SB 296 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Middle School and High School Start Times

Summary

Middle School and High School Start Times; Providing that district school boards and charter schools, respectively, 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, etc.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Mar 4, 2025 Signed May 21, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

S 296 c2 → S 296 er · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes later start times for middle and high schools in Florida, requiring districts to begin middle school no earlier than 8 a.m. and high school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. by July 1, 2026. Districts can avoid compliance penalties by submitting a report detailing their implementation strategies and impact assessments by June 1, 2026. The bill also clarifies that charter schools are exempt from these start time requirements unless they submit the required compliance report.

Scope change

The bill applies to all district school boards and charter schools in Florida, with charter schools receiving an exemption from the start time mandate if they submit a compliance report.

REQUIREMENT

Requires district school boards to adopt policies setting middle school start times at no earlier than 8 a.m. and high school start times at no earlier than 8:30 a.m. by July 1, 2026.

Mandates that school boards inform community stakeholders about sleep deprivation impacts and discuss implementation strategies.

Requires compliance reports to include start times, implementation strategies, impact descriptions, and identified unintended consequences.

TIMELINE

Sets a June 1, 2026 deadline for districts to submit compliance reports to the Department of Education.

ENFORCEMENT

Establishes that districts are deemed compliant if they submit the required report by the deadline, avoiding penalties.

ELIGIBILITY

Exempts charter schools from the start time requirement unless they submit a compliance report to the Department of Education.

DEFINITION

Adds exemption for charter schools-in-the-workplace from the compliance reporting requirement.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 27, 2025 · House Apr 29, 2025

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 39

Mar 27, 2025

D Democratic10

10 Yea

100% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican28

27 Yea 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 21, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by Governor

legislature

Apr 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

CS passed; YEAS 116, NAYS 0

lower

Apr 28, 2025

Committee

Bill referred to House Calendar

lower

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

CS passed; YEAS 38 NAYS 0

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Mar 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 03/20/25, 9:00 am, 412 Knott Building

upper

Mar 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable by Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education; YEAS 8 NAYS 1

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education, 03/11/25, 8:30 am, 37 Senate Building

upper

Mar 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

Now in Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

upper

Mar 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

upper

Feb 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Education Pre-K - 12, 03/03/25, 3:30 pm, 412 Knott Building

upper

Jan 29, 2025

Committee

Referred to Education Pre-K - 12; Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education; Fiscal Policy

upper

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors