resident to specific materialsPage must7 beof noticed9 andCODING: open to the public in accordance with s.

286.011.

Any committees convened for such purposes must include parents of students who will have access to such Page 7 of 9 CODING:

hb1539-02-c2hb1539-01-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/CS/HBCS/HB 1539 2025 materials.materials must be noticed and open to the public in accordance with s.