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Florida GOP Lawmakers File Bills Requiring Washington and Lincoln Portraits in Classrooms

The plan routes image selection to the state education department ahead of consideration in the 2026 session.

Overview

  • The companion bills, SB 420 and HB 371, were filed Nov. 6 and await committee action when the Legislature convenes Jan. 13, 2026.
  • All K–5 classrooms would display the portraits in a conspicuous place, with grades 6–12 limited to rooms primarily used for social studies.
  • The Florida Department of Education would select the official depictions and distribute them to school districts.
  • If enacted, the requirement would take effect July 1, 2026, with sponsors casting it as a return to a classroom tradition tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
  • Coverage notes ties to existing “In God We Trust” display rules, the governor’s founding‑era statue initiative, and a recent appellate ruling in Louisiana rejecting a Ten Commandments classroom mandate.