Florida SB 1478: Intellectual Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity

Bill Text

1478 
Intellectual Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity 
2026-01-08T10:00:11Z 
Deleting a definition of the term “shield”; requiring the State Board of Education to ensure that Florida College System institutions are free from political influence and interference; granting specified rights to students of Florida College System institutions and state universities; granting specified rights to faculty, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1478 

 By Senator Davis 

 5-00963-26 20261478__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to intellectual freedom and viewpoint 
 3 diversity; amending s. 1001.03, F.S.; deleting a 
 4 definition of the term “shield”; requiring the State 
 5 Board of Education to ensure that Florida College 
 6 System institutions are free from political influence 
 7 and interference; deleting a requirement that the 
 8 state board not shield Florida College System 
 9 institution students, faculty, or staff from protected 
 10 speech; amending s. 1001.706, F.S.; deleting a 
 11 definition of the term “shield”; requiring the Board 
 12 of Governors of the State University System to ensure 
 13 that state universities are free from political 
 14 influence and interference; deleting a requirement 
 15 that the board not shield state university students, 
 16 faculty, or staff from protected speech; creating s. 
 17 1004.022, F.S.; granting specified rights to students 
 18 of Florida College System institutions and state 
 19 universities; granting specified rights to faculty; 
 20 amending s. 1004.421, F.S.; conforming a cross 
 21 reference; providing an effective date. 
 22 
 23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 24 
 25 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (19) of 
 26 section 1001.03, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 
 27 1001.03 Specific powers of State Board of Education.— 
 28 (19) INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY 
 29 ASSESSMENT.— 
 30 (a) For the purposes of this subsection, the term: 
 31 1. “Intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” means the 
 32 exposure of students, faculty, and staff to, and the 
 33 encouragement of their exploration of, a variety of ideological 
 34 and political perspectives. 
 35 2. “Shield” means to limit students’, faculty members’, or 
 36 staff members’ access to, or observation of, ideas and opinions 
 37 that they may find uncomfortable, unwelcome, disagreeable, or 
 38 offensive. 
 39 (c) The State Board of Education shall ensure that may not 
 40 shield students, faculty, or staff at Florida College System 
 41 institutions are free from undue political influence and 
 42 interference in academic affairs, including curriculum design, 
 43 faculty appointments, research activities, and administrative 
 44 operations free speech protected under the First Amendment to 
 45 the United States Constitution, Art. I of the State 
 46 Constitution, or s. 1004.097. 
 47 Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (13) of 
 48 section 1001.706, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 
 49 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.— 
 50 (13) INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY 
 51 ASSESSMENT.— 
 52 (a) For the purposes of this subsection, the term: 
 53 1. “Intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” means the 
 54 exposure of students, faculty, and staff to, and the 
 55 encouragement of their exploration of, a variety of ideological 
 56 and political perspectives. 
 57 2. “Shield” means to limit students’, faculty members’, or 
 58 staff members’ access to, or observation of, ideas and opinions 
 59 that they may find uncomfortable, unwelcome, disagreeable, or 
 60 offensive. 
 61 (c) The Board of Governors shall ensure that may not shield 
 62 students, faculty, or staff at state universities are free from 
 63 undue political influence and interference in academic affairs, 
 64 including curriculum design, faculty appointments, research 
 65 activities, and administrative operations free speech protected 
 66 under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, 
 67 Art. I of the State Constitution, or s. 1004.97. 
 68 Section 3. Section 1004.022, Florida Statutes, is created 
 69 to read: 
 70 1004.022 Academic freedom.—Notwithstanding any other law to 
 71 the contrary: 
 72 (1) Every student in the State University System and 
 73 Florida College System has the unalienable right to pursue 
 74 education access across all academic disciplines without 
 75 governmental or institutional interference, including, but not 
 76 limited to, a student’s prerogative to select, drop, or change 
 77 courses and areas of study without facing pressure or 
 78 restrictions based on political or ideological grounds. 
 79 (2) Faculty members in the State University System and 
 80 Florida College System are entitled to full academic freedom in 
 81 their teaching, research, scholarship, and creative acti