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Bill requiring later school start times for Florida teens passes through legislature

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, teens are recommended to get between eight to nine hours of sleep every night.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill that would require middle and high schools in Florida to start at a later time in the morning advanced through the state's legislature on Thursday.

The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. John Paul Temple, R-Wildwood, is called HB 733 and will combat sleep deprivation among teens, the Palm Beach Post reports.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, teens are recommended to get between eight to nine hours of sleep every night.

"What is the best way to do that, to prepare them for a lifelong success?" Temple said in his closing remarks before the nearly unanimous vote for the bill in the House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee Thursday morning, according to the Palm Beach Post. "Adjusting that start time would definitely have a positive impact." 

AAP says it supports the bill because teens' brains do not begin to calm down until about 11 p.m. 

About half of Florida's high schools start before 7:30 a.m., and Temple said that the later start times would improve every student's physical and mental health, the Palm Beach Post says. 

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, who was the only subcommittee member to not vote in favor of the bill, said the delayed start time can affect parents with multiple children in different grades, programs and schools, the newspaper reports.

"Transportation is a major issue that working families have to deal with," she said. "I'm not a millionaire like some of my colleagues say they are in committees and things like that, but it is something that is going to potentially hurt our parents if we're not able to get it right." 

If passed, the bill would reportedly not go into effect until July 1, 2026, to allow districts across the state to sort out transportation needs and let their local community know about the changes.

To read the entirety of the bill, click here. 

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