Florida HB 727: Property Tax Exemptions

Bill Text

HB 727 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb727-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to instructional personnel and school 2
administrator salaries; providing a short title; 3
amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; increasing the minimum base 4
salary for certain teachers; revising the purpose of 5
the classroom teacher and other instructional 6
personnel salary increase; revising requirements for 7
funding for the increase; revising the definition of 8
the term "minimum base salary"; revising the 9
requirements for specified school district reporting 10
requirements beginning on a date certain; requiring 11
school districts to provide a specified plan to the 12
Department of Education beginning on a specified date; 13
providing requirements for the plan; providing charter 14
school requirements relating to such plan; requiring 15
the department to establish and oversee a phased 16
implementation of specified requirements; providing 17
requirements for such implementation; requiring the 18
department to provide specified grants to certain 19
school districts and charter schools for specified 20
purposes; amending s. 1012.22, F.S.; providing 21
requirements for school district relating to salary 22
structures and schedules; requiring performance salary 23
schedules to include step-based salary increases and 24
compression relief supplements; providing requirements 25

HB 727 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb727-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

for such increases and supplements; providing that 26
certain duties qualify as additional academic 27
responsibilities; providing an effective date. 28
29
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 30
31
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Save Our Teachers 32
Act." 33
Section 2. Subsection (14) of section 1011.62, Florida 34
Statutes, is amended to read: 35
1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual 36
allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each 37
district for operation of schools is not determined in the 38
annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing 39
the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as 40
follows: 41
(14) CLASSROOM TEACHER AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL 42
SALARY INCREASE.— 43
(a) The Legislature shall annually apportion an amount of 44
funds provided in the Florida Education Finance Program to: 45
1. Assist school districts and charter schools in their 46
compliance with the requirement that the minimum base salary for 47
full-time classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), 48
and certified prekindergarten teachers funded in the Florida 49
Education Finance Program is at least $65,000 $47,500 or to 50

HB 727 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb727-00
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provide salary increases to instructional personnel, as defined 51
in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), in a manner that best meets the needs 52
of the school district or charter school. 53
2. Assist with school districts and charter schools in 54
addressing salary compression pursuant to this subsection and s. 55
1012.22(1)(c). 56
3. Provide funding for an annual cost-of-living adjustment 57
and longevity pay for experienced teachers. 58
(b) This subsection does not apply to substitute teachers. 59
The amount and distribution methodology for the funding shall be 60
specified in the General Appropriations Act, including a 61
methodology that accounts for the number of experienced teachers 62
and their years of service. The allocation must be sufficient to 63
adjust the entire salary schedule. 64
(c)(a) The term "minimum base salary" means the lowest 65
annual base salary reported on the salary schedule for a full-66
time classroom teacher, with additional considerations for 67
regional economic conditions and salary progression for 68
experienced classroom teachers. A full-time classroom teacher 69
may not receive a salary less than the minimum base salary as 70
adjusted by this subsection. 71
(d)(b) A school district or charter school shall maintain 72
the minimum base salary achieved for classroom teachers provided 73
in the prior fiscal year and may not reduce the salary increases 74
in any subsequent fiscal year. 75

HB 727 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb727-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

(e)(c) Before distributing any additional funds received 76
over the prior fiscal year, each school district and each 77
charter school shall develop a salary distribution plan that 78
clearly delineates the planned distribution of funds in 79
accordance with modified salary schedules, as necessary, for the 80
implementation of this subsection. 81