House advances hurricane proposals on nursing homes, evacuations

Requiring nursing homes to have adequate backup power, blocking storm-damaged properties from being rebuilt in “high-risk” areas and looking into changes in highway traffic flow during evacuations are among hurricane proposals that moved forward Tuesday in a Florida House select committee. Read More

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 16, 2018

Several bills of interest will be considered today, including bills relating to local tax referenda, out-of-school suspension, computer coding, and retirement. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these, and other, bills.  Tomorrow, legislators will take up bills on several key issues including public meetings…

Proposal to end school board pay heads back to Florida Constitution Revision Commission

A controversial proposal to end school board members’ pay in Florida returns to the Constitution Revision Commission’s Education Committee on Friday, so far with no amendments proposed. The recommendation, which comes from Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds, appeared to have died in the committee’s Nov,. 27 meeting. A majority of the panel voted…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 15, 2018

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there were no legislative meetings today.  Tomorrow, several bills of interest will be considered, including bills relating to local tax referenda, juvenile justice, out-of-school suspension, computer coding, and retirement.  In addition, the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness will be considering their final report and recommendations.  Please…

Judge rejects PBC school board request to halt payments to charters

A judge on Friday rejected the Palm Beach County School Board’s request to temporarily block a new state law requiring the school board to give an extra $9 million to the county’s charter schools by Feb. 1.  At a court hearing in Tallahassee, Leon County Circuit Judge James Shelfer denied the school board’s request, meaning…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 12, 2017

As we close out the first week of the 2018 Legislative Session, it was a fairly quiet day at the Capitol today.  The House was in session to consider several bills on 3rd Reading and a few proposals of interest were considered by Constitution Revision Commission Committees.  Please click on the links below for our report…

Florida lawmakers advance bills on textbooks, education funding, restraint and seclusion

A bill to give Florida school district residents even more say in the selection of textbooks and instructional materials easily passed its first House committee on Wednesday, with just one member opposed. Sponsor Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, cast HB 827 as essentially a clarifying measure to his 2017 legislation, which gave residents more opportunities…

Florida state board to take up ‘Schools of Hope’ rule next week

Next week, the Florida Board of Education is set to take up much-anticipated rules rolling out the welcome mat for prospective Schools of Hope.  The goal is to attract more proven national charter school organizations into disadvantaged neighborhoods with low-performing schools.  The draft rule would offer three ways for charter school organizations to qualify as “Hope…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 11, 2018

There were several bills of interest considered in committee meetings and on the chamber floors today. Among the issues addressed today were elections, public records and public meetings, workers’ compensation, local government ethics and accountability, post-secondary education, and fiscal literacy. Please click on the links below for our report on outcome of action on these…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 10, 2018

There were several bills of interest considered in committee meetings today. These bills address public records and meetings, the McKay Scholarship program, students with disabilities, the Florida Price Level Index, graduation requirements, instructional materials, and impact fees.  Please click on the links below for our report on outcome of action on these bills and to…