Florida Lawmakers Aim to Boost Campus Security After Shootings

Proposed bill would allow college employees to become armed 'school guardians' and require active shooter response plans

Jan. 27, 2026 at 1:07pm

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In response to a deadly shooting at Florida State University last year, Florida lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to bolster security on state college and university campuses. The proposed legislation would allow colleges to participate in a 'guardian' program where employees with concealed carry licenses could carry guns on campus, as well as mandate active shooter response plans and annual security assessments.

Why it matters

The bill is modeled after security changes made in Florida's public school system after the 2018 Parkland shooting, reflecting a broader push to improve preparedness and response to active assailant incidents on college campuses, which have become all too common across the U.S.

The details

The proposed legislation would allow colleges and universities to opt into a 'guardian' program where employees with concealed carry licenses could be armed to help respond to active shooter situations. It would also require schools to have active assailant response plans, campus-wide alert systems, and annual security risk assessments. Additionally, the bill would create a new second-degree felony charge for firing a gun within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours or activities.

  • In April 2025, a Florida State University student was charged in a shooting that killed two people and wounded five others.
  • The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the campus security bill on January 27, 2026.

The players

Rep. Kevin Chambliss

A Democratic state representative from Homestead who said the bill addresses preparedness and recounted knowing a campus shooter while he was a graduate student.

Rep. Michelle Salzman

The Republican state representative from Pensacola who sponsored the campus security bill.

Rep. Mike Gottlieb

A Democratic state representative from Davie who said the bill was "really borne out of a horrible tragedy in Parkland."

Sen. Don Gaetz

The Republican state senator from Niceville who has filed a similar campus security bill in the Senate.

Phoenix Ikner

The Florida State University student who was charged in the April 2025 shooting in Tallahassee that killed two people.

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What they’re saying

“It can happen anywhere, at anytime.”

— Rep. Kevin Chambliss, State Representative

“This was really borne out of a horrible tragedy in Parkland.”

— Rep. Mike Gottlieb, State Representative

What’s next

The campus security bill still needs to pass two more committees before it can go to the full Florida House for a vote. A similar bill has also been filed in the state Senate.

The takeaway

The proposed legislation reflects a broader push in Florida to improve security and preparedness on college campuses in the wake of high-profile shootings, mirroring steps taken in the state's public school system. However, the plan to allow armed 'school guardians' on campuses remains a controversial approach to addressing the complex issue of gun violence.