Florida lawmakers passed a bill expanding the armed guardian program to colleges — but none have yet

Florida's Legislature passed HB 757 this year, expanding the state's School Guardian Program to let university presidents appoint staff, including professors, to carry weapons on campus after 144 hours of training, drug tests, and psychological evaluations. A month into the school year, gun safety groups tracking the program say not a single Florida college or university has opted in, and only the University of South Florida responded to inquiries, saying it's still reviewing implementation. The law followed last year's shooting at Florida State University, where a gunman killed two people and wounded five.

A bill co-sponsor says the lack of uptake is itself reassuring, since schools can still activate the program later if needed, while gun safety advocates call the non-participation proof that campus leaders don't want more guns in classrooms. Meanwhile a Second Amendment group dismisses the whole law as a watered-down 'dog-and-pony show' that fell short of the campus carry rights it wanted.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.