Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1233 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	FL 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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to political activities on school 2
16	16	grounds; creating s. 104.315, F.S.; defining terms; 3
17	17	providing that certain activities are allowed on 4
18	18	school grounds; authorizing that candidates may be 5
19	19	invited to speak as candidates on school grounds if 6
20	20	certain conditions are met; prohibiting certain 7
21	21	political activities on school grounds; prohibiting 8
22	22	certain employees from using e -mail, offices or time 9
23	23	during work hours for political advocacy; providing 10
24	24	criminal penalties for persons who violate specified 11
25	25	provisions; providing that each such violation is a 12
26	26	separate offense; providing an effective date. 13
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28	28	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Flor ida: 15
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30	30	Section 1. Section 104.315, Florida Statutes, is created 17
31	31	to read: 18
32	32	104.315 Political activities on school grounds. — 19
33	33	(1) As used in this section, the term: 20
34	34	(a) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in s. 97.021 and 21
35	35	includes a declared candidate , an incumbent who is presumed to 22
36	36	be a future candidate, and any person whose possible candidacy 23
37	37	is the subject of intense public speculation. The term does not 24
38	38	include a person acting within his or her individual capacity 25
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47	47	FL 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
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51	51	who does not speak about politics or a campaign. 26
52	52	(b) "Public office" includes any elective office. 27
53	53	(c) "School grounds" means the buildings and grounds of 28
54	54	any public K-12 school. 29
55	55	(2) The following activities are allowed on school 30
56	56	grounds: 31
57	57	(a) Candidate forums or debates at which a ll qualified 32
58	58	candidates for the office are invited. 33
59	59	(b) Use of facilities on the same terms and conditions, 34
60	60	including, but not limited to, financial, as are required of 35
61	61	other users of such facilities. 36
62	62	(c) Political advertisements under the same terms, 37
63	63	including, but not limited to, financial, as are applied to 38
64	64	other advertisements from outside groups allowed on school 39
65	65	grounds. 40
66	66	(d) Student newspaper editorials or candidate endorsements 41
67	67	that include a disclaimer that the opinion is solely that of the 42
68	68	author and is not the opinion or endorsement of the school or 43
69	69	institution. 44
70	70	(e) Voter registration and education events that do not 45
71	71	involve a campaign or political party. 46
72	72	(f) Inviting a candidate to speak in his or her individual 47
73	73	capacity, and not as a ca ndidate; however, such person may not 48
74	74	speak about a campaign or any political issues. 49
75	75	(3) A candidate may be invited to speak in his or her 50
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88	88	capacity as a candidate on school grounds only if: 51
89	89	(a) All other candidates are invited to speak on school 52
90	90	grounds. Such invitations do not need to be for the same event, 53
91	91	place, or time, but must be similar events that take place at 54
92	92	similar times. Documentation of such invitations must be 55
93	93	preserved. 56
94	94	(b) The introduction of such candidate includes a 57
95	95	disclaimer that the school or institution does not endorse any 58
96	96	candidate for public office. 59
97	97	(4) The following political activities are prohibited on 60
98	98	school grounds: 61
99	99	(a) Posting campaign signs. 62
100	100	(b) Distributing campaign literature. 63
101	101	(c) Campaigning for or with candidates. 64
102	102	(d) Any activity that may be reasonably expected to give 65
103	103	the impression of support or endorsement of any particular 66
104	104	candidate over another candidate. 67
105	105	(e) Collecting campaign donations or contributions. 68
106	106	(f) Voter registration events that involve a candidate or 69
107	107	political party. 70
108	108	(5) A faculty or staff member of any K -12 public school or 71
109	109	a public institution of higher education as defined in s. 72
110	110	1004.097(2) may not use e -mail, offices, or time during working 73
111	111	hours for political advocacy. 74
112	112	(6)(a) A person who violates this section commits a 75
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121	121	FL 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
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125	125	misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 76
126	126	775.082 or s. 775.083. 77
127	127	(b) Each such violation is a separate offense. 78
128	128	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 79