Key Takeaways
- Florida passed CS/CS/HB 757, allowing trained school guardians to carry firearms on college campuses for safety.
- The ARMOR Act enables certain faculty and staff to volunteer as guardians, following extensive training and certification.
- Guardians can respond to active threats but lack law enforcement authority, focusing on protective measures.
- Participation in the guardian program is optional for colleges; local sheriffs must assist with training.
- The law also establishes new offenses for discharging firearms near schools and mandates emergency response plans.
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TALLAHASSEE, FL – The Florida Legislature has passed a bill that will allow trained and certified school guardians to carry firearms on public college and university campuses as part of expanded campus safety programs.
CS/CS/HB 757, known as the Active Response and Mitigation of On-Campus Risks (ARMOR) Act, cleared the Florida House on March 12 with an 88–20 vote after previously passing the Senate 26–10. The measure has now been ordered enrolled and is expected to be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The legislation authorizes public postsecondary educational institutions in Florida to participate in the state’s existing school guardian program. Under the program, certain faculty or staff members may volunteer or be appointed to serve as guardians after completing extensive training and certification requirements.
Once certified, guardians are authorized to carry firearms on campus in order to respond to active assailant incidents. Guardians do not have law enforcement authority, but they are permitted to use force when necessary to stop an active threat and protect lives.
The guardian program was originally created for K-12 public schools following the 2018 Parkland school shooting. It allows trained school employees or hired personnel to act as an additional layer of security alongside law enforcement.
Under the legislation, local sheriffs must assist colleges and universities that choose to implement the program. Sheriffs are responsible for providing or coordinating the training required to certify school guardians.
The training program is extensive. Participants must complete a 144-hour training curriculum that includes firearms safety and proficiency, defensive tactics, active assailant scenario training, simulator exercises, and instruction on legal issues. Guardians must also pass psychological evaluations, drug testing, and ongoing firearm qualification requirements.
According to reporting from Florida Politics, participation in the program is optional for colleges and universities.
“It’s entirely optional,” said Sen. Don Gaetz, a Crestview Republican who sponsored the Senate version of the bill. “And so if they want to join 53 school districts who have reported no problems and are very highly satisfied with the guardian program, they can. If they don’t want to, they don’t have to.”
The legislation also requires public colleges and universities to develop active assailant response plans, create family reunification plans for emergencies, and establish threat management teams designed to identify potential safety risks.
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Another provision creates a new felony offense for discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours or during sanctioned school activities, unless the discharge occurs for lawful defense or another lawful purpose.
Supporters of the bill say expanding the guardian program gives schools additional tools to protect students and staff from violent threats.
Programs like Florida’s guardian system reflect the broader principle that trained and responsible citizens can play a role in protecting innocent life. While law enforcement remains critical to public safety, policies that allow properly vetted individuals to carry firearms for defensive purposes recognize that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental civil right and an important component of personal and community protection.
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