SB 1726 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Higher Education

Summary

Higher Education; Requiring members of a state university board of trustees and members of the Board of Governors to be United States citizens and either residents of this state or graduates of a state university beginning on a specified date; requiring certain members of the Board of Governors to comply with specified financial disclosure requirements beginning on a specified date; revising term limits for members and the chair of the State Board of Education; providing term limits for members and the chairs of the Florida College System institution boards of trustees; providing that certain actions related to the president of a Florida College System institution are not subject to approval by the State Board of Education, etc.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 10, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

S 1726 c1 → S 1726 c2 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill version (c2) adds several new provisions to the previous version (c1), including financial disclosure requirements for Board of Governors members, deletion of the requirement for state universities to have an Office of Public Policy Events, changes to presidential search committee composition and confirmation requirements, and modifications to capital outlay project rules.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include financial disclosure requirements for Board of Governors members and removed the mandate for state universities to maintain an Office of Public Policy Events.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for citizen members of the Board of Governors to comply with financial disclosure requirements starting January 1, 2026.

Deleted the requirement that each state university must have an Office of Public Policy Events and appoint a Director of Public Policy Events.

Changed presidential search committee composition requirements, increasing the minimum number of members from 2 to 3 on state university committees and from 2 to 3 on Florida College System committees.

Modified presidential confirmation requirements by adding a requirement that the Board of Governors confirm presidential selections as a means of acknowledging system cooperation, while maintaining that appointments are not subject to approval.

Changed capital outlay project rules to require that projects not receiving prior appropriations cannot be included on the prioritized list unless specific conditions are met, including escrow account provisions.

TIMELINE

Extended the period that debate and group forum video recordings must remain publicly accessible from 1 year to 5 years.

DEFINITION

Added expiration date of June 30, 2030 to the provision allowing transfer of unreserved cash between auxiliary enterprises.

S 1726 Filed → S 1726 c1 · 10 edits

MAJOR

This bill significantly revises Florida's higher education governance by adding new residency requirements for university board members, extending term limits for various board positions, and shifting presidential appointment authority from the Board of Governors to individual university boards of trustees. The changes also introduce new regulations on public opinion polling at universities, textbook transparency requirements, and financial management of auxiliary enterprises.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of governance oversight by creating a new section (20.701) for residency requirements and modifies multiple existing sections across university governance, financial disclosure, and textbook policies.

ELIGIBILITY

New Section 20.701 requires state university board of trustees and Board of Governors members to be United States citizens and either Florida residents or graduates of a state university, effective January 6, 2027, with automatic vacancy provisions for non-compliance.

REQUIREMENT

Extended term limits for State Board of Education members from 4 years to 8 consecutive years and changed chair terms from 2 years to 4 years with one reselection option.

Changed Florida College System trustee term limits from 8 consecutive years to 10 consecutive years and added authority to serve until successor appointment.

Transferred presidential appointment authority for Florida College System institutions from State Board of Education approval to board of trustees appointment only, requiring presidential search committees.

Removed Board of Governors confirmation requirement for state university presidents, giving university boards of trustees sole appointment authority with search committee recommendations.

New Section 7(k) prohibits universities from conducting public opinion survey research related to federal, state, or local office candidates while allowing research on social, political, and economic issues unrelated to candidates.

Added requirement for state universities to post program admission criteria on their websites to assist Board of Governors review.

Enhanced textbook and syllabus transparency requirements with new definitions, hyperlink posting in course registration systems, and specific information requirements for course materials.

FISCAL

Added authority for university boards to transfer unreserved cash between auxiliary enterprises with reporting requirements and expiration date of June 30, 2030.

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2025 for most provisions, with residency requirements taking effect January 6, 2027.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 21, 2025

How they voted

20–3

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 25

Apr 21, 2025

D Democratic5

3 Yea 2 Nay

60% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

16 Yea 1 Nay 2

84% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending reference review -under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)

upper

Apr 21, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (20-3-2)

senate

Apr 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Rules, 04/21/25, 2:00 pm, 412 Knott Building

upper

Apr 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)

upper

Apr 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

CS by Appropriations Committee on Higher Education; YEAS 7 NAYS 0

upper

Apr 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Higher Education, 04/10/25, 11:00 am, 110 Senate Building

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Now in Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable by Education Postsecondary; YEAS 5 NAYS 0

upper

Mar 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Education Postsecondary, 03/31/25, 1:30 pm, 301 Senate Building

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Committee

Referred to Education Postsecondary; Appropriations Committee on Higher Education; Rules

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors