Tallahassee, Fla. â Florida Senator Gayle Harrell has filed Senate Bill 72 (2026), a proposal aimed at tightening timelines and improving transparency in how school districts implement Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities.
The bill, filed for consideration in the 2026 legislative session, would amend section 1003.5716, Florida Statutes, and create a new section, 1003.5718, focused on parental orientation and accountability.
Under the proposal, school districts would be required to:
- Complete initial evaluations within 60 calendar days of receiving parental consent.
- Convene an IEP team meeting within 30 days after eligibility is determined.
- Notify parents within five school days if a related service listed in the IEP is missed, provide an explanation, and issue a written plan for make-up services.
- Give parents the right to access provider logs or progress notes within 15 school days of a service being delivered, and inform parents of this right at each IEP meeting.
The bill also introduces a requirement for an individualized orientation for parents of newly identified exceptional student education (ESE) students. Each district would be responsible for explaining procedural safeguards, parental rights, and how to access service logs or file complaints with the Florida Department of Education. Parents would sign an acknowledgment confirming they received this orientation, and districts would need to offer annual refresher sessions and keep documentation in each student's education record.
SB 72 was referred to the Education Pre-Kâ12, Appropriations Committee on Pre-Kâ12 Education, and Rules committees on October 6, 2025. If passed, the law would take effect July 1, 2026.
Full text of the bill is available on the Florida Senate website.
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