The Florida Senate recently approved House Bill 295, Comprehensive Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan. The bill will have a tremendous impact on our community for years to come both because of its impact on our environment and the vision of the students that presented it. Bill 295 was presented by Bloomingdale High School’s student government association (SGA) as part of the Ought To Be a Law program.
‘Ought To Be a Law’ is a student lead learning program sponsored by Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Florida Legislature that allows students to show community leadership by becoming active members of their local, state and national governments.
Ought To Be a Law is solidly impacting our community through the vision of our students and the laws that are created.
In the fall of 2024, seven schools participated. All seven bills were picked up by delegation members. Before that, legislative members met with students through Zoom and in person at schools, walking them through the process of presenting a bill.
Bloomingdale High School’s SGA sponsor, Rebecca Johnson, is proud of her students.
“All of the students came up with different ideas but after some discussion and research, they decided to move forward with Willa Brown’s recycling idea. It stood out as something practical and meaningful,” Johnson said.
Brown is a 2025 Bloomingdale graduate. She believes that even small changes can make a big impact on the environment.
Tony Pirotta, HCPS Ought To Be a Law project coordinator, is tremendously thankful for the program and the sponsors. Hillsborough Education Foundation (HEF) provides a grant to fund the program.
“I am so proud of the Bloomingdale SGA and what they have been able to accomplish. The amount of learning that took place with the ought to be a law activity the students participated in is immeasurable. They were able to learn by experiencing the process firsthand a better education than a textbook can ever provide. The students were able to identify a problem in our community and constructed, presented and advocated for a solution to the problem. That is preparing students for life in the best possible way,” Pirotta said.
For more information about the Ought To Be a Law program, visit https://otbal.jimdofree.com/. Check out Bill 295 at www.flsenate.gov/session/bill/2025/295.
