Notification Of Anti-harassment Policies and Supportive Measures :
HB 1117 creates a new section of Florida Statutes requiring schools to establish and publicly notify students, parents, staff, and volunteers about anti-harassment policies and supportive measures. The bill defines “anti-harassment policies” to cover sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking occurring on school premises, on school transportation, or at school-sponsored off-campus events. It also defines “supportive measures” as individualized, nonpunitive, nondisciplinary steps intended to protect safety, provide accommodations, and support educational success.
The bill requires school policies to include reporting options, the rights of victims and accused individuals during investigations and discipline, the school’s investigation and appeal process, and whether the school must report to law enforcement. Schools must post the policies and supportive measures prominently on campus and on websites, provide them in frequently encountered languages, and make them available through direct notice at enrollment, hiring, and annually thereafter. For students under 18, notice must go to a parent, though age-appropriate notice to the student is also allowed.
If enacted, HB 1117 would add a new statutory requirement for public K-12 schools, public postsecondary institutions, and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to adopt and distribute anti-harassment policies and supportive measures. It would affect school administrators, students, parents, employees, and volunteers by mandating standardized notice, multilingual access, and visible publication of reporting and support resources, including hotlines, child advocacy centers, and sexual assault service providers. The bill would also formalize how schools communicate procedures for handling sexual violence and related misconduct, including investigation and discipline processes.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no detailed public debate to assess. The bill’s structure suggests a protective, victim-support-oriented purpose, emphasizing access to information, reporting pathways, and supportive services. Its failure in the Education Administration Subcommittee indicates it did not advance, but the provided materials do not show whether that was due to policy disagreement, procedural issues, or lack of support.
The most likely points of contention are the scope of the required policies, the burden on schools to create and maintain multilingual notices and website postings, and the bill’s treatment of disciplinary and reporting procedures. Schools may have concerns about administrative costs and compliance obligations, while others may focus on the balance between victim protections and the rights of accused students or staff during investigations. Another possible issue is the bill’s broad application to both public and private institutions and its requirement to notify parents of minors, which could raise privacy and implementation questions.