Tallahassee, Fla. — Bill watchers are earmarking January 13th to keep an eye out for the first round of bills circling the Senate and House floors in Tallahassee. The 2026 Regular Session begins at 9:30 in the morning.

On Tuesday, the Senate will meet to consider more than 40 bills, including a hunger-free campus program for state universities and Florida colleges, expending certain funds for rental assistance and mobile home owners, the adoption of certain rules for the State Board of Education in regard to students with autism spectrum disorder, the requirement of patriotic displays in classrooms, and more.

A number of bills are of particular interest for the Florida Education Association this season. The largest association of educators in Florida is keeping an eye on House Bill 147, which requires classroom teachers to take an oath swearing to “support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the State of Florida”.

House Bill 77 would require Florida colleges and universities to adopt policies related to ensuring the safety of students, faculty and staff. It would also require annual review for updated safety policies and procedures.

Hose Bill 345 would revise allocations for Voluntary Prekindergarten. It would require the Division of Early Learning to annually publish and provide to early learning coalitions and authorize Legislature to provide additional funding for the program.

House Bill 471 would require the Department of Education to develop and maintain a statewide strategic plan to recruit and retain speech-language pathologists in schools.

The Regular Session typically lasts for 60 days. The official last day of the session is marked for March 13th.

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