# Florida HB 561: Educator Preparation and Certification Florida HB 561, Educator Preparation and Certification, is a 2026 House bill sponsored by Anne Gerwig (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-05-26 (Chapter No. 2026-106); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-13). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB561-2026 - As of: 2026-10-13 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Florida HB 561 - State: Florida - Session: 2026 - Title: Educator Preparation and Certification - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-12-01 - Last action: 2026-05-26, Chapter No. 2026-106 - Sponsor: Anne Gerwig (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Appropriation, Careers & Workforce Subcommittee, PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee, Education & Employment Committee, House Calendar, Rules - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (149 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More paths to restore teaching credentials: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida must adopt rules to reinstate expired professional teaching certificates, including their former subject areas and endorsements. The prior subject-area exam requirement is removed. The Department of Education may require an application and completion of the certifica… - Free training helps teachers keep credentials: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, certified educators seeking renewal or reinstatement can use the Florida Center for Teaching Excellence’s learning system free. The center must send training points earned through its system to the Florida Department of Education on each educator’s behalf. It must also share… - Future teachers can start coursework earlier: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida educator preparation institutes may let participants enroll in and finish coursework while seeking certification eligibility. This option applies while participants seek an eligible statement of status of eligibility in their planned teaching subject. Before field ex… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Anne Gerwig (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Education & Employment Committee ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-05 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 37 | 0 | | | 2026-02-25 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 112 | 0 | | ## Actions (41) - 2026-05-26: Chapter No. 2026-106 - 2026-05-22: Approved by Governor - 2026-05-21: Signed by Officers and presented to Governor - 2026-03-05: Ordered enrolled (House) - 2026-03-05: In Messages (House) - 2026-03-05: CS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 -SJ 612 (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Read 3rd time -SJ 612 (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Read 2nd time -SJ 612 (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Substituted for SB 1718 -SJ 612 (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Withdrawn from Rules -SJ 612 (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Received (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Referred to Rules (Senate) - 2026-02-25: In Messages (Senate) - 2026-02-25: CS passed; YEAS 112, NAYS 0 (House) - 2026-02-25: Read 3rd time (House) - 2026-02-25: Added to Third Reading Calendar (House) - 2026-02-25: Read 2nd time (House) - 2026-02-19: Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026) (House) - 2026-02-11: Added to Second Reading Calendar (House) - 2026-02-11: Bill referred to House Calendar (House) - 2026-02-10: 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1) (House) - 2026-02-10: CS Filed (House) - 2026-02-10: Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) (House) - 2026-02-10: Reported out of Education & Employment Committee (House) - 2026-02-10: Favorable with CS by Education & Employment Committee (House) - 2026-02-06: PCS added to Education & Employment Committee agenda (House) - 2026-02-04: Now in Education & Employment Committee (House) - 2026-02-04: Reported out of PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee (House) - 2026-02-04: Favorable by PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee (House) - 2026-02-02: Added to PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee agenda (House) - 2026-01-14: Now in PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee (House) - 2026-01-14: Reported out of Careers & Workforce Subcommittee (House) - 2026-01-14: Favorable by Careers & Workforce Subcommittee (House) - 2026-01-13: 1st Reading (Original Filed Version) (House) - 2026-01-12: Added to Careers & Workforce Subcommittee agenda (House) - 2025-12-12: Now in Careers & Workforce Subcommittee (House) - 2025-12-12: Referred to Education & Employment Committee (House) - 2025-12-12: Referred to PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee (House) - 2025-12-12: Referred to Careers & Workforce Subcommittee (House) - 2025-12-01: Filed (House) ## Bill text - er, 2026-07-01: [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/561/BillText/er/PDF) - c1, 2026-02-10: [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/561/BillText/c1/PDF) - Filed, 2025-12-01: [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/561/BillText/Filed/PDF) ## Related bills - SB 14: Relief of Jose Correa by Miami-Dade County (signed) - HB 6509: Relief/Estate of Mark LaGatta/Department of Transportation (signed) - HB 6515: Relief/Lourdes Latour and Edward Latour/Miami-Dade County (signed) - HB 6507: Relief/L.E./Department of Children and Families (signed) - HB 6517: Relief/Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen/City of St. Petersburg (signed) - HB 4103: Apalachicola Water and Sewer District, Franklin County (signed) ## Sources - [er (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/561/BillText/er/PDF) - [c1 (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/561/BillText/c1/PDF) - [Filed (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/561/BillText/Filed/PDF) ## Related - [SB 14: Relief of Jose Correa by Miami-Dade County](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-SB14-2026) - [HB 6509: Relief/Estate of Mark LaGatta/Department of Transportation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6509-2026) - [HB 6515: Relief/Lourdes Latour and Edward Latour/Miami-Dade County](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6515-2026) - [HB 6507: Relief/L.E./Department of Children and Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6507-2026) - [HB 6517: Relief/Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen/City of St. Petersburg](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6517-2026) - [HB 4103: Apalachicola Water and Sewer District, Franklin County](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB4103-2026) - [Florida bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/florida/bills) - [Florida state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/florida) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB561-2026 (as of 2026-10-13).