Florida Statutes
Subpart A - General Provisions
1004.26 - University student governments.

(1) A student government is created on the main campus of each state university. In addition, each university board of trustees may establish a student government on any branch campus or center. Each student government is a part of the university at which it is established.
(2) Each student government shall be organized and maintained by students and shall be composed of at least a student body president, a student legislative body, and a student judiciary. The student body president and the student legislative body shall be elected by the student body; however, interim vacancies and the student judiciary may be filled in a manner other than election as prescribed by the internal procedures of the student government.
(3) Each student government shall adopt internal procedures governing:
(a) The operation and administration of the student government.
(b) The execution of all other duties as prescribed to the student government by law.

(4)(a) The qualifications, elections, and returns, the appointments, and the suspension, removal, and discipline of officers of the student government shall be determined by the student government as prescribed by its internal procedures.
(b) Any elected or appointed officer of the student government may be removed from office by the majority vote of students participating in a referendum held under this paragraph. Each student government shall adopt internal procedures by which students may petition for a referendum to remove from office an elected or appointed officer of the student government. The grounds for removal of a student government officer by petition must be expressly contained in the petition and are limited to the following: malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, or conviction of a felony. The referendum must be held no later than 60 days after the filing of the petition.
(c) Each student government shall adopt internal procedures providing for the suspension and removal of an elected or appointed student government officer following the conviction of that officer of a felony.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each student government shall adopt internal procedures providing an elected or appointed officer of the student government who has been disciplined, suspended, or removed from office, the right to directly appeal such decision to the vice president of student affairs or other senior university administrator designated to hear such appeals. The internal procedures shall not condition the exercise of such right on the consideration or decision of any student panel, including, but not limited to, any student judiciary, or place any condition precedent on the exercise of such right granted by this paragraph.

(5) There shall be no cause of action against a state university for the actions or decisions of the student government of that state university unless the action or decision is made final by the state university and constitutes a violation of state or federal law.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2002-188; s. 43, ch. 2004-41; s. 2, ch. 2010-219; s. 4, ch. 2021-159.