SB 540 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Disability History and Awareness Instruction

Summary

Disability History and Awareness Instruction; Citing this act as the "Evin B. Hartsell Act"; requiring the Department of Education to develop specified curricula; authorizing the department to consult with the Evin B. Hartsell Foundation to further develop such curricula, etc.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status in committee 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 4, 2025 Last action Apr 28, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

S 540 Filed → S 540 c1 · 3 edits

MINOR

SB 540 was amended from a version that authorized school districts to optionally provide disability history instruction to a version that requires the Florida Department of Education to develop specific curricula for disability history and awareness instruction. The amendment also changed the consultation authority from district school boards to the Department of Education itself.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from authorizing local school districts to determine whether to provide instruction to mandating state-level curriculum development by the Department of Education.

REQUIREMENT

Changed language from 'may be provided' to 'students may be provided intensive instruction' to clarify the instruction is optional for students but required to be developed by the state.

Changed authority from 'district school board may consult' to 'Department of Education shall develop' and 'department may consult' to shift curriculum development responsibility from local districts to the state department.

Simplified curriculum content descriptions from detailed activity examples to broader topic categories for each grade level.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 28, 2025

How they voted

35–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 38

Apr 28, 2025

D Democratic10

10 Yea

100% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican27

24 Yea 3

88% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 28, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (35-0-3)

senate

Apr 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 23 NAYS 0

upper

Apr 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Rules, 04/16/25, 8:30 am, 412 Knott Building

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Original reference(s) removed: Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Mar 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Education Pre-K - 12, 03/31/25, 4:00 pm, 412 Knott Building

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Committee

Referred to Education Pre-K - 12; Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education; Rules

upper

1 primary · 33 co-sponsors