# Florida SB 738: Child Care and Early Learning Providers

Florida SB 738, Child Care and Early Learning Providers, is a 2025 Senate bill sponsored by Colleen Burton (Republican), Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; status signed, last action 2025-06-26 (Chapter No. 2025-181); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-SB738-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Florida SB 738
- State: Florida
- Session: 2025
- Title: Child Care and Early Learning Providers
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-02-13
- Last action: 2025-06-26, Chapter No. 2025-181
- Sponsors: Colleen Burton (Republican), Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Appropriation, Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, Fiscal Policy, House Calendar
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 5 (184 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 10

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Free online training for child care workers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Florida must provide free online coursework that meets minimum training standards for child care workers. Workers completing the required 40-hour introductory course can pass either an online or in-person competency exam.
- Preschools can get local assessment relief: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, municipalities can exempt licensed preschool property from special assessments used to fund services. The property must be owned or occupied by a public or private preschool licensed under Florida Statutes section 402.305. Relief is available only when the municipality choos…
- Licensing exemptions for qualifying child care providers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, facilities serving only eligible children under Florida Statutes section 402.261(1)(c) qualify for a licensing exemption. They must offer regularly scheduled classes or educational programs accredited by, or affiliated through membership with, a qualifying organization. That…
- Military child care gains licensing exemption: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, federally certified military child care facilities and family day care homes qualify for a state licensing exemption. Providers need a Department of Defense or Coast Guard certificate, the required federal background screening, and a favorable suitability and fitness decisio…
- Shorter inspections for qualifying child care providers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, state and local agencies must implement plans to remove duplicate and unnecessary child care inspections. They must also create shorter inspections for centers, family day care homes, and large family child care homes. Providers need 2 consecutive licensed years, no Class 1…
- Child care safety violations get levels: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Florida can create up to three levels of licensing violations directly tied to children's health and safety. Class 3 is the least serious level. It covers the same violation occurring at least three times within 2 years.
- Fewer required safeguards in child care: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, facilities no longer must send flu notices in August and September or missed-drop-off safety notices in April and September. Drop-in providers no longer must give parents a communication system, such as a pager. Written daily activity plans remain required, but no longer mus…
- Health exams apply to child care drivers: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, periodic health examination requirements apply to child care facility drivers. The provision does not specify an exam schedule or cost.
- Counties must renew child care licensing choices: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, counties using a local child care licensing agency must confirm that choice every year. A majority of the county commission must vote to approve it.
- Faster child care hiring with supervision: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Florida must finish personnel screening within 3 business days after receiving the criminal history check. If screening takes longer, the department must grant 45-day provisional hire status unless it suspects a disqualifying factor. During that period, screened and trained…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Colleen Burton (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-30 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 114 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-23 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 37 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-02 | Senate | Fiscal Policy Vote | pass | 17 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-26 | Senate | Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services Vote | pass | 10 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-12 | Senate | Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Vote | pass | 6 | 0 |   |

## Actions (31)

- 2025-06-26: Chapter No. 2025-181
- 2025-06-25: Approved by Governor
- 2025-06-18: Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
- 2025-04-30: Ordered enrolled (Senate)
- 2025-04-30: CS passed; YEAS 114, NAYS 0 (House)
- 2025-04-30: Read 3rd time (House)
- 2025-04-30: Added to Third Reading Calendar (House)
- 2025-04-30: Placed on 3rd reading (House)
- 2025-04-30: Read 2nd time (House)
- 2025-04-29: 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1) (House)
- 2025-04-29: Bill added to Special Order Calendar (4/30/2025) (House)
- 2025-04-29: Bill referred to House Calendar (House)
- 2025-04-23: In Messages (House)
- 2025-04-23: CS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 -SJ 480 (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: Read 3rd time -SJ 480 (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: Read 2nd time -SJ 480 (Senate)
- 2025-04-21: Placed on Special Order Calendar, 04/23/25 (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Favorable by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 17 NAYS 0 (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 04/02/25, 9:00 am, 110 Senate Building (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Now in Fiscal Policy (Senate)
- 2025-03-26: Favorable by Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; YEAS 10 NAYS 0 (Senate)
- 2025-03-21: On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, 03/26/25, 1:00 pm, 412 Knott Building (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: CS by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs read 1st time (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: Now in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute) (Senate)
- 2025-03-12: CS by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; YEAS 6 NAYS 0 (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: On Committee agenda-- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, 03/12/25, 8:30 am, 301 Senate Building (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Introduced (Senate)
- 2025-02-25: Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; Fiscal Policy (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Filed (Senate)

## Bill text

- er, 2025-07-01: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/er/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/er/PDF)
- c1, 2025-03-14: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/c1/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/c1/PDF)
- Filed, 2025-02-13: [HTML](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/Filed/HTML), [PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/Filed/PDF)

## Related bills

- HB 1427: Nursing Education Programs (vetoed)
- HB 1095: Criminal Offender Substance Abuse Program (vetoed)
- HB 6017: Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death (vetoed)
- HB 1445: Public Officers and Employees (vetoed)
- HB 11: Municipal Water and Sewer Utility Rates (vetoed)
- HB 5015: State Group Insurance (vetoed)

## Sources
- [er (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/er/HTML)
- [er (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/er/PDF)
- [c1 (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/c1/HTML)
- [c1 (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/c1/PDF)
- [Filed (HTML)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/Filed/HTML)
- [Filed (PDF)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/738/BillText/Filed/PDF)

## Related
- [HB 1427: Nursing Education Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB1427-2025)
- [HB 1095: Criminal Offender Substance Abuse Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB1095-2025)
- [HB 6017: Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB6017-2025)
- [HB 1445: Public Officers and Employees](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB1445-2025)
- [HB 11: Municipal Water and Sewer Utility Rates](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB11-2025)
- [HB 5015: State Group Insurance](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/FL-HB5015-2025)
- [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-SB738-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).