FLORIDA — If a new bill filed in Tallahassee is passed, lawmakers say all Florida students would be eligible to receive private school vouchers.

Some lawmakers are calling HB 1, named “School Choice,” the start of a new era of Florida education.

The measure would make all students in Florida eligible for private school vouchers, regardless of income or whether they are in public school or are being homeschooled.

“This is about educational freedom," Republican House Speaker Paul Renner told Spectrum News. "Its not telling you how you’re gonna raise your children, how you’re gonna educate your children. It’s about making sure that public education means empowering every child, every child, to customize an education that best suits their needs," 

Calling the plan a liberation, House Republicans said “choice navigators” would be assigned to parents to help them find the right school for their child.

The measure is a top priority for Renner.

“Many people will stay right where they are because they’re happy," he said. "But this is really about making sure that there’s increased competition and we’re always striving to do better.

"And I like the word ‘thrive’ in the school, because we want our kids to thrive and if they’re not thriving in a particular school, that may be going from one traditional public school to another, right?”

Democrats, however, question how the legislation would affect the public school system.

“The way these vouchers are designed, the schools get to pick winners and losers out of our kids," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said. "Kids with disabilities, disadvantaged communities, LGTBQ+, different religions and backgrounds — plainly said, this sets our state backwards,” 

Florida is the second state to consider allowing every student access to private school vouchers, following Arizona, which implemented legislation last summer. 

Renner said an analysis of the plan's potential cost to taxpayers is on the way.