TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the House Local Government Affairs Subcommittee:
HB 63 – Public-Private Partnerships by Steube — PASSED
Deletes Public-Private Partnership Guidelines Task Force; revises provisions regarding responsible public entities & unsolicited proposals submitted for qualified projects; revises provisions regarding comprehensive agreements entered into between responsible public entities & private entities; deletes provisions relating to notice to affected local jurisdictions; revises provisions regarding responsible public entity compliance with specific financial obligations; provides duties of DMS.
HB 65 – Public Records / Public-Private Partnerships by Steube — PASSED
Provides exemption from public records requirements & public meetings requirements for unsolicited proposals held by responsible public entity for specified period; provides definition; requires that recording be made of closed meeting; provides exemption from public records requirements for records generated during closed meeting for specified period; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemptions; provides statement of public necessity; provides for contingent effect.
HB 1283 – Inspectors General by Rader – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Requires Chief Inspector General to publish final investigative reports on EOG’s website; requires agency inspector general to publish final investigative reports on agency’s website; requires unit of local government to publish final investigative reports on its website; specifies when investigation becomes final.
In the House Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee:
HEWS1 – Postsecondary Access & Affordability by Higher Education – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL – HB 7125
Revises provisions relating to apprenticeships, postsecondary tuition and fees, tuition differentials, career education, textbooks and instructional materials, and Higher Education Coordinating Council; creates Florida Apprenticeship Grant Program and Rapid Response Education and Training Program; provides requirements for programs.
HEWS3 – Higher Education by Higher Education — SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL – HB 7127
Revises provisions relating to apprenticeships, baccalaureate degree programs, career centers and charter technical career centers, applied technology diplomas, common placement test, & adult & workforce education programs.
HB 1153 – Vocational Rehabilitation by Ingoglia – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Establishes specific, measureable performance goals for the employment of persons who have disabilities as part of the state plan to implement the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
In the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee:
HB 151 – Sexual Cyber-Harassment by Goodson — PASSED
Prohibits person from willfully & maliciously sexually cyberharassing another person; authorizes law enforcement officer to arrest, without warrant, person that he or she has probable cause to believe has committed sexual cyberharassment; authorizes search warrant to be issued in specified instances; provides civil remedies; provides exceptions; authorizes law enforcement officer to arrest, without warrant, person that he or she has probable cause to believe has committed sexual cyberharassment; provides exception to prohibition on search warrants being issued to search private dwellings.
HB 845 – Sexting by DuBose — PASSED
Removes court’s discretion to impose specified penalty for first violation of sexting; requires minor cited for first violation to sign & accept citation to appear or, in lieu of appearing, to complete other sanctions; requires citation to include certain information; authorizes court to order certain penalties; requires specified percentage of civil penalties be remitted to county commission for cyber-safety training for minors.
In the Senate Appropriations Committee:
SB 2500 – 2015-2016 Appropriations by Appropriations – AMENDED AND SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Providing moneys for the annual period beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, to pay salaries, and other expenses, capital outlay-buildings, and other improvements, and for other specified purposes of the various agencies of state government, etc.
SB 2502 – 2015-2016 Appropriations Implementing Bill by Appropriations — SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Incorporating by reference certain calculations of the Florida Education Finance Program; providing that funds for instructional materials must be released and expended as required in specified proviso language, notwithstanding other provisions of law; revising the basis for allocating fixed capital outlay funds for existing satisfactory facilities, etc.
SB 7038 – FRS / Employer Contributions by Governmental Oversight — PASSED
Revising the employer contribution rates for the retiree health insurance subsidy; revising the required employer retirement contribution rates for members of each membership class and subclass of the Florida Retirement System, etc.
SB 2508 – Education by Appropriations – AMENDED AND SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Requiring a state research university to enter into and maintain a formal agreement with a specified organization to offer college-sponsored merit scholarship awards as a condition of designation as a preeminent state research university; revising the term “full-time student” for the purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program; requiring supplemental academic instruction categorical funds and research-based reading instruction allocation funds to be used by a school district with at least one of certain lowest-performing elementary schools for additional intensive reading instruction at such school during the summer program in addition to the school year, etc.
SB 602 – Students With Disabilities by Gaetz – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revising scholarship application deadlines and guidelines; requiring authorized program funds to support the student’s educational needs; providing future repeal of provisions pertaining to an implementation schedule of notification and eligibility timelines; authorizing a prepaid college plan to be purchased, accounted for, used, and terminated under certain circumstances, etc.
SB 616 – Education Accountability by Legg – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revising requirements for the administration of local assessments; revising the percentage thresholds for performance evaluation criteria for instructional personnel and school administrators; authorizing a school district to request approval from the state board to use student performance results on new statewide assessments for diagnostic and baseline purposes, etc. [NOTE: The Committee spent a good deal of time discussing amendments proposed by Senator Hays that addressed issues relating to test validity, the use of assessment results, the retention of students, infrastructure for test administration, and related concerns. Although these amendments were withdrawn, it was evident that several senators shared some or all of the concerns highlighted by these amendments and it is expected that some of these issues may be revisited when the bill is considered on the Senate floor.]
SB 642 – Individuals with Disabilities / Florida ABLE Program by Benacquisto — PASSED
Creating the “Florida Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act”; requiring the Florida Prepaid College Board to establish a direct-support organization known as “Florida ABLE, Inc.”; authorizing the organization to use certain services, property, and facilities of the Florida Prepaid College Board; providing that specified moneys, assets, and income of a qualified ABLE program, including the Florida ABLE program, are not subject to attachment, levy, garnishment, or certain legal process in favor of certain creditors or claimants, etc.
SB 644 – Trust Fund / Florida ABLE Program by Benacquisto – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Creating the Florida ABLE Trust Fund within the State Board of Administration; authorizing sources of funds; specifying the purpose of the trust fund and authorized uses of the assets; providing for future review and termination or re-creation of the trust fund, etc.
SB 646 – Public Records / Florida ABLE Program by Benacquisto – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Providing an exemption from public records requirements for certain personal financial and health information held by the Florida Prepaid College Board, Florida ABLE, Inc., the Florida ABLE program, or an agent or service provider thereof; authorizing the release of such information under specified circumstances; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.
SB 778 – Local Government Construction Preferences by Hays — PASSED
Prohibiting local ordinances and regulations from restricting competition for the award of a contract for construction services based upon certain conditions; requiring a state college, county, municipality, school district, or other political subdivision of the state to make specified disclosures in competitive solicitation documents, etc.
SB 802 – Vocational Rehabilitation by D. Gaetz – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Providing for the future repeal of the designation of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as the administrative unit for purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, subject to legislative review of a required report; requiring the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to initiate, by a specified date, a performance improvement plan designed to achieve specified goals; requiring the division to develop and implement a pilot program to improve the state vocational rehabilitation program, etc.
In the House Appropriations Committee:
APC 1 – 2015-2016 Appropriations by Appropriations – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Providing moneys for the annual period beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, to pay salaries, and other expenses, capital outlay-buildings, and other improvements, and for other specified purposes of the various agencies of state government, etc.
APC 2 – 2015-2016 Appropriations Implementing Bill by Appropriations – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Provides the statutory authority necessary to implement and execute the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015-2016.
APC 3 – Employer Contributions To Fund Retiree Benefits by Appropriations – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Requires an annual actuarial study of the FRS; establishes the uniform contribution rates; provides for a retiree health insurance subsidy; etc.
APC 6 – Best & Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program by Appropriations – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Creates the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program; designates teachers who have achieved high academic standards during their own education as Florida’s best and brightest teacher scholars; etc.
COMING UP TOMORROW
[REMINDER: Most meetings may be viewed via Florida Channel webcasts athttp://thefloridachannel.org]
The House Education Committee will meet (9:00 – 11:00 am) to consider the following items and others:
EDC2 – Extracurricular Activities by Education
Provides that special event fees, sanctioning fees, and gate receipts annually collected by FHSAA must reflect its actual cost; repeals provisions requiring FHSAA to have a board of directors, representative assembly, committees on appeals, and public liaison advisory committee; requires FHSAA to establish a 16 member governing board that proportionately represents public schools, schools of choice, private schools, home education, and parents of student athletes, and regions of the state; requires members of policy-making bodies to annually complete governance training; requires FHSAA to provide for resolution of eligibility disputes; prohibits a student from being declared ineligible until the neutral third party review is completed; allows member schools to participate in FHSAA on a per sport basis; requires FHSAA to develop sportsmanship training; requires operational audits; requires
Commissioner of Education to designate a nonprofit association to regulate interscholastic athletics; authorizes any public school student; home education student; or student enrolled in an unaffiliated private school, to participate in extracurricular activities offered by a public school; establishes guiding principles for student participation in extracurricular activities; limits the reasons a student may be declared ineligible for interscholastic athletics; prohibits school boards and private schools from establishing transfer eligibility policies that are more stringent than the policies established by FHSAA; etc.
HB 477 – Background Screening by Sprowls
Revises requirement relating to background screening of instructional personnel in virtual instruction programs; provides additional offenses that determine ineligibility for educator certification or employment; revises requirements for submission, retention, search, & reporting of fingerprints of educational personnel & contractual personnel; provides for FDLE participation in national retained print arrest notification program.
HB 747 – Bright Futures Scholarship Program by Rooney
Delays initial award & renewal period for certain students; revises eligibility requirements for home education students; requires student, as prerequisite for Florida Academic Scholars award, Florida Medallion Scholars award, or Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, to identify social or civic issue or professional area of interest & develop plan for personal involvement in addressing issue or learning about area; prohibits student from receiving remuneration or academic credit for volunteer service work.
The House State Affairs Committee will meet (1:00 – 3:00 pm) to consider the following items and others:
HB 549 – Membership Associations by M. Diaz
Defines “membership association”; requires membership association to file annual report with Legislature; specifies required elements of report; prohibits membership association from expending moneys received from public funds on litigation against state.
HB 565 – Retirement by Beshears
Authorizes local agency employers to reassess designation of positions for inclusion in SMS Class; provides for removal of certain positions.
The House will be in SESSION (3:00 pm – completion of business) to consider the following items and others on 2nd Reading:
HB 7057 – School Administration by K-12
Revises provisions relating to a school district strategic plan, internal audits, certain standards for certain personnel & school officers, early warning system for certain students, annual review of certain procedures, compulsory student attendance, professional development, protected school speech, parental access to homework, out-of-field teachers, related records, policies, court hearings, & penalties, high school equivalency diploma, parental notices for exceptional students, bullying & harassment, certain school districts policies, & certain policies for principals, district school boards employees, & suspension of educator certifications.
HB 7019 – Workforce Services by Economic Development
Renames Workforce Florida, Inc., as CareerSource Florida, Inc.; holds in abeyance specified provisions relating to Workforce Estimating Conference; requires EDR to develop & test labor market economic model & submit report; provides for future repeal; creates task force on preparation for state’s implementation of federal Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act; provides membership & duties of task force; requires task force to submit report & recommendations for approval by CareerSource Florida, Inc.; requires CareerSource Florida, Inc., to submit specified state plan to USDOL; provides for abolishment of task force.
HB 7043 – Standard Student Attire by K-12
Designates act as “Students Attired for Education (SAFE) Act”; authorizes school boards to adopt standard student attire policy; limits liability for districts that implement attire policy; creates safe schools allocation to provide funding for certain safe schools activities; provides for withholding of funds from districts that do not comply with certain school safety & student discipline reporting; provides for incentive payments to school districts that implement standard student attire policies; provides appropriation.
HB 7037 – School Choice by Choice & Innovation
Revises provisions relating to charter school application, certain appeals, funding for & payments to charter schools, long-term charters, nonrenewal, termination, & closure of charter schools, financial statements, charter school representatives & public meetings, governing board residency requirements, high-performing charter schools, termination of virtual instruction provider contracts, capital outlay funding, & charter school professional development; authorizes charter school to defer opening & use of certain funds for educational purposes; establishes Florida Charter School Innovation Institute; provides appropriation.
HB 357 – Principal Autonomy Pilot Program by M. Diaz
Creates Principal Autonomy Pilot Program Initiative; provides requirements for participation, exemptions, professional development, rulemaking, & reporting; provides authorization period for participation in program; provides for renewal or revocation of authorization to participate in program; revises school district minimum classroom expenditure requirements; requires district school boards participating in program to provide certain funding allocations; provides additional authority & responsibilities to school principals of participating school districts; specifies contents of professional development program.
HB 665 – Maximum Class Size by Moraitis
Revises calculation of school district’s class size categorical allocation reduction to school average when maximum class size requirements are not met; provides for expenditure of funds; requires that district plan for compliance with class size maximums be posted to district website & provided to school advisory council of each noncompliant school; authorizes that plan be posted on noncompliant school’s website.
HB 55 – Children and Youth Cabinet by Harrell
Revises membership of Children & Youth Cabinet.
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
