Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 7038
Ì552764<Î552764
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/25/2026 .
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The Committee on Rules (Calatayud) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete lines 243 - 309
4 and insert:
5 Section 5. Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section
6 1001.7065, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
7 1001.7065 Preeminent state research universities program.—
8 (2) ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE STANDARDS.—The
9 following academic and research excellence standards are
10 established for the preeminent state research universities
11 program and shall be reported annually in the Board of Governors
12 Accountability Plan:
13 (d) A 4-year graduation rate of 60 percent or higher and
14 adjusted cohort graduation rate for full-time, first-time-in
15 college students.
16 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 1001.92, Florida
17 Statutes, is amended to read:
18 1001.92 State University System Performance-Based
19 Incentive.—
20 (1) A State University System Performance-Based Incentive
21 shall be awarded to state universities using performance-based
22 metrics adopted by the Board of Governors of the State
23 University System. Beginning with the Board of Governors’
24 determination of each university’s performance improvement and
25 achievement ratings, and the related distribution of annual
26 fiscal year appropriation, the performance-based metrics must
27 include:
28 (a) The 4-year graduation rate and adjusted cohort
29 graduation rate for first-time-in-college students;
30 (b) Beginning in fiscal year 2022-2023, the 3-year
31 graduation rate for associate in arts transfer students;
32 (c) Retention rates;
33 (d) Postgraduation education rates;
34 (e) Degree production;
35 (f) Affordability;
36 (g) Postgraduation employment and salaries, including wage
37 thresholds that reflect the added value of a baccalaureate
38 degree;
39 (h) Access rate, based on the percentage of first-year
40 undergraduate students enrolled during the fall term who
41 received a Pell Grant during the fall term; and
42 (i) Beginning in fiscal year 2021-2022, the 6-year
43 graduation rate for students who are awarded a Pell Grant in
44 their first year.
45
46 The Board of Governors may approve other metrics in a publicly
47 noticed meeting. The board shall adopt benchmarks to evaluate
48 each state university’s performance on the metrics to measure
49 the state university’s achievement of institutional excellence
50 or need for improvement and minimum requirements for eligibility
51 to receive performance funding. Benchmarks and metrics may not
52 be adjusted after university performance data has been received
53 by the Board of Governors.
54 Section 7. Section 1003.437, Florida Statutes, is amended
55 to read:
56 1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.—The grading
57 system and interpretation of letter grades used to measure
58 student success in grade 6 through grade 12 courses for students
59 in public schools shall be as follows:
60 (1) Grade “A” equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has a
61 grade point average value of 4, and is defined as “outstanding
62 progress.”
63 (2) Grade “B” equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has a
64 grade point average value of 3, and is defined as “above average
65 progress.”
66 (3) Grade “C” equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has a
67 grade point average value of 2, and is defined as “average
68 progress.”
69 (4) Grade “D” equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has a
70 grade point average value of 1, and is defined as “lowest
71 acceptable progress.”
72 (5) Grade “F” equals zero percent through 59 percent, has a
73 grade point average value of zero, and is defined as “failure.”
74 (6) Grade “I” equals zero percent, has a grade point
75 average value of zero, and is defined as “incomplete.”
76
77 The State Board of Education shall establish a statewide uniform
78 weighted grading system for honors courses and articulated
79 acceleration mechanisms identified in s. 1007.27. For the
80 purposes of class ranking, District school boards shall use the
81 may exercise a weighted grading system to calculate weighted
82 high school grade point averages pursuant to s. 1007.271.
83 Section 8. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created
84 to read:
85 1004.0983 Public postsecondary safety policies and
86 procedures.—
87 (1) Each state university and Florida College System
88 institution shall adopt and implement written safety policies
89 and procedures applicable to campus facilities, classrooms, and
90 other institutional settings to prevent, report, and respond to:
91 (a) An act of violence or attempted violence against a
92 person.
93 (b) A credible threat as defined in s. 784.048(1)(c).
94 (2) The policies and procedures must:
95 (a) Identify a person responsible for:
96 1. Coordinating the state university’s or Florida College
97 System institution’s response to actions listed in paragraphs
98 (1)(a) and (b).
99 2. Implementing such policies and procedures, including all
100 safety measures.
101 (b) Establish clear internal and external reporting
102 protocols, including notification of campus security or a local
103 law enforcement agency when appropriate.
104 (c) Outline the protective measures available to affected
105 persons, which may include work or class relocation, security
106 escorts, and restricting access to certain areas by a person
107 engaged in an activity listed in paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph
108 (1)(b).
109 (d) Provide timely updates to an affected person regarding
110 the status of an incident and any action taken.
111 (e) Ensure the policies and procedures are prominently
112 posted on the state university’s or Florida College System
113 institution’s website and available to students, faculty, staff,
114 and visitors upon request.
115 (3) Each state university and Florida College System
116 institution shall annually review and update the policies and
117 procedures to incorporate the best practices in threat
118 assessment, campus security, and safety.
119 (4) The Board of Governors may adopt regulations and the
120 State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer this
121 section.
122
123 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
124 And the title is amended as follows:
125 Delete lines 29 - 35
126 and insert:
127 marriage and family therapist; amending s. 1001.7065,
128 F.S.; revising academic and research excellence
129 standards; amending s. 1001.92, F.S.; revising certain
130 performance-based metrics; amending s. 1003.437, F.S.;
131 requiring the State Board of Education to establish a
132 uniform weighted grading system for specified courses
133 and articulated acceleration mechanisms; requiring
134 district school boards to use the system for a
135 specified purpose; creating s. 1004.0983, F.S.;
136 requiring state universities and Florida College
137 System institutions to adopt and implement specified
138 policies and procedures relating to safety; specifying
139 requirements for such policies and procedures;
140 requiring state universities and Florida College
141 System institutions to annually review and update the
142 policies and procedures; authorizing the Board of
143 Governors and the State Board of Education to adopt
144 regulations and rules, respectively;