The bill amends section 1012.55 of the Florida Statutes to provide an exemption for school counselors from certain educator certification requirements, specifically those related to the mastery of general and subject area knowledge. This exemption applies unless a school district requires the counselor to meet these certification standards for employment. The bill redesignates the existing subsection (6) as subsection (7) and introduces a new subsection (6) that outlines this exemption.

The effective date for this legislation is set for July 1, 2026. This change aims to streamline the hiring process for school counselors by reducing certification barriers while still allowing school districts the discretion to impose their own requirements for employment.