---
type: "Bill"
title: "Higher Education"
description: "Higher Education; Prohibits certain educational institutions from being civilly liable for certain actions; requires state university to waive certain tuition & fees for certain students who meet specified criteria; revises eligibility criteria for specified grant program."
jurisdiction: "us/states/fl"
legislature: "Florida Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 1261"
citation: "Florida HB 1261 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["torts"]
status: "enacted"
chapter_law: "2021-232"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 6
action_count: 58
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2021-02-24"
last_action: "2021-07-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/28f0d8d5-c269-4965-862a-e2b52a57b654"
source_url: "https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1261/ByCategory"
source_hash: "c58403df25cc40a0dba0dc6d98ad63a986f3c45ec1ff92477fa69d747654752d"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-fl"]
---

# Florida HB 1261 (2021) — Higher Education

Higher Education; Prohibits certain educational institutions from being civilly liable for certain actions; requires state university to waive certain tuition & fees for certain students who meet specified criteria; revises eligibility criteria for specified grant program.

**Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2021-232.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **H 1261 Filed** (filed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1261/BillText/Filed/PDF)
2. **H 1261 c1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1261/BillText/c1/PDF)
3. **H 1261 e1** (engrossed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1261/BillText/e1/PDF)
4. **H 1261 e2** (engrossed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1261/BillText/e2/PDF)
5. **H 1261 e3** (engrossed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1261/BillText/e3/PDF)
6. **H 1261 er** (enrolled) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1261/BillText/er/PDF)

## Votes

- Passage, Third Reading — **92–22** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Favorable (Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee) — **12–2** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Education & Employment Committee) — **14–6** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee) — **12–2** (pass) · lower
- Passage — **102–11** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Education and Employment Committee — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-02-24** Filed `filing`
- **2021-02-28** Referred to Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-28** Referred to Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-28** Referred to Education & Employment Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-28** Now in Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee
- **2021-03-01** Added to Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee agenda
- **2021-03-02** 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
- **2021-03-03** Favorable by Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-03** Reported out of Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee
- **2021-03-03** Now in Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
- **2021-03-04** Added to Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee agenda
- **2021-03-08** Favorable by Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-09** Reported out of Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
- **2021-03-09** Now in Education & Employment Committee
- **2021-04-02** PCS added to Education & Employment Committee agenda
- **2021-04-06** Favorable with CS by Education & Employment Committee
- **2021-04-12** Reported out of Education & Employment Committee
- **2021-04-12** Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
- **2021-04-12** CS Filed
- **2021-04-12** 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
- **2021-04-14** Bill referred to House Calendar
- **2021-04-14** Added to Second Reading Calendar
- **2021-04-15** Bill added to Special Order Calendar (4/20/2021)
- **2021-04-16** Amendment 218821 filed
- **2021-04-16** Amendment 601145 filed
- **2021-04-16** Amendment 325343 filed
- **2021-04-20** Amendment 325343 withdrawn
- **2021-04-20** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-04-20** Amendment 218821 withdrawn
- **2021-04-20** Amendment 601145 adopted
- **2021-04-20** Placed on 3rd reading
- **2021-04-20** Added to Third Reading Calendar
- **2021-04-20** Amendment 625013 filed
- **2021-04-21** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-21** Amendment 625013 adopted
- **2021-04-21** CS passed as amended; YEAS 92, NAYS 22 `passage`
- **2021-04-21** Message sent to senate
- **2021-04-21** In Messages
- **2021-04-21** Referred to Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-21** Received
- **2021-04-26** Withdrawn from Appropriations `withdrawal`
- **2021-04-26** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- **2021-04-26** Substituted for CS/SB 7070
- **2021-04-26** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-04-26** Amendment(s) adopted (140176, 214326)
- **2021-04-26** Placed on 3rd reading
- **2021-04-27** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-27** CS passed as amended; YEAS 40 NAYS 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-27** In Messages
- **2021-04-28** Added to Senate Message List
- **2021-04-28** Amendment 214326 Concur
- **2021-04-28** Amendment 140176 Concur
- **2021-04-28** CS passed as amended; YEAS 102, NAYS 11 `passage`
- **2021-04-28** Ordered engrossed, then enrolled
- **2021-04-28** Message sent to senate
- **2021-06-28** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
- **2021-06-29** Approved by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-07-06** Chapter No. 2021-232

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/28f0d8d5-c269-4965-862a-e2b52a57b654`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).