Overview
- Gov. Ron DeSantis signed both bills Friday, May 22, 2026, at Jean Ribault High School in Jacksonville, and the measures take effect July 1, 2026.
- SB 178, nicknamed the Teddy Bridgewater Act, lets a team’s head coach spend up to $15,000 per year of personal funds on food, transportation and recovery services with parental consent and required reporting to the Florida High School Athletic Association.
- SB 538 permits school districts to accept voluntary booster-club donations to supplement coach stipends and allows districts to reclassify coaches as administrative personnel for pay negotiation with compensation capped at the district’s highest-paid administrator.
- Lawmakers passed both bills with broad bipartisan support but implementing them will require FHSAA bylaw changes and district policies to track spending, confirm parental consent, prevent recruiting abuses, and monitor booster activity.
- Supporters say the laws aim to retain coaches and help students in high-poverty areas while critics warn the rules create enforcement gaps that could let boosters or coaches circumvent the $15,000 cap or blur the line between aid and recruiting.