Florida Senate - 2026                             CS for SB 1036
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Calatayud
       
       
       
       
       
       581-02037-26                                          20261036c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to school counselors; amending s.
    3         1012.55, F.S.; providing that school counselors are
    4         exempt from specified certification requirements,
    5         unless required for employment by a school district;
    6         providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Present subsection (6) of section 1012.55,
   11  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (7), and a new
   12  subsection (6) is added to that section, to read:
   13         1012.55 Positions for which certificates required.—
   14         (6) A person employed as a school counselor is exempt from
   15  the educator certification requirements in s. 1012.56(2)(g) and
   16  (h), relating to the mastery of general and subject area
   17  knowledge. Such exemption does not preclude a school district
   18  from requiring the person to demonstrate mastery of general and
   19  subject area knowledge as a condition of employment.
   20         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.