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The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, signed House Bill 757 (HB 757), a school safety law that extends the state's armed guardian program to public universities and colleges in Florida.
DeSantis signed the legislation at Miami Dade College in the presence of officials and legislators during the Education Commissioner's Summit, held under the theme "Supporting Safe Schools," according to reports from Local 10.
The new regulation expands the School Guardian Program—established in 2018 after the Parkland massacre, which left 17 dead—to public institutions of higher education, allowing employees and faculty members designated by the president of each institution to carry firearms after receiving specialized training.
Until the signing of HB 757, the guardian program was applied exclusively in elementary and secondary education schools (K-12).
The law also requires sheriffs to assist public postsecondary institutions in implementing the program and to establish or coordinate the training of guardians.
DeSantis summarized the scope of the new law on X: "We will continue to promote policies that keep our students safe in Florida's higher education institutions."
Among the additional measures, the legislation establishes a new second-degree felony for firing a weapon within 1,000 feet (approximately 304 meters) of a school during school hours or activities, and requires annual safety risk assessments for all state campuses.
The law also requires the transfer of student conduct records, psychological assessments, and threat reports from K-12 to postsecondary institutions at the time of enrollment, and establishes threat management teams and training for faculty to intervene with students exhibiting behavioral health issues.
The most relevant immediate precedent for this legislation is the shooting at Florida State University on April 17, 2025, in which Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student and stepson of a Leon County sheriff's deputy, opened fire on the Tallahassee campus and killed two people.
However, the measure is not without criticism.
Organizations such as Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action rejected the law, arguing that it "dismantles gun-free zones" on public campuses and labeled it as dangerous for students.
HB 757 is part of a broader legislative trajectory by DeSantis regarding education.
In 2025, the governor had already signed a package of eight laws that included the prohibition of cell phone use in elementary and secondary schools, as well as initiatives for student mental health.
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