FSBA LEGISLATIVE SESSION REVIEW WORKSHOPS
After the end of the 2014 Legislative Session adjourns, FSBA will conduct our usual series of Legislative Session Review Workshops at various locations around the state. These Workshops provide a comprehensive analysis of education appropriations and details of the education related bills that were approved during the 2014 Legislative Session. These workshops are offered free of charge and are open to school board members, superintendents, district staff, and other interested individuals. For more information about the dates, locations, and registration for these workshops, please visit the FSBA website at www.fsba.org and click on the “Online Registration” button or use this direct link: https://fsba.org/fsba-2014-
TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the House Government Operations Appropriations Committee:
HB 7001 – Administrative Procedures by Rulemaking, Oversight & Repeal – PASSED WITH A CS
Revises deadline to propose rules implementing new laws; revises requirements for periodic review of agency rules; requires agencies to annually review rulemaking & prepare & publish regulatory plans; requires publication by specified dates of notices of rule development & proposed rules necessary to implement new laws; provides for suspension of agency’s rulemaking authority for failure to comply with specified provisions; repeals provisions relating to legislative review of agency rules in effect on or before specified date & Internet-based public survey of regulatory impacts; provides for recision of suspension of rulemaking authority under such repealed provisions.
In the Senate Judiciary Committee:
SB 612 – Preference in the Award of State Contracts by Hays – PASSED WITH A CS
Preempting and superseding a local ordinance or regulation that gives preference for an award to a certified contractor under certain circumstances; requiring a university, college, county, municipality, school district, or other political subdivision to make specified disclosures in competitive solicitation documents; requiring agencies to provide the Department of Management Services with copies of vendor complaints and names of suspended and terminated vendors, etc.
SB 1060 – Code of Student Conduct by Evers – PASSED
Providing that simulating a firearm or weapon while playing or wearing certain clothing or accessories is not grounds for disciplinary action or referral to the criminal justice or juvenile justice system; providing actions that constitute simulating a firearm or weapon while playing; providing criteria for determining whether certain student conduct warrants disciplinary action, etc.
In the Senate Community Affairs Committee:
SB 1198 – Florida Retirement System by Montford – PASSED WITH A CS
Revising criteria for employment eligible for purchase of retirement credit, etc.
SB 396 – Joint Use of Public School Facilities by Bean – PASSED WITH A CS
Authorizing district school boards to enter into joint-use agreements with a local government or a private organization or adopt public access policies; authorizing a district school board to enter into agreements with a county, municipality, or Florida College System institution to develop and operate joint community projects; requiring certain provisions to be included in joint-use agreements for joint community projects, including indemnification of district school boards and liability insurance, etc.
In the Senate Health Policy Committee:
SB 1580 – Workers’ Compensation Cost Task Force by Hays – PASSED WITH A CS
Creating the Workers’ Compensation Cost Task Force; providing for membership; providing duties; requiring the task force to submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by a specified date; providing an expiration date, etc.
COMING UP TOMORROW
The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee will meet – 9:00-11:00 am; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following items:
SB 212 – Financial Literacy Education by Hukill
Revising the required credits for high school graduation and a standard high school diploma to include one-half credit for instruction in personal financial literacy and seven and one-half, rather than eight, credits in electives, etc.
SB 420 – Fine Arts Courses by Detert
Requiring the Commissioner of Education to prepare an annual report relating to student access to and participation in fine arts courses and information on educators, facilities, and instruction in such courses, etc.
SB 598 – Juvenile Justice Education Programs by Bean
Revising requirements for the multiagency education plan for students in juvenile justice education programs, including virtual education as an option; authorizing instructional personnel at all juvenile justice facilities to access specific student records at the district; providing expectations for effective education programs for students in Department of Juvenile Justice programs; requiring the Department of Education to ensure that juvenile justice students who are eligible have access to high school equivalency testing and assist juvenile justice education programs with becoming high school equivalency testing centers, etc.
SB 908 – Education Funding / AVID by Montford
Providing for the calculation of additional full-time equivalent student membership based on enrollment in Advancement Via Individual Determination elective classes and examination scores; providing for the use of funds, etc.
SB 1292 – Postsecondary Education by Legg
Revises governance and functionality of online public postsecondary student support services related to libraries, online courses, and online student advising systems.
SB 1394 – Standard Diploma / Merit Designation by Legg
Revising the requirements to earn a Merit designation on a standard high school diploma, etc.
SB 1400 – Postsecondary Student Tuition by Latvala
Revising the standard tuition and out-of-state fees for workforce education postsecondary programs leading to certain certificates and diplomas and certain other programs at Florida College System institutions; deleting a requirement that the Office of Economic and Demographic Research annually report the rate of inflation to the Governor, the Legislature, and the State Board of Education; requiring a state university, a Florida College System institution, a career center operated by a school district, or a charter technical career center to waive undergraduate tuition for a recipient of a Purple Heart or another combat decoration superior in precedence under certain conditions, etc.
SB 1528 – Charter Schools by Bradley
Authorizing contract disputes to be referred to the Division of Administrative Hearings for summary final order; requiring a charter school to request that withdrawing students or parents of withdrawing students complete a survey; requiring a charter school to annually report information concerning why students leave the charter school to its sponsor and the Department of Education, etc. [NOTE: FSBA supports the current Senate version of this bill and is opposed to the current House version — HB 7083 – however, some of the amendments that have been filed to SB 1528 would, if passed, reinsert provisions that FSBA opposes.]
The House will be in Session – 11:00 am-5:00 pm; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following items and others on 2nd Reading:
HB 7167 – School Choice by Education Appropriations
Revises & creates provisions relating to educational choice. [NOTE: This is the recently filed House bill that combines the provisions of HB 5103 relating to vouchers for students with disabilities with most of the provisions of HB 7099 relating to the Tax Credit Scholarship Program. FSBA is opposed to this bill.]
HB 195 – Education Data Privacy by Raburn
Revises provisions relating to remedy in circuit court with respect to education records & reports of K-12 students & parents; provides for annual notice of student & parent rights; prohibits collection of certain information & limits disclosure of confidential & exempt student records; revises provisions relating to submission of student social security numbers & assignment of student identification numbers. [NOTE: This is the House companion to SB 188 below. SB 188 has passed the Senate and is now being considered by the House.]
SB 188 – Education Data Privacy by Hukill
Providing for annual notice to K-12 students and parents of rights relating to education records; providing limitations on the collection of information and the disclosure of confidential and exempt student records; revising provisions relating to the submission of student social security numbers and the assignment of student identification numbers; requiring the Department of Education to establish a process for assigning student identification numbers, etc. [NOTE: This is the Senate version of HB 195 above.]
HB 377 – Educational Facilities Financing by Moraitis
Revises provisions relating to financing of independent nonprofit higher educational facilities to include financing for private schools meeting certain criteria; revises provisions to conform.
HB 23 – Food Distributed Free of Charge by Rogers
Limits liability of public schools with respect to donation of canned or perishable food to charitable or nonprofit organizations.
HB 85 – Literacy Jump Start Pilot Project by L. Lee
Requires Office of Early Learning (OEL) to establish pilot project in St. Lucie County to assist low-income, at-risk children in developing emergent literacy skills; requires OEL to select organization to implement pilot project; provides eligibility requirements for participation; requires background screening for personnel & emergent literacy training for instructors; requires OEL to allocate funds for pilot project.
The Senate Rules Committee will meet – 4:00-6:00 pm; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following items and others:
SB 1318 – Public Records / Public-Private Partnerships by Evers
Creating an exemption from public records requirements for unsolicited proposals for a qualifying public-private project received by a responsible public entity for a specified period; creating an exemption from public meetings requirements for portions of meetings at which confidential and exempt information is discussed; requiring a recording to be made of a closed portion of a meeting; providing for future repeal and legislative review of the exemptions; providing statements of public necessity, etc.
SB 566 – Florida Bright Futures Scholarships by T. Lee
Requiring a student, as a prerequisite for the Florida Academic Scholars award, the Florida Medallion Scholars award, or the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, to identify a social or civic issue or a professional area of interest and develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about the area; prohibiting the student from receiving remuneration or academic credit for the volunteer service work performed, etc.
SB 602 – Residency/Candidates/Public Officers by Latvala
Requiring a candidate or public officer required to reside in a specific geographic area to have only one domicile at a time; providing factors that may be considered when determining residency; providing exceptions for active duty military members, etc.
SB 1226 – Education / Repealer by Montford
Requiring the Auditor General to notify the Legislative Auditing Committee if a district school board fails to take corrective action subsequent to an audit; revising the definition of the term “Next Generation Sunshine State Standards”; revising Department of Education duties relating to the public broadcasting program system; revising course and assessment requirements for the award of a standard high school diploma; revising the effective date of the Adults with Disabilities Workforce Education Pilot Program, etc.
IN THE NEWS
WCTV – 4/7/14
New Report: Florida’s Voucher and Scholarship Programs Largest in the Nation
http://www.wctv.tv/news/
WFSU – 4/7/14
Can Fla. Lawmakers Reach Pension Reform Compromise Before Session Ends?
http://news.wfsu.org/post/can-
The Salt Lake Tribune – 4/7/14
Utah’s Common Core test is making the state money
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/
