March 6, 2026 marks a major milestone for the school counseling profession in Florida. We are thrilled to share that HB 753 / SB 1036 has now passed both the Florida House and Senate floors unanimously and is officially headed to the Governor’s desk for signature!

A special thank you to the bill sponsors, Representative Christine Hunschofsky and Senator Alexis Calatayud, for their leadership in championing this important legislation and supporting Florida’s students and school counselors.

This legislation removes unnecessary certification exam barriers for future school counselors and aligns school counselor evaluations with the Florida School Counseling Standards, ensuring counselors are evaluated based on the work they are trained and certified to do—bringing greater clarity, consistency, and strength to the role of school counselors across Florida schools.

We are also deeply grateful to Representative Fiona McFarland for her partnership and collaboration over the past four years in helping to advance this work.

When school counselors are empowered to practice within a clearly defined role, students benefit through stronger academic support, improved access to mental health services, and increased college and career readiness.

A special thank you to the FSCA Advocacy & Government Relations Committee, led by Dr. Carmen Larson and Belinda Dees, for their leadership and tireless advocacy in advancing this legislation. And to the many counselors across the state who called, emailed, and advocated—your voices helped make this historic moment possible.

Next stop: the Governor’s desk for signature.