A bill that would allow certain employees at Florida’s public colleges and universities to carry firearms on campus is now awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature, after both chambers of the Legislature approved it last month. The measure has drawn pushback from faculty, students, and school safety researchers.

House Bill 757 would take a school safety program created for K-12 campuses after the 2018 Parkland shooting and expand it to public colleges and universities. If a school opts in, certain employees could be designated as armed “guardians” after completing firearms and de-escalation training and passing psychological and drug screenings, with annual requalification. University presidents would choose which employees serve as guardians, and county sheriffs would handle their training and certification. Guardians would not have general police powers; their role would be limited to responding to an active attacker on campus.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Michelle Salzman, a Pensacola Republican, framed the proposal as a response to the 2025 shooting at Florida State University, which left two people dead and six injured, arguing that the incident exposed gaps in protection at post-secondary institutions.

Critics, however, say the bill raises serious practical concerns. Emily Stewart, an assistant professor of geology at FSU who witnessed the aftermath of last year’s shooting, said her primary concern is that armed faculty and staff on campus could create more confusion in the event of another shooting — not less.

Chris Curran, a University of Florida professor of educational leadership and policy, said a problem that already exists in K-12 settings — where officers may encounter someone in plain clothes with a gun and have no immediate way to know whether that person is a designated guardian or the shooter — could be even greater on a college campus, which is larger, more open and less controlled than a K-12 school.

Jen Kent, a UF clinical assistant professor whose dissertation focused on Florida’s guardian program, said key implementation questions remain unresolved, including how many guardians a campus could have, what weapons they would carry and where those weapons would be stored. She also said there is limited research showing that arming school personnel deters mass shootings.

Student activists also raised concerns. Isaiah Sloan, a UF student and gun safety activist, said adding more armed non-law-enforcement personnel on campus could make the chaotic first moments of a shooting harder for both students and responding officers to navigate. JJ Glueck, president of Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society, said the bill raises concerns about overpolicing and could intensify fears among Black, brown, and international students.

If HB 757 becomes law, individual public colleges and universities would decide whether to opt in. Gov. DeSantis will ultimately determine whether the program reaches college campuses.

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