The bill amends sections 1001.42 and 1002.33 of the Florida Statutes to establish new requirements regarding the start times for middle and high schools. Specifically, it mandates that by July 1, 2026, middle schools cannot start earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools cannot start earlier than 8:30 a.m. To ensure compliance, district school boards must submit a report to the Department of Education by June 1, 2026, detailing their current start times, strategies considered for implementing the later start times, the impact of these changes, and any unintended consequences. This report will determine if the district is in compliance with the new start time requirements.

Additionally, the bill modifies the compliance requirements for charter schools, stating that they must adhere to the same start time regulations unless they have submitted the required report to the Department of Education. The effective date for this act is set for July 1, 2025. The changes aim to address the health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation on students by promoting later school start times.

Statutes affected:
H 261 Filed: 1001.42
H 261 c1: 1001.42, 1002.33