HB 343 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to middle school and high school start 2
times; amending s. 1001.42, F.S.; deleting the duty of 3
district school boards to adopt policies for middle 4
school and high school start times; deleting a 5
requirement that instructional days for middle schools 6
and high schools begin no earlier than specified 7
times; deleting a requirement that district school 8
boards inform the community of specified impacts of 9
sleep deprivation on students and the benefits of 10
later school start times and discuss related 11
strategies; amending s. 1002.33, F.S.; deleting a 12
requirement that certain charter schools comply with 13
middle school and high school start times; providing 14
an effective date. 15
16
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
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Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (4) of section 19
1001.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 20
1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board. —The 21
district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all 22
powers and perform all duties listed below: 23
(4) ESTABLISHMENT, ORGANIZATION, AND OPERATION OF 24
SCHOOLS.—Adopt and provide for the execution of plans for the 25
HB 343 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
establishment, organization, and operation of the s chools of the 26
district, including, but not limited to, the following: 27
(f) Opening and closing of schools; fixing uniform date ; 28
middle school and high school start times .—Adopt policies for 29
the opening and closing of schools and, fix uniform dates, and 30
middle school and high school start times . 31
1. The opening date for schools in the district may not be 32
earlier than August 10 of each year. 33
2. By July 1, 2026, the instructional day for middle 34
schools may not begin earlier than 8 a.m. and the instructiona l 35
day for high schools may not begin earlier than 8:30 a.m. Each 36
district school board must inform its community, including 37
parents, students, teachers, school administrators, athletic 38
coaches, and other stakeholders, about the health, safety, and 39
academic impacts of sleep deprivation on middle school and high 40
school students and the benefits of a later school start time 41
and discuss local strategies to successfully implement the later 42
school start times. 43
Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (16) of se ction 44
1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 45
1002.33 Charter schools. — 46
(16) EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES. — 47
(b) Additionally, a charter school shall be in compliance 48
with the following statutes: 49
1. Section 286.011, relating to public meetings and 50
HB 343 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
records, public inspection, and criminal and civil penalties. 51
2. Chapter 119, relating to public records. 52
3. Section 1003.03, relating to the maximum class size, 53
except that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 54
1003.03 shall be the average at the school level. 55
4. Section 1012.22(1)(c), relating to compensation and 56
salary schedules. 57
5. Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions. 58
6. Section 1012.335, relating to contracts with 59
instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011. 60
7. Section 1012.34, relating to the substantive 61
requirements for performance evaluations for instructional 62
personnel and school administrators. 63
8. Section 1006.12, relating to safe -school officers. 64
9. Section 1006.07(7), relating to threat mana gement 65
teams. 66
10. Section 1006.07(9), relating to School Environmental 67
Safety Incident Reporting. 68
11. Section 1006.07(10), relating to reporting of 69
involuntary examinations. 70
12. Section 1006.1493, relating to the Florida Safe 71
Schools Assessment Tool. 72
13. Section 1006.07(6)(d), relating to adopting an active 73
assailant response plan. 74
14. Section 943.082(4)(b), relating to the mobile 75
HB 343 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
suspicious activity reporting tool. 76
15. Section 1012.584, relating to youth mental health 77
awareness and assistance t raining. 78
16. Section 1001.42(4)(f)2., relating to middle school and 79
high school start times. A charter school -in-the-workplace is 80
exempt from this requirement. 81
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 82