Florida lawmakers filed bipartisan legislation in late December that would impose new statewide standards on mentoring and student support programs operating in K–12 public schools.
Sen. Keith Truenow and Rep. Johanna López introduced Senate Bill 1008 and House Bill 857, respectively, to clarify when and how school districts may recommend or refer students to third-party organizations providing mentoring, tutoring, counseling, and extracurricular services.
The measures amend existing law to expressly authorize those referrals while conditioning them on compliance with uniform statutory safeguards.
“Parents deserve to know who is working with their children, how programs operate, and whether proper safeguards are in place,” said Rep. López. “This bill puts common-sense standards in place around student support services so families can make informed decisions and schools can ensure students are safe while participating in these programs.”
Under the bills, organizations seeking to partner with public schools would be prohibited from restricting student participation based on race, color, or ethnicity. Mentoring organizations that publicly describe themselves as serving students of a single racial or ethnic group would be required to provide written verification showing they employ or engage mentors, staff, or volunteers from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds sufficient to serve the district’s student population.
Moreover, any individual who comes into contact with students, or who is present in the same building while services are being provided, would be required to complete a Level 2 background screening under Florida law. The requirement would apply to services delivered both on campus and off campus, with a limited exception for off-campus, school-sponsored activities where students remain under the direct and continuous supervision of school district personnel, volunteers, or athletic coaches.
The bills would also expand transparency requirements for parents. Public schools that host or provide access to mentoring or student support services would be required to post clear information on their websites, including program descriptions, eligibility criteria, contact information, and participation or application processes.
To strengthen accountability, district school boards would be required to verify that participating organizations comply with the statutory standards and to maintain documentation demonstrating compliance.
The Department of Education would be authorized to request reports from district superintendents detailing program participation, the organizations involved, the number of schools and students served, and demographic information about participating students.
“This bill is a good first step to ensuring that 3rd party mentor programs have a basic level of accountability and fairness,” said Sen. Truenow. “We should expect nothing less for our children. The bills being proposed by Representative López and myself are long overdue.”
If approved by the Legislature, the bills would take effect July 1, 2026.
