Florida SB 1264: Rural and Urban Business Enterprises

Bill Text

1264 
Private Schools 
2026-01-06T11:17:01Z 
Requiring a private school that enrolls a certain number of students to be considered a permitted use for zoning purposes; providing that certain private schools may not be subject to additional building codes; requiring a fire official to use specified firesafety evaluation systems for existing private school facilities; providing that certain private schools are subject to specified fire code requirements, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1264 

 By Senator Calatayud 

 38-00844A-26 20261264__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to private schools; amending s. 
 3 1002.42, F.S.; requiring a private school that enrolls 
 4 a certain number of students to be considered a 
 5 permitted use for zoning purposes; providing that 
 6 certain private schools may not be subject to 
 7 additional building codes; requiring a fire official 
 8 to use specified firesafety evaluation systems for 
 9 existing private school facilities; providing that 
 10 certain private schools are subject to specified fire 
 11 code requirements; requiring that a sprinkler system 
 12 that meets specified requirements be installed for 
 13 certain private schools; providing an effective date. 
 14 
 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 16 
 17 Section 1. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (19) of 
 18 section 1002.42, Florida Statutes, to read: 
 19 1002.42 Private schools.— 
 20 (19) FACILITIES.— 
 21 (d)1. A private school enrolling 150 or fewer students is 
 22 considered a permitted use in all zoning districts, except 
 23 residential districts, within a county or a municipality without 
 24 rezoning or obtaining a special exception or a land use change 
 25 and without complying with any mitigation requirements, 
 26 conditions, performance standards, ordinances, rules, codes, or 
 27 policies. 
 28 2. A private school enrolling 150 or fewer students may 
 29 operate in a facility that is subject to and complies with the 
 30 same occupancy requirements as a class A-1, A-3, B, or M 
 31 occupancy as defined by the Florida Building Code and may not be 
 32 subjected to any additional state or local health, safety, or 
 33 welfare laws, codes, or rules beyond those applicable to a class 
 34 A-1, A-3, B, or M occupancy facility. 
 35 3. The local fire official shall use the firesafety 
 36 evaluation systems found in NFPA 101A: Guide on Alternative 
 37 Approaches to Life Safety for existing facilities as low cost, 
 38 reasonable alternatives to firesafety evaluation system 
 39 standards. 
 40 4. A private school enrolling 150 or fewer students opening 
 41 inside, or moving operations to, an existing assembly, day care, 
 42 mercantile, or business occupancy, as defined by the Florida 
 43 Fire Prevention Code, must meet standards for existing 
 44 educational occupancy requirements under chapter 15 of the 
 45 Florida Fire Prevention Code for automatic sprinkler, detection, 
 46 alarm, and communications systems and requirements for hazardous 
 47 areas, except that an automatic sprinkler system must be 
 48 provided for educational occupancies as follows: 
 49 a. Throughout all Group E fire areas greater than 12,000 
 50 square feet, as defined by the International Building Code. 
 51 b. Throughout every portion of educational buildings below 
 52 the level of exit discharge. 
 53 c. An automatic sprinkler system is not required in any 
 54 fire area or area below the level of exit discharge where every 
 55 classroom throughout the building has at least one exterior exit 
 56 door at ground level without intervening corridors, passageways, 
 57 interior exit stairways or ramps, or exit passageways. 
 58 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.