Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1062
By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senators Brodeur,
Burgess, and Gaetz
581-02257-26 20261062c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to speech and debate education;
3 providing a short title; creating s. 265.0042, F.S.;
4 creating the Florida Speech and Debate Hall of Fame;
5 requiring the Department of Management Services to set
6 aside an area on a specified level in the Capitol
7 Building; requiring the department to consult with the
8 Florida Education Foundation and the Commissioner of
9 Education for a certain purpose; providing the duties
10 of the hall of fame; requiring the hall of fame to
11 convene a committee for specified purposes; requiring
12 the committee to include at least one member or his or
13 her designee from the Florida Debate Initiative, Inc;
14 creating s. 683.221, F.S.; designating Florida Speech
15 and Debate Week annually in February; providing
16 purposes for the annual observance; authorizing
17 specified entities to observe Florida Speech and
18 Debate Week; creating s. 1000.09, F.S.; providing
19 legislative findings and intent; designating the
20 Florida Debate Initiative, Inc., (FDI) as the official
21 statewide speech and debate organization; providing
22 the duties of FDI; providing construction; authorizing
23 FDI to establish and maintain certain partnerships;
24 requiring FDI to implement and maintain specified
25 statewide programs; providing authorized uses of funds
26 for FDI; requiring FDI to publish online and submit
27 annually by a specified date to the Department of
28 Education a specified report; specifying requirements
29 for the report; authorizing a certified teacher to
30 earn an endorsement in speech and debate; specifying
31 requirements for the endorsement; requiring the
32 department to collaborate with FDI to establish
33 regional traveling debate teams; requiring that teams
34 be accessible to students at specified schools;
35 requiring teams to provide certain training and
36 coaching; providing for coverage of travel costs;
37 authorizing a school district to use school buses to
38 transport students to and from speech and debate
39 competitions; creating the Debate Across the
40 Curriculum Pilot Program within the department, in
41 collaboration with FDI; providing the purpose of the
42 pilot program; requiring the pilot program to include
43 certain elements; providing an appropriation;
44 providing for expiration of the pilot program;
45 requiring FDI to establish and operate a charter
46 school for a certain purpose; amending s. 1001.42,
47 F.S.; requiring each district school board to annually
48 publish online and submit to the department a report;
49 specifying requirements for the report; amending s.
50 1002.37, F.S.; requiring the Florida Virtual School to
51 establish the Institute for Speech and Debate
52 Innovation; providing duties of the institute;
53 requiring the institute to enter into a formal
54 partnership with FDI; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S;
55 requiring that students complete at least one-half
56 credit in speech and debate as a requirement for high
57 school graduation, beginning in a specified school
58 year; creating s. 1004.0983, F.S.; requiring the Board
59 of Governors of the State University System and the
60 State Board of Education to develop specified
61 undergraduate and graduate coursework, certificates,
62 and micro-credentials; authorizing the Board of
63 Governors and the State Board of Education to
64 collaborate with FDI to develop coursework; requiring
65 the department to approve specified dual enrollment
66 courses; providing appropriations; providing an
67 effective date.
68
69 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
70
71 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Florida Speech and
72 Debate Education Act.”
73 Section 2. Section 265.0042, Florida Statutes, is created
74 to read:
75 265.0042 Florida Speech and Debate Hall of Fame.—
76 (1) There is created the Florida Speech and Debate Hall of
77 Fame. The Department of Management Services shall set aside an
78 area on the plaza level of the Capitol Building and shall
79 consult with the Florida Education Foundation and the
80 Commissioner of Education regarding the design and theme of the
81 area.
82 (2) The hall of fame shall do all of the following:
83 (a) Honor distinguished students, coaches, educators,
84 alumni, veterans, public servants, benefactors, and supporters
85 who have elevated speech and debate in this state.
86 (b) Preserve the history, impact, and cultural significance
87 of competitive debate.
88 (c) Inspire future generations of Florida students to
89 pursue speech, debate, public leadership, and civic excellence.
90 (3) The hall of fame shall convene a committee to establish
91 procedures to nominate and select individuals to be featured.
92 The committee must include at least one member or his or her
93 designee from the Florida Debate Initiative, Inc.
94 Section 3. Section 683.221, Florida Statutes, is created to
95 read:
96 683.221 Florida Speech and Debate Week.—
97 (1) February 1 through February 7 shall be annually
98 designated as “Florida Speech and Debate Week.”
99 (2) Florida Speech and Debate Week shall be observed for
100 all of the following purposes:
101 (a) To recognize the academic, civic, and leadership value
102 of competitive speech and debate.
103 (b) To honor educators, coaches, judges, and school
104 districts that support debate programming.
105 (c) To inspire students statewide to participate in debate
106 as a pathway to civic engagement.
107 (d) To promote Florida’s role as the national leader in
108 scholastic speech and debate.
109 (3) Public and charter schools, state agencies, and other
110 entities may observe Florida Speech and Debate Week.
111 Section 4. Section 1000.09, Florida Statutes, is created to
112 read:
113 1000.09 Competitive speech and debate.—
114 (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—
115 (a) The Legislature finds that speech and debate
116 significantly improve literacy, critical thinking, research
117 ability, civic knowledge, and leadership for students of this
118 state.
119 (b) The Legislature also finds that this state’s civics and
120 debate expansion has become a national model, increasing access
121 to this instruction in all regions. Sustaining and improving
122 upon this success requires a permanent statewide organization
123 with specialized expertise, program capacity, and year-round
124 operational support.
125 (c) The Legislature further finds that the Florida Debate
126 Initiative, Inc., (FDI) has demonstrated statewide effectiveness
127 and is uniquely positioned to ensure continuity, equitable
128 access, quality programming, tournament infrastructure, and
129 instructional rigor. It is the intent of the Legislature to
130 establish a comprehensive statewide infrastructure, under FDI’s
131 direction, that expands, supports, and elevates K–20 speech and
132 debate education.
133 (2) CREATION, DESIGNATION, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—FDI is
134 designated as the official statewide speech and debate
135 organization responsible for managing, developing, and expanding
136 K–20 speech and debate programs.
137 (a)1. FDI shall do all of the following:
138 a. Manage the official Florida Speech and Debate League and
139 its regional teams.
140 b. Establish statewide competition rules, ballots, judging
141 standards, and tournament calendars.
142 c. Operate or supervise district, regional, and state
143 tournaments.
144 d. Train and certify coaches, judges, volunteers, and
145 tournament staff.
146 e. Provide statewide programmatic support, including
147 student programs, educator training, and public service
148 initiatives.
149 f. Maintain statewide data reporting and annual
150 accountability.
151 g. Work constructively with nonstate-sanctioned leagues
152 while upholding Florida’s civic and patriotic development goals.
153 2. This paragraph may not be construed to prohibit schools,
154 districts, or students from participating in speech and debate
155 activities, leagues, or competitions not operated or supervised
156 by FDI.
157 (b) FDI may establish and maintain partnerships with school
158 districts, charter schools, state agencies, postsecondary
159 institutions, nonprofit organizations, private entities, and
160 national or international organizations to achieve the purposes
161 of this section.
162 (3) STATEWIDE PROGRAMS.—FDI shall implement and maintain a
163 comprehensive suite of statewide programs, including all of the
164 following:
165 (a) Student speech and debate programs.
166 (b) Student leadership and service programs.
167 (c) Competitive speech and debate training for students.
168 (d) Educator training.
169 (e) Postsecondary and workforce internships.
170 (f) Operation of speech and debate tournaments.
171 (4) AUTHORIZED USES OF FUNDS.—FDI may expend program funds
172 on all of the following:
173 (a) Administrative operations, including staffing,
174 insurance, compliance, reporting, and statewide infrastructure.
175 (b) Programmatic operations, including curriculum,
176 training, summer programs, workshops, camps, and mentorship
177 programs.
178 (c) Tournament operations, including logistics, staff,
179 judge training, technology, awards, and regional team
180 operations.
181 (d) Travel, lodging, training, and transportation for
182 participants.
183 (e) Public-private partnership development, including
184 sponsorship and philanthropic support.
185 (f) Memberships, affiliations, and participation fees
186 related to civics education, speech, debate, leadership, and
187 academic competition programs, provided such memberships advance
188 the purposes of this section.
189 (5) ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING.—FDI shall make publicly
190 available online and submit, no later than December 31, an
191 annual report to the Department of Education which includes all
192 of the following:
193 (a) Student participation in statewide programs, by
194 district and demographics.
195 (b) The number of active student teams in statewide speech
196 and debate programs.
197 (c) Competitive and educational outcomes of statewide
198 programs.
199 (d) A categorized summary of all expenditures.
200 (6) ENDORSEMENT IN SPEECH AND DEBATE.—Pursuant to s.
201 1012.56 and State Board of Education rule, a certified teacher
202 may earn an endorsement in speech and debate if he or she
203 demonstrates all of the following:
204 (a) Completion of coursework approved by the state board in
205 argumentation, rhetoric, communication, or debate instruction.
206 (b) Completion of professional development offered by the
207 FDI or equivalent professional development offered by a Florida
208 College System institution or state university.
209 (c) Competency, as determined by the board, in the rules,
210 events, and competitive standards of scholastic debate.
211 (7) REGIONAL TRAVELING DEBATE TEAMS.—The department shall
212 collaborate with FDI to establish regional traveling debate
213 teams to represent this state in national competitions. Teams
214 must be accessible to students at Title I and rural schools.
215 Teams must provide competitive training and coaching for speech
216 and debate.
217 (a) All travel costs may be covered through legislative
218 appropriation, public-private partnerships, and sponsorships.
219 (b) A school district may use school buses to transport
220 students to and from speech and debate competitions.
221 (8) DEBATE ACROSS THE CURRICULUM PILOT PROGRAM.—
222 (a) The Debate Across the Curriculum Pilot Program is
223 created within the department, in collaboration with FDI. The
224 purpose of the pilot program is to develop and integrate
225 structured debate and argumentation into core academic subjects.
226 The pilot program must include curriculum development,
227 professional development, instructional materials, and program
228 evaluation.
229 (b) This subsection expires June 30, 2027.
230 (9)(a) FLORIDA SPEECH AND DEBATE ACADEMY.—FDI shall
231 establish and operate a charter school under s. 1002.33 named
232 the Florida Speech and Debate Academy.
233 (b) The charter school shall provide a rigorous academic
234 program emphasizing civics education, leadership development,
235 speech, debate, rhetoric, and public service.
236 Section 5. Present subsection (29) of section 1001.42,
237 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (30), and a new
238 subsection (29) is added to that section, to read:
239 1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board.—The
240 district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all
241 powers and perform all duties listed below:
242 (29) SPEECH AND DEBATE COMPETITION REPORTING.—Each district
243 school board shall annually publish online and submit to the
244 Department of Education, by a date set by the department, a
245 report that includes all of the following information:
246 (a) The number of active speech and debate teams.
247 (b) Student participation rates.
248 (c) Competitive performance and public service engagement.
249 (d) Transportation, facilities, and administrative support
250 provided.
251 (e) Resources needed to expand the program.
252 Section 6. Present subsection (11) of section 1002.37,
253 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (12), and a new
254 subsection (11) is added to that section, to read:
255 1002.37 The Florida Virtual School.—
256 (11) The Florida Virtual School shall establish the
257 Institute for Speech and Debate Innovation. The institute shall
258 do all of the following:
259 (a) Develop an online curriculum, micro-credentials, and
260 instructional modules for speech and debate.
261 (b) Create artificial intelligence-based coaching tools,
262 digital judging tutorials, and analytics dashboards.
263 (c) Produce virtual reality and augmented reality
264 simulations for competitive practice.
265 (d) Ensure equitable access for districts lacking onsite
266 coaching capacity.
267 (e) Coordinate and operate with the Florida Debate
268 Initiative, Inc., and enter a formal partnership to coordinate
269 curriculum, instructional resources, competition preparation,
270 and statewide access to speech and debate programming.
271 Section 7. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (3) of
272 section 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, to read:
273 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
274 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
275 REQUIREMENTS.—
276 (i) One-half credit in speech and debate.—Beginning with
277 students entering grade 9 in the 2028–2029 school year, a
278 student must successfully complete at least one-half credit in
279 speech, debate, argumentation, or rhetoric as a requirement for
280 high school graduation.
281 Section 8. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created
282 to read:
283 1004.0983 Speech and debate training pathways.—The Board of
284 Governors and the State Board of Education shall develop
285 undergraduate and graduate coursework, certificates, and micro
286 credentials in speech and debate education, coaching, and
287 tournament operations.
288 (1) Coursework may include all of the following:
289 (a) Rhetoric, argumentation, and communication theory.
290 (b) Coaching methods and competitive event instruction.
291 (c) Tournament management and adjudication.
292 (d) Public speaking pedagogy.
293 (2) The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
294 may collaborate with the Florida Debate Initiative, Inc., to
295 develop coursework.
296 Section 9. The Department of Education shall approve
297 courses developed pursuant to s. 1004.0983, Florida Statutes,
298 for inclusion in dual enrollment programs under s. 1007.271,
299 Florida Statutes.
300 Section 10. (1) For the 2026–2027 fiscal year:
301 (a) The sum of $2.4 million in recurring funds is
302 appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to support the
303 Florida Debate Initiative, Inc.’s responsibilities assigned
304 under s. 1000.09(4), Florida Statutes, including administrative,
305 programmatic, and tournament operation duties.
306 (b) The sum of $250,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
307 from the General Revenue Fund to support the Florida Debate
308 Initiative, Inc.’s responsibilities assigned under s.
309 1000.09(7), Florida Statutes, including for regional traveling
310 debate teams to support their training, coaching, lodging, and
311 competition costs.
312 (c) The sum of $1 million in nonrecurring funds is
313 appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of
314 Education for the Debate Across the Curriculum Pilot Program
315 under s. 1000.09(8), Florida Statutes.
316 (2) The sum of $700,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
317 from the General Revenue Fund to school districts for travel
318 costs to attend speech and debate competitions pursuant to s.
319 1000.09, Florida Statutes.
320 (3) The sum of $500,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
321 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education to
322 develop the teacher endorsement under s. 1000.09(6), Florida
323 Statutes, and to support the Florida Speech and Debate Hall of
324 Fame under s. 265.0042, Florida Statutes.
325 (4) The sum of $750,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
326 from the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Virtual School to
327 support the Institute for Speech and Debate Innovation pursuant
328 to s. 1002.37(11), Florida Statutes.
329 (5) For the 2027–2028 fiscal year:
330 (a) The sum of $3.8 million in recurring funds is
331 appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Speech
332 and Debate Academy under s. 1000.09(9), Florida Statutes, for
333 teachers and teacher assistants.
334 (b) The sum of $1.5 million in recurring funds is
335 appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Speech
336 and Debate Academy under s. 1000.09(9), Florida Statutes, for
337 other instructional personnel.
338 (c) The sum of $708,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
339 from the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Speech and Debate
340 Academy under s. 1000.09(9), Florida Statutes, for the
341 administration.
342 (d) The sum of $991,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
343 from the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Speech and Debate
344 Academy under s. 1000.09(9), Florida Statutes, for the operation
345 and maintenance of facilities.
346 (e) The sum of $256,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
347 from the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Speech and Debate
348 Academy under s. 1000.09(9), Florida Statutes, for materials,
349 supplies, and capital outlay.
350 (f) The sum of $485,000 in recurring funds is appropriated
351 from the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Speech and Debate
352 Academy under s. 1000.09(9), Florida Statutes, for food service.
353 Section 11. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.