The ARMOR Act: Salzman's School Safety Bill Heads to DeSantis After Decisive Bipartisan Vote

In a session defined by partisan gridlock and a failed budget, one bill cut through the noise with near-universal urgency: CS/CS/HB 757, the expansion of Florida's armed guardian program to the state's public universities and colleges. The measure, which passed both chambers with strong bipartisan margins, is now on its way to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has already signaled his support by including $6 million for implementation in his budget proposal.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Pensacola), brought a deeply personal connection to the legislation. A graduate student at Florida State University at the time of the deadly shooting last April that killed two people on campus, Salzman channeled that experience into a methodical, bipartisan legislative effort that navigated three House committee stops without a single negative vote in two of them.

From Parkland to the University System

The guardian program was first created in the aftermath of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, which killed 17 students and staff. Under existing law, school districts may partner with local sheriffs to train and arm designated school personnel -- known as "guardians" -- to serve as an armed first line of defense in the event of an active shooter. The program was limited to K-12 schools.

HB 757 extends that framework to Florida's 12 state universities and 28 state colleges, creating a voluntary program under which college and university presidents may appoint guardians in coordination with their local sheriff's office. The bill does not mandate participation; each institution's governing board retains the authority to decide whether to opt in.

The need for the expansion became tragically clear on April 17, 2025, when a gunman opened fire at FSU's Strozier Library, killing two students and wounding four others before being shot and killed by responding officers. The shooting reignited a debate about campus security that had simmered since Parkland, and gave Salzman the impetus to file HB 757 in December 2025.

Training Requirements and Safeguards

Central to the bill's design is a rigorous training framework intended to ensure that guardians are prepared for the extreme circumstances they might face. The legislation requires 144 hours of mandatory training, broken into 132 hours of firearms instruction and 12 hours of de-escalation and crisis intervention training. This exceeds the training requirements for most law enforcement academy graduates in the state.

Additional safeguards include mandatory psychological evaluations for all guardian candidates, random drug testing throughout their service, and a prohibition on firing a weapon within 1,000 feet of a school during operating hours -- a provision designed to prevent accidents during routine campus activities. Universities participating in the program are also required to promote suspicious activity reporting applications and adopt comprehensive emergency response plans.

The Legislative Journey

HB 757's path through the Legislature was remarkably smooth for a bill touching on firearms policy, an area that typically generates fierce partisan debate. The bill cleared the House Judiciary Committee on January 27 with a 20-0 vote, followed by a 17-0 vote in the Education and Employment Committee on February 3. The Budget Committee approved the measure 23-5 on February 10, the first and only committee stop to produce dissenting votes.

On the House floor, the bill passed 83-25 on February 25, 2026, and was transmitted to the Senate. Meanwhile, the Senate companion CS/CS/SB 896, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville), had been working its own path through the upper chamber. SB 896 cleared the Criminal Justice Committee on February 11 with a 7-1 vote, then passed the Appropriations Committee on February 24 by a vote of 11-6 -- the tightest margin the bill encountered in either chamber's committee process. On March 11, the Senate substituted HB 757 for SB 896, adopted a technical amendment, and passed the bill 26-10.

The House concurred with the Senate amendment the following day, March 12, with a final vote of 88-20. The bill was ordered engrossed and then enrolled, completing its legislative journey.

"She's done an excellent job with this legislation."

-- Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville), on Rep. Salzman's work with higher education institutions

Opposition and Concerns

While the bill enjoyed broad support, it was not without its critics. Some Democratic members expressed concern about the proliferation of firearms on college campuses, arguing that the presence of armed civilians -- even trained ones -- could create confusion during an active shooter scenario when law enforcement arrives. Others questioned whether the voluntary nature of the program would create uneven security standards across the university system, with some campuses opting in and others declining.

University faculty unions in several institutions voiced opposition, arguing that the resources allocated to the guardian program would be better spent on mental health services, campus counseling, and violence prevention programs. However, these concerns were not sufficient to derail the legislation, which attracted significant bipartisan support in both chambers.

What Comes Next

Governor DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. With $6 million already earmarked in his proposed budget for implementation, the guardian program could begin accepting university and college participants as early as the fall 2026 semester. Each institution will need to work with its local sheriff to establish a training program that meets the bill's requirements, a process that could take several months.

The bill's passage represents one of the few clear legislative victories of the 2026 session, which ended without a budget and with numerous high-profile measures left unresolved. For Salzman, who turned personal tragedy into legislative action, the bill stands as a testament to what can be accomplished when partisan considerations yield to the urgency of public safety. Government affairs professionals can track bills like HB 757 in real time using LobbyScape's legislative tracking tools.