Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 1266
Ì528986fÎ528986
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/04/2026 .
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The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and
Economic Development (Calatayud) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created
6 to read:
7 1004.0983 Cybersecurity Experiential Learning Program.—
8 (1)(a) The Legislature finds that this state’s
9 cybersecurity workforce is essential to state and national
10 security, multi-sector state economic resilience, and the
11 protection of critical infrastructure. The Legislature also
12 finds that this state has a persistent shortfall in its supply
13 of qualified cybersecurity professionals relative to the
14 workforce demand, and that the growing integration of digital
15 technologies in all economic sectors will exacerbate this
16 workforce gap in the future.
17 (b) The Legislature further finds that there are examples
18 of successful cybersecurity experiential learning opportunities
19 across the state university system, including an experiential
20 cyber program at the University of South Florida, and a combined
21 security clearance readiness and cyber certification program at
22 the University of West Florida. Both institutions are designated
23 as National Security Agency National Centers of Academic
24 Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C).
25 (c) The Legislature further finds that expansion of
26 experiential learning opportunities in cybersecurity for
27 students at state universities and Florida College System
28 institutions is likely to accelerate the development of a highly
29 qualified cybersecurity workforce. This expanded capacity to
30 develop a more qualified cybersecurity workforce is necessary to
31 close existing gaps and keep pace with the growth in demand for
32 cybersecurity talent within this state.
33 (2)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, the Department
34 of Commerce shall create and operate the Cybersecurity
35 Experiential Learning Program in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
36 (b) The Department of Commerce must use 10 percent of the
37 appropriated funds in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to enter into an
38 agreement with Cyber Florida within the University of South
39 Florida to collaborate in designing the program for
40 implementation at a minimum of one state university or Florida
41 College System institution during the 2026-2027 school year, and
42 to plan for the expansion of the program to additional sites and
43 additional national security-focused workforces in future years.
44 (3) Cyber Florida shall determine and report back to the
45 department on the following:
46 (a) The specific internship opportunities and experiential
47 learning opportunities that the United States Department of
48 Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
49 believes will be the most impactful on a student’s job placement
50 in high-demand cybersecurity roles in the state, including an
51 assessment of when completing a federal security clearance
52 readiness program will assist certain students in job placement
53 in this state.
54 (b) A review of best practices for cybersecurity
55 experiential learning opportunities in place at other NCAE-C
56 designated institutions within and outside of this state which
57 can be replicated at institutions across this state.
58 (c) A recommendation for the minimum qualifications a
59 student should possess or meet prior to enrolling in an
60 experiential learning program.
61 (d) A listing of the state universities and Florida College
62 System institutions that wish to participate in the program,
63 along with an expected number of students to be served by the
64 program at each participating institution during the fiscal
65 year. Cyber Florida shall make a recommendation to the
66 department for the disbursement of available funds for the
67 program to maximize statewide impact, improve students’ job
68 placement, and support economic growth in this state’s defense
69 industry.
70 (e) A listing of employers in this state with openings or
71 anticipated openings in cybersecurity roles or other industries
72 that perform work that requires a security clearance.
73 (4)(a) In each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated
74 to the program, or where an unspent balance for the program
75 remains from a prior year’s appropriation which can continue to
76 support the program’s operations, the Department of Commerce
77 may:
78 1. Implement the program and directly disburse the funds to
79 participating institutions. Such funds may be used to cover the
80 cost of students going through the security clearance process;
81 or
82 2. Enter into a mutually agreed upon multi-year contract
83 with Cyber Florida to administer the program statewide and
84 disburse the available funding to participating institutions.
85 (b) Any disbursement of funds under this subsection is
86 subject to approval by the department.
87 (5) Beginning January 15, 2028, and on each January 15
88 following the completion of a fiscal year in which the program
89 operates, the Department of Commerce shall submit a report to
90 the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
91 the House of Representatives which includes all the following:
92 (a) The number of students participating in experiential
93 learning opportunities at each participating institution and a
94 listing of the specific outcomes, skills, or credentials,
95 including security clearances, earned by students through the
96 program which contributed to job placement.
97 (b) The number of students who completed an experiential
98 learning opportunity through the program who subsequently
99 reported entering federal, state, or private sector
100 cybersecurity positions in the state, and the number of students
101 provided security clearance preparation training for other
102 fields.
103 (c) Recommendations for program improvements, including
104 potential integration with other state workforce initiatives and
105 potentially expanding the program to workforces supporting
106 national security such as defense manufacturing and aerospace
107 related engineering fields.
108 (6) This section expires on July 1, 2032.
109 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
110
111 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
112 And the title is amended as follows:
113 Delete everything before the enacting clause
114 and insert:
115 A bill to be entitled
116 An act relating to cybersecurity internships; creating
117 s. 1004.0983, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
118 requiring the Department of Commerce to create the
119 Cybersecurity Experiential Learning Program in a
120 specified fiscal year, subject to legislative
121 appropriation; requiring the department use a certain
122 percentage of appropriated funds in a specified fiscal
123 year to enter into an agreement with Cyber Florida at
124 the University of South Florida to collaborate in
125 designing the program for implementation and plan for
126 expansion of the program; requiring Cyber Florida to
127 report specified information to the department;
128 providing the department with authorized uses of
129 unspent funds; requiring that disbursement of funds is
130 subject to department approval; requiring the
131 department to submit an annual report by a specified
132 date to the Governor and the Legislature; providing
133 requirements for the report; providing for the
134 expiration of the program; providing an effective
135 date.