Today’s agenda includes consideration of several bills of interest including bills relating to health and mental health, curriculum, early learning, hurricane recovery, school choice, and government accountability. Today’s schedule is posted below and will be updated to show the outcome as soon as possible (please forgive any delays in our reporting this week while we are engaged in the Annual FSBA Day in the Legislature).
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Please note that all of the meetings listed below may be viewed in real time via live webcast on the Florida Channel or may be viewed later in the Florida Channel Video Library. Also note that clicking on the Committee/Subcommittee names linked below provides access to membership, meeting packets, and other committee information; clicking on the bill numbers linked below provides access the bill summary, analysis, related bills, and other information
In the House Education Committee:
HB 225 – Education/Military Uniform by Beltran – PASSED
The bill allows a student to wear the uniform of a branch of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard at the student’s high school graduation ceremony if the student has completed basic training and is an active member of the service.
HB 7061 – Teacher Preparation by PKQ – PASSED
The bill addresses teacher preparation and retention by increasing the opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and examination preparation to equip first-time teachers with tools and supports when they enter the classroom. The bill establishes consistent requirements for curriculum and field experience provided by teacher preparation programs.
With regard to teacher certification, the bill:
- Extends the timeframe by which a candidate may satisfy the General Knowledge Test (GKT) from one to three years, aligning the timeframe with the number of years in which a teacher-candidate may be employed pursuant to a temporary certificate.
- Increases access to GKT preparation materials and establishes a baseline for materials available to teacher-candidates.
- Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to establish separate fees for each subtest of the GKT.
With regard to teacher preparation, the bill:
- Revises requirements for teacher preparation program uniform core curricula.
- Revises program requirements to include content aligned to state standards for both school district-operated teacher preparation programs and Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) programs, Requires programs to administer participant satisfaction surveys and report survey results.
- Requires practicum experience to include classroom management in a variety of teaching environments and for diverse student populations for all teacher preparation programs.
With regard to teacher professional development, the bill:
- Increases the school district-operated mentorship program from one to two years and provides an exemption from passing the GKT for those teacher-candidates who successfully complete a two-year mentorship program.
- Increases the opportunities for mentorship and professional development and standardizes professional development content.
- Requires the Department of Education (DOE) to publish results of a biennial survey on teaching conditions and student learning at the school, district and state levels.
In the Senate Session:
SB 2500 – Appropriations – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3RD TIME, PASSED THE SENATE; IN MESSAGES TO THE HOUSE
The bill provides moneys for the annual period beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2020, and supplemental appropriations for the period ending June 30, 2019. The Senate approved 3 amendments but none that impacted the K-12 funding sections of the budget. Please see our updated Side-by-Side Comparison of the education related portions for more details.
SB 2502 – Implementing the 2019-20 General Appropriations Act – TEMPORARILY POSTPONED ON 2ND READING (No action taken)
The bill provides the statutory authority necessary to implement and execute the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2019-2020. The statutory changes are effective for only one year and either expire on July 1, 2020 or revert to the language as it existed before the changes made by the bill. To implement provisions relating to PreK-12 education, the bill:
- Incorporates the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) work papers by reference for the purpose of displaying the calculations used by the Legislature.
- Provides that funds provided for instructional materials shall be released and expended as required in the proviso language attached to Specific Appropriation 93.
- Amends s. 1001.292, F.S., to remove the provision allowing undisbursed funds for Schools of Hope to be carried forward for up to 5 years. Any undisbursed funds would be reverted at the end of the fiscal year. Funding for each year would be provided annually in the appropriations act.
- Amends s. 1002.333, F.S., to remove the traditional public school component from the Schools of Hope legislation, including the $2,000 per FTE funding, and the provision allowing undisbursed funds to be carried forward for up to 5 years. Any undisbursed funds would be reverted at the end of the fiscal year. Funding for each year would be provided annually in the appropriations act.
- Amends s. 1003.64, F.S., to create the Community School Grant Program to support the planning and implementation of community school programs. In prior years, the initiative was funded as a legislative project.
- Amends s. 1008.33, F.S., to add that a district-managed turnaround plan may include extended day or a summer program.
- Amends s. 1011.62, F.S., to include the new Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation in the Virtual Education Contribution; removes the proration requirement for the Federally Connected Student Supplement so that the school districts can be fully funded for the supplement; modifies the formula for the Safe Schools Allocation funds to align more closely with school security needs; maintains the funding compression allocation within the FEFP to provide additional funding for school districts whose total funds per FTE in the prior year were less than the statewide average; adds The Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation within the FEFP (see also sections 17 and 18 of the bill); and adds the Turnaround School Supplemental Services Allocation within the FEFP.
- The Turnaround School Supplemental Services Allocation provides schools with $500 per-FTE, or as otherwise provided in the GAA, to offer services designed to improve the overall academic and community welfare of the school’s students and families. Schools implementing a turnaround option may receive funding from the allocation for a maximum of four continuous fiscal years. A school that exits turnaround with a grade of “C” or higher will remain eligible to receive the allocation for a maximum of two continuous fiscal years after exiting turnaround status.
- Amends s. 1011.80, F.S., to remove the $15 million annual performance funding appropriation limit for industry certifications for school district workforce education programs. As a result, school districts may be fully funded for earned certifications, subject to legislative appropriation
- Amends s. 1012.731, F.S., to revise the criteria for a teacher to qualify for an award under The Florida Best and Brightest Teacher program. New teachers who are content experts in mathematics, science, computer science, reading, or civics can receive a one-time recruitment award. Teachers rated as highly effective or effective can receive a retention award if they teach in a school demonstrating improvement. Highly effective teachers can also receive a recognition award if the teacher is selected by his or her principal based on performance criteria adopted by the district school board.
- Amends s. 1012.732, F.S., to revise the criteria for a principal to qualify for an award under The Florida Best and Brightest Principal program. Principals who are employed in schools that demonstrate improvement are eligible to receive an award.
- Amends s. 1013.62, F.S., to revise language relating to charter school capital outlay funding. Specifically, the revision provides that charter school capital outlay funding for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 will consist of state funds appropriated by the Legislature in the GAA (at a level of funding identified in the GAA). This change also removes the requirement that districts must share local millage revenues for Fiscal Year 2019-2020.
- Specifies that no section of the bill shall take effect if the appropriations and proviso to which it relates are vetoed.
- Provides that a permanent change made by another law to any of the same statutes amended by this bill will take precedence over the provision in this bill.
SB 7016 – State-administered Retirement Systems – READ 2ND TIME; READ 3RD TIME, PASSED THE SENATE; IN MESSAGES TO THE HOUSE
The bill establishes the contribution rates paid by employers participating in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) beginning July 1, 2019. These rates are intended to fund the full normal cost and the amortization of the unfunded actuarial liability of the FRS. With these modifications to employer contribution rates, the FRS Trust Fund will receive roughly $123.3 million more in revenue on an annual basis beginning July 1, 2019. The public employers that will incur these additional costs are state agencies, state universities and colleges, school districts, counties, municipalities, and other governmental entities that participate in the FRS. The cost of the adjusted contribution rates for school districts is projected to be about $35 million statewide.
SB 144 – Impact Fees by Gruters – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 4/4/19
The bill prohibits local governments from requiring the payment of impact fees prior to issuing a property’s building permit. The bill also codifies the ‘dual rational nexus test’ for impact fees, as articulated in case law. This test requires an impact fee to have a reasonable connection, or rational nexus, between the proposed new development and the need and the impact of additional capital facilities, and the expenditure of funds and the benefits accruing to the proposed new development. Additionally, the bill requires any impact fee ordinance earmark impact fee funds for capital facilities that benefit new residents and prohibits the use of impact fee revenues to pay existing debt unless specific conditions are met.
In the House Session:
HB 7075 — School Choice, HB 5101 – Education Funding (Conforming Bill), HB 7093 – School Safety by Education, and HB 5003 – Implementing the 2019-20 General Appropriations Act were all temporarily postponed and no final action was taken.
HB 5001 – General Appropriations Act – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 4/4/19
The bill provides moneys for the annual period beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2020, and supplemental appropriations for the period ending June 30, 2019. The Senate approved 3 amendments but none that impacted the K-12 funding sections of the budget. Please see our updated Side-by-Side Comparison of the education related portions for more details
HB 5007 – State-Administered Retirement Systems — READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 4/4/19
The bill establishes the contribution rates paid by employers participating in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) beginning July 1, 2019. These rates are intended to fund the full normal cost and the amortization of the unfunded actuarial liability of the FRS. With these modifications to employer contribution rates, the FRS Trust Fund will receive roughly $123.3 million more in revenue on an annual basis beginning July 1, 2019. The public employers that will incur these additional costs are state agencies, state universities and colleges, school districts, counties, municipalities, and other governmental entities that participate in the FRS. The cost of the adjusted contribution rates for school districts is projected to be about $35 million statewide.
In the Senate Rules Committee:
SB 114 – High School Graduation/Financial Literacy Act by Hutson – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
The bill revises financial literacy instructional requirements for students entering grade 9 in the 2019-2020 school year and thereafter. As amended, the bill:
- Modifies the requirements for a student to earn a standard high school diploma under the 24-credit pathway by:
- Increasing the required credits for social studies from 3 to 3.5 to include a separate 0.5 credit in financial literacy, distinct from economics, and specifying related requirements and exceptions from such requirements.
- Reducing the number of required elective credits from 8 to 7.5.
- Modifies the 18-credit Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) options for earning a standard high school diploma to conform to the modifications made to the social studies and electives credit requirements under the 24-credit pathway.
- Revises the social studies standards to reflect separate curricular content for financial literacy, distinct from economics; and eliminates the existing financial literacy standards that are specified in law.
- Expands the Credit Acceleration Program to create a mechanism for students to earn the 0.5 credit in financial literacy through the passage of an appropriate financial literacy assessment that is identified in State Board of Education rule, without enrolling in or completing the corresponding financial literacy course.
SB 292 – Education/Military Uniforms by Lee – PASSED
The bill protects the ability of a public school student to wear a military uniform to his or her graduation ceremony. Specifically, the bill prohibits a district school board from barring a student from lawfully wearing to his or her graduation ceremony a uniform of any of the Armed Forces of the state or of the United States.
SB 318 – Child Abuse, Abandonment, and Neglect by Montford – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A CS
The bill expands the public records exemption that protects the name of a reporter of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to also include other identifying information. Such information would be confidential and exempt, and would only be released to specified persons, officials, and agencies specified in law.
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