Proposed Constitutional Amendment on Religious Expression in Public…

Where This Stands

Currently Died in Rules. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Procedural history

22 actions

Feb 10, 2026SenateEnrolled
Received
Feb 9, 2026SenateCommittee
Referred to Rules
Feb 4, 2026Senate
In Messages
Feb 4, 2026HouseFloor
Passed; YEAS 93, NAYS 17
Feb 4, 2026HouseFloor
Read 3rd time
Feb 4, 2026House
Added to Third Reading Calendar

Show 16 earlier actions

Feb 4, 2026HouseFloor
Read 2nd time
Jan 29, 2026House
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/4/2026)
Jan 22, 2026House
Added to Second Reading Calendar
Jan 22, 2026House
Bill released to House Calendar
Jan 22, 2026House
Reported out of Education & Employment Committee
Jan 22, 2026HouseCommittee
Favorable by Education & Employment Committee
Jan 20, 2026House
Added to Education & Employment Committee agenda
Jan 14, 2026House
Now in Education & Employment Committee
Jan 14, 2026House
Reported out of Education Administration Subcommittee
Jan 14, 2026HouseCommittee
Favorable by Education Administration Subcommittee
Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
Jan 12, 2026House
Added to Education Administration Subcommittee agenda
Dec 12, 2025House
Now in Education Administration Subcommittee
Dec 12, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Education & Employment Committee
Dec 12, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Education Administration Subcommittee
Dec 2, 2025HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If passed by voters, this amendment would have established a constitutional right for students and staff to engage in religious activities on school grounds, potentially changing how school districts manage religious expression and classroom schedules.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Public school students

Students would have gained explicit constitutional protections for religious expression in coursework, attire, and school activities.

Public school personnel

School staff would have been permitted to participate in student-initiated religious activities under specific conditions.

School districts

Districts would have been prohibited from discriminating based on religious viewpoint and required to implement a daily moment of silence.

What changed

Last recorded activity December 2, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Background

HJR 583 was a legislative attempt to codify religious expression rights in public schools directly into the Florida Constitution. context

Summary

This resolution proposed a state constitutional amendment to prohibit public schools from discriminating against students or staff based on their religious viewpoints or expressions. It would have explicitly protected religious speech in coursework, attire, prayer, and school-sanctioned events, while mandating a daily moment of silence in classrooms.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Would this bill have allowed teachers to lead prayer?

The bill allowed school personnel to participate in student-initiated religious activities, provided they are voluntary and do not conflict with their professional responsibilities.

What would the 'moment of silence' requirement involve?

Teachers in first-period classrooms would be required to set aside one to two minutes daily for a moment of silence, during which students may not interfere with others' participation.

Did this bill become law?

No, the bill died in the Rules Committee on March 13, 2026.

Why It Matters

If passed by voters, this amendment would have established a constitutional right for students and staff to engage in religious activities on school grounds, potentially changing how school districts manage religious expression and classroom schedules.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededhouse2/4/2026Official roll call ↗

Passage, Third Reading

Total

203

Yes

164

No

27

Present

0

Not Voting

12

Abstain

0

How they voted (203)

+ 179 more

Full roll-call analysis →

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Constitutionalization of School Policy

The bill attempted to move specific school-level operational policies, such as moments of silence and championship game remarks, into the state constitution.

Florida Legislature

Connected Entities

dollar_amount17“Vote count against passage”Map →

otherHouse Calendar“Calendar for bills awaiting consideration”Map →

organizationEducation & Employment Committee“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →

dollar_amount93“Vote count for passage”Map →

organizationEducation Administration Subcommittee“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →

organizationRules Committee“Committee determining the order of bills for consideration”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy80
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

Proposed Constitutional Amendment on Religious Expression in Public Schools