Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1410 By Senator Davis 5-01035A-25 20251410__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to public postsecondary education; 3 amending s. 1001.03, F.S.; requiring the State Board 4 of Education to ensure that Florida College System 5 institutions are free from undue government influence 6 and interference; deleting a provision prohibiting the 7 board from shielding students, faculty, and staff from 8 free speech protected under the First Amendment to the 9 United States Constitution, Article I of the State 10 Constitution, or a specified law; amending s. 11 1001.706, F.S.; requiring the Board of Governors to 12 ensure that state universities are free from undue 13 government influence and interference; deleting a 14 provision prohibiting the Board of Governors from 15 shielding students, faculty, and staff from free 16 speech protected under the First Amendment to the 17 United States Constitution, Article I of the State 18 Constitution, or a specified law; creating s. 19 1004.022, F.S.; providing that a student in the State 20 University System or Florida College System has the 21 unalienable right to pursue education access without 22 governmental or institutional interference; creating 23 s. 1012.802, F.S.; authorizing a faculty member at a 24 state university or Florida College System institution 25 to negotiate his or her assignments; requiring that 26 the negotiation process be free from interference from 27 a governing body; authorizing the Board of Governors 28 and the State Board of Education to adopt regulations 29 and rules, respectively; providing an effective date. 30 31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 32 33 Section 1.Paragraph (c) of subsection (19) of section 34 1001.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 35 1001.03Specific powers of State Board of Education. 36 (19)INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY 37 ASSESSMENT. 38 (c)The State Board of Education shall ensure that Florida 39 College System institutions are free from undue government 40 influence and interference in academic affairs, including 41 curriculum design, faculty appointments, research activities, 42 and administrative operations may not shield students, faculty, 43 or staff at Florida College System institutions from free speech 44 protected under the First Amendment to the United States 45 Constitution, Art. I of the State Constitution, or s. 1004.097. 46 Section 2.Paragraph (c) of subsection (13) of section 47 1001.706, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 48 1001.706Powers and duties of the Board of Governors. 49 (13)INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY 50 ASSESSMENT. 51 (c)The Board of Governors shall ensure that state 52 universities are free from undue government influence and 53 interference in academic affairs, including curriculum design, 54 faculty appointments, research activities, and administrative 55 operations may not shield students, faculty, or staff at state 56 universities from free speech protected under the First 57 Amendment to the United States Constitution, Art. I of the State 58 Constitution, or s. 1004.97. 59 Section 3.Section 1004.022, Florida Statutes, is created 60 to read: 61 1004.022Freedom to learn.Notwithstanding any other law to 62 the contrary, each student in the State University System and 63 the Florida College System has the unalienable right to pursue 64 education access across all academic disciplines without 65 governmental or institutional interference, including, but not 66 limited to, a students prerogative to select, drop, or change 67 courses and areas of study without facing pressure or 68 restrictions based on political or ideological grounds. 69 Section 4.Section 1012.802, Florida Statutes, is created 70 to read: 71 1012.802Faculty assignments at public postsecondary 72 educational institutions. 73 (1)Each faculty member at a state university or Florida 74 College System institution may negotiate his or her annual 75 assignments with his or her department chair and academic 76 officers. To maintain the professional autonomy of faculty 77 members, the negotiation process must be free from interference 78 by the state universitys or Florida College System 79 institutions board of trustees or any other governing body. 80 (2)The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education 81 may adopt regulations and rules, respectively, to administer 82 this section. 83 Section 5.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.