---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education"
description: "Education; Requires entities that offer fee-based services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired to disclose in writing whether the services may be obtained elsewhere at no cost; requires certain service providers to apply to, rather than register with, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; revises the date for a requirement to obtain a license as a marriage and family therapist; revises public information requirements relating to virtual instruction options; revises the conditions considered an educational emergency; authorizes a student to carry a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved epinephrine delivery devices, rather than epinephrine auto-injectors; deletes obsolete provisions related to calculation of kindergarten readiness rates; requires the Department of Children and Families to determine whether a child care provider is the primary cause of certain class I violations; revises provisions related to certain law schools; authorizes a school district to reserve funds for certain STEM-related educational services, etc."
jurisdiction: "us/states/fl"
legislature: "Florida Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 1279"
citation: "Florida HB 1279 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["regulation of professions and occupations", "social welfare"]
status: "enacted"
chapter_law: "2026-59"
primary_sponsors: ["Kincart Jonsson"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 50
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-08"
last_action: "2026-05-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1c436931-e3c5-4e96-825d-857d0ec28350"
source_url: "https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1279/ByCategory"
source_hash: "4355f2e29096b64cc79fb7e8a6eb23d28221d518006899fc8d0a97be89043ba9"
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 1279 (2026) — Education

Education; Requires entities that offer fee-based services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired to disclose in writing whether the services may be obtained elsewhere at no cost; requires certain service providers to apply to, rather than register with, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; revises the date for a requirement to obtain a license as a marriage and family therapist; revises public information requirements relating to virtual instruction options; revises the conditions considered an educational emergency; authorizes a student to carry a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved epinephrine delivery devices, rather than epinephrine auto-injectors; deletes obsolete provisions related to calculation of kindergarten readiness rates; requires the Department of Children and Families to determine whether a child care provider is the primary cause of certain class I violations; revises provisions related to certain law schools; authorizes a school district to reserve funds for certain STEM-related educational services, etc.

**Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2026-59.

## Version chain

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

1. **H 1279 Filed** (filed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1279/BillText/Filed/PDF)
2. **H 1279 c1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1279/BillText/c1/PDF)
3. **H 1279 c2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1279/BillText/c2/PDF)
4. **H 1279 e1** (engrossed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1279/BillText/e1/PDF)
5. **H 1279 er** (enrolled) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1279/BillText/er/PDF)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **36–1** (pass) · upper
- Passage — **81–16** (pass) · lower
- Passage, Third Reading — **84–25** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Budget Committee) — **20–7** (pass) · lower
- Favorable With Amendment(s) (Education & Employment Committee) — **17–2** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Careers & Workforce Subcommittee) — **12–5** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Careers & Workforce Subcommittee — primary (organization)
- Education & Employment Committee — primary (organization)
- Kincart Jonsson — primary (person)
- Gerwig — cosponsor (person)
- Jacques — cosponsor (person)
- Kendall — cosponsor (person)
- Michael — cosponsor (person)
- Nix — cosponsor (person)
- Shoaf — cosponsor (person)
- Trabulsy — cosponsor (person)
- Yarkosky — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-08** Filed `filing`
- **2026-01-13** 1st Reading (Original Filed Version) `filing, reading-1`
- **2026-01-15** Referred to Careers & Workforce Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-15** Referred to Budget Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-15** Referred to Education & Employment Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-15** Now in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
- **2026-01-26** PCS added to Careers & Workforce Subcommittee agenda
- **2026-01-28** Favorable with CS by Careers & Workforce Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-01-29** Reported out of Careers & Workforce Subcommittee
- **2026-01-29** Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) `deferral`
- **2026-01-29** CS Filed `filing`
- **2026-01-29** 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1) `reading-1`
- **2026-01-30** Referred to Budget Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-30** Referred to Education & Employment Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-30** Now in Budget Committee
- **2026-02-06** Added to Budget Committee agenda
- **2026-02-10** Favorable by Budget Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-10** Reported out of Budget Committee
- **2026-02-10** Now in Education & Employment Committee
- **2026-02-24** PCS added to Education & Employment Committee agenda
- **2026-02-26** Favorable with CS by Education & Employment Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-26** Reported out of Education & Employment Committee
- **2026-02-26** Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) `deferral`
- **2026-02-26** CS Filed `filing`
- **2026-02-26** Bill referred to House Calendar
- **2026-02-26** Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/3/2026)
- **2026-02-26** 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2) `reading-1`
- **2026-03-03** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-03** Amendment 277549 Failed
- **2026-03-03** Added to Third Reading Calendar
- **2026-03-03** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-03** CS passed; YEAS 84, NAYS 25 `passage`
- **2026-03-03** In Messages
- **2026-03-03** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-03** Received `enrolled`
- **2026-03-13** Withdrawn from Rules `withdrawal`
- **2026-03-13** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- **2026-03-13** Substituted for CS/CS/SB 7038
- **2026-03-13** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-13** Amendment(s) adopted (476262)
- **2026-03-13** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-13** CS passed as amended; YEAS 36 NAYS 1 `passage`
- **2026-03-13** In Messages
- **2026-03-13** Added to Senate Message List
- **2026-03-13** Amendment 476262 Concur
- **2026-03-13** CS passed as amended; YEAS 81, NAYS 16 `passage`
- **2026-03-13** Ordered engrossed, then enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-04-30** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-01** Approved by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-05** Chapter No. 2026-59

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1c436931-e3c5-4e96-825d-857d0ec28350`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).