This bill amends various sections of Florida Statutes related to educator certifications and training, specifically focusing on the inclusion of training for mass casualty incidents. It revises the core curricula for teacher preparation programs to incorporate strategies for identifying, preventing, preparing for, addressing, and responding to such incidents. Additionally, it mandates that postsecondary educator preparation institutes include similar training in their programs. The bill also updates the eligibility criteria for certified educators to require training in mass casualty incidents and establishes a new section that requires the Department of Education to develop a list of approved trainings for instructional personnel, which will be integrated into existing continuing education and inservice training requirements starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

Furthermore, the bill makes several cross-references and updates to existing statutes, including the educator certification requirements, to reflect the new training requirements. It specifies that the total hours required for continuing education or inservice training will not increase due to the new mass casualty training requirements. The bill also includes provisions to protect against liability for actions taken during the implementation of these training requirements, unless caused by willful misconduct. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
S 510 Filed: 1004.04, 1012.57