TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the House Education Committee:
HB 41 – Hazardous Walking Conditions by Metz – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Revises criteria that determine hazardous walking conditions for public school students; revises procedures for inspection & identification of hazardous conditions; authorizes district school superintendents to initiate formal request for correction of hazardous conditions; requires district school boards to provide transportation to students who would be subjected to hazardous conditions; requires state or local entities with jurisdiction over roads with hazardous conditions to correct condition; provides requirements for governmental entities relating to capital improvement programs; provides requirements relating to civil actions for damages.
HB 587 – Educational Professional Practices by Spano — PASSED
Authorizes certain employees or agents of DOE to have access to certain reports & records; requires DOE to provide liability insurance to certain persons; provides coverage & notification requirements; revises membership of Education Practices Commission; authorizes Commissioner of Education to appoint emeritus members to commission; authorizes commissioner to issue letter of guidance in response to complaint against teacher or administrator in certain circumstances.
HB 7091 – Postsecondary Ed./Students with Disabilities by Higher Educations – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Creates “Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act”; establishes Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program & Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities; provides that certain students with physical or mental disorder are exempt from specified tuition & fees.
In the House Health & Human Services Committee:
HB 935 – Individuals with Disabilities by R. Rodrigues – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Creates “Florida Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act”; requires Florida Prepaid College Board to establish direct-support organization known as “Florida ABLE, Inc.”; authorizes organization to use certain services, property, & facilities of Florida Prepaid College Board; provides that specified moneys, assets, & income of qualified ABLE program, including Florida ABLE program, are not subject to attachment, levy, garnishment, or certain legal process in favor of certain creditors or claimants.
HB 937 – Trust Fund / Florida ABLE Program by Rodrigues — PASSED
Creates Florida ABLE Trust Fund within State Board of Administration; authorizes sources of funds; specifies purpose of trust fund & authorized uses of assets; provides for future review & termination or re-creation of trust fund; provides for contingent effect.
HB 939 – Public Records / Florida ABLE Program – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Provides exemption from public records requirements for certain personal financial & health information held by Florida Prepaid College Board, Florida ABLE, Inc., Florida ABLE program, or agent or service provider thereof; authorizes release of such information under specified circumstances; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption; provides for contingent effect.
In the Senate will be in SESSION:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
SB 7024 – State Board of Administration by Government Oversight – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Repealing provisions relating to restrictions on investments in institutions doing business in or with Northern Ireland; establishing conditions for the transfer of any residual balance in the Fund B Surplus Funds Trust Fund upon self-liquidation; requiring that additional income received after distribution of the residual balance be deposited in the Local Government Surplus Funds Trust Fund, etc.
Bills on 2nd Reading:
SB 2500 – 2015-2016 Appropriations by Appropriations – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
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 — READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
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 — READ 2ND TIME; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
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 Appropriations Conforming Bill by Appropriations – TEMPORARILY POSTPONED ON 2ND READING
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 642 – Individuals with Disabilities by Benacquisto — READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
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 — READ 2ND TIME; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
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 — READ 2ND TIME; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Held by the Florida Prepaid College Board, Florida ABLE, Inc., and the Florida ABLE program; 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 602 – Students With Disabilities by Gaetz – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
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 7030 – Postsecondary Ed./Students with Disabilities by Higher Education — READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Creating the “Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act”; establishing eligibility requirements for enrollment in the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program; establishing the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities; establishing a Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Scholarship for certain qualified students, etc.
SB 224 – Public Records/Contractors by Simpson – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 4/2/15
Defining the term “acting on behalf of a public agency”; requiring that a public agency contract for services include a statement providing the name and telephone number of the public agency’s custodian of records; specifying circumstances under which a court may assess and award reasonable costs of enforcement against a public agency or contractor, etc.
SB 616 – Education Accountability by Legg – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7069; SB 616 LAID ON THE TABLE
Revising the powers of the State Board of Education to require adoption of rules regarding notification forms for grade 3 retention and midyear promotion, and high school graduation requirements and options; removing the requirement that English Language Arts statewide assessments be administered to students in grade 11; revising requirements for a district school board’s comprehensive student progression plan; specifying alternative assessments that may be accepted by public postsecondary educational institutions in lieu of the common placement test, etc. [NOTE: The bill was amended by a “strike all” amendment and was then amended further. The Senate then substituted the House version of the bill – HB 7069 (see below) – and laid SB 616 on the table. Partly because time was running out in today’s Session, HB 7069 was temporarily postponed on 2nd Reading. It is assumed that the Senate will take up the bill on 2nd Reading tomorrow and will continue with the amendatory process. We are still sorting through the amendments that were approved today and identifying the areas in which the two versions of the bill still differ. We will be able to give you a better idea of where things stand tomorrow.]
HB 7069 – Education Accountability by Education – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 616; TEMPORARILY POSTPONED ON 2ND READING
Revises provisions relating to uniform opening date of public schools, high-performing school districts, student & parent rights, student remediation, scholar designation for standard high school diploma, statewide standardized assessment program, administration & proctoring of assessments, student progression, student evaluation for college readiness, research-based reading instruction allocation, salary schedules, evaluation procedures & criteria, teacher certification, & professional development.
In the House SESSION:
Bills on 2nd Reading:
HB 5001 – 2015-2016 Appropriations by Appropriations — READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 4/2/15
Provides moneys for annual period beginning July 1, 2015, & ending June 30, 2016, & supplemental appropriations for period ending June 30, 2015, to pay salaries & other expenses, capital outlay—buildings & other improvements, & for other specified purposes of various agencies of state government.
HB 5003 – 2015-2016 Appropriations Implementing Bill by Appropriations – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 4/2/15
Implements specific appropriations of the General Appropriations Act for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
HB 5005 – FRS / Employer Contributions by Appropriations – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 4/2/15
Increases employer contribution to retiree health insurance subsidy for members of state-administered plan; increases employer contribution to health insurance subsidy for members of Elected Officers’ Class; increases employer contribution to health insurance subsidy for members of Senior Management Service Class; increases employer contribution to health insurance subsidy for members of Regular, Special Risk, & Special Risk Administrative Support Classes; revises amount of employer contributions to FRS for 2015-2016 fiscal year; provides findings of important state interest.
HB 5011 – Best & Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program by Appropriations – TEMPORARILY POSTPONED ON 2ND READING
Establishes Florida Best & Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program within DOE; provides legislative intent; provides for funding, eligibility, & disbursement of funds; defines term “school district” for purposes of act.
COMING UP TOMORROW
[REMINDER: Most meetings may be viewed via Florida Channel webcasts at http://thefloridachannel.org]
The House Judiciary Committee will meet (8:00 – 10:30 am) to consider the following items and others:
HB 19 – School Safety by Steube
Permits school superintendent, with approval of the school board, to authorize school safety designee to carry concealed weapon or firearm on school property; provides requirements for school safety designees; provides exception to prohibition on possession of firearms or other specified devices on school property or other specified areas; provides for fingerprint processing & retention; requires that fees be borne by school safety designee or school; requires school boards to formulate policies & procedures for dealing with active shooters & hostage situations in consultation with law enforcement; requires district school boards & private schools allow campus tours by local law enforcement agencies for specified purposes & that their recommendations be documented; permits district school boards to commission one or more school safety officers on each school campus.
HB 4005 – Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons by Steube
Deletes provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed weapon or firearm into college or university facility.
The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee will meet (9:00 – 11:00 am) to consider:
SB 118 – Voluntary Contributions for Education Facilities by Hays
Authorizing a participating business that registers with the Department of Revenue to solicit and collect contributions from its customers for the construction and maintenance of public education facilities; providing registration requirements; requiring a participating business to file a return and remit contributions to the department within a specified timeframe; including voluntary contributions as a source of funding for the Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund, etc.
SB 518 – Voluntary Prekindergarten Program by Gibson
Revising provisions relating to calculation of the kindergarten readiness rate for Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program providers and schools; requiring the administration of a preassessment and postassessment to students based upon adopted performance standards, etc.
SB 530 – Bullying and Harassment Policies in Schools by Ring
Requiring school districts to revise their bullying and harassment policies at specified intervals; specifying that a school district policy require a school to implement the policy in a certain manner and integrate it with the school’s bullying prevention and intervention program, etc.
SB 574 – Electronic Auction Services by Montford
Revising the powers and duties of the district school board to authorize the adoption of rules regarding procurement practices; authorizing a district school board’s use of electronic auction services in conjunction with bid pooling for school buses and related purchases, etc.
SB 622 – Higher Educational Facilities Financing by Montford
Expanding the definition of the term “project” as it relates to the Higher Educational Facilities Financing Act, etc.
SB 874 – Dual Enrollment Program by Stargel
Exempting dual enrollment students from paying certain fees, including technology fees; deleting the requirement that a home education secondary student be responsible for his or her own instructional materials in order to participate in the dual enrollment program; authorizing certain instructional materials to be made available free of charge to dual enrollment students in public high schools, home education programs, and private schools, etc.
SB 880 – Student Loan Default Rates by Ring
Requiring certain institutions to maintain a federal student loan cohort default rate below a specified percentage; revising the minimum standards the Commission for Independent Education must use to evaluate an institution for licensure to include the institution’s federal student loan cohort default rate; revising the minimum criteria for an independent postsecondary educational institution to apply for a license by accreditation to include a maximum percentage for the institution’s federal student loan cohort default rate, etc.
SB 954 – Involuntary Examinations of Minors by Garcia
Requiring school health services plans to include notification requirements when a student is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity for involuntary examination; requiring a receiving facility to provide notice of the whereabouts of an adult or emancipated minor patient held for involuntary examination; providing conditions for delay in notification, etc.
SB 1020 – Student Transportation Funding by Simmons
Revising the membership of students that a school district reports for transportation funding purposes; revising the school transportation allocation formula used by each school district; revising the types of students eligible for transportation funds used for transportation to and from school in private passenger cars and boats, etc.
SB 1116 – Literacy Jump Start Pilot Project by Abruzzo
Requiring the Office of Early Learning to establish the pilot project in St. Lucie County to assist low-income, at-risk children in developing emergent literacy skills; requiring the office to select an organization to implement the pilot project; encouraging the coordination of basic health screening and immunization services in conjunction with emergent literacy instruction, etc.
SB 1262 – Education by Legg
Requiring the Department of Education to have an operating electronic IEP system in place for statewide use; authorizing the Commissioner of Education to issue a letter of guidance in response to a complaint against a teacher or administrator in lieu of a probable cause determination, etc.
SB 1264 – Digital Classrooms by Legg
Establishing requirements for digital classrooms technology infrastructure planning by the Agency for State Technology or a contracted organization; requiring the Office of Technology and Information Services of the Department of Education to consult with the Agency for State Technology in developing the 5-year strategic plan for Florida digital classrooms; specifying conditions for a school district to maintain eligibility for Florida digital classrooms allocation funds, etc.
SB 1552 – Parent and Student Rights by Benacquisto
Providing the right of a parent to know the average amount of money expended for the education of his or her child; deleting the definition of and provisions relating to controlled open enrollment; requiring each school district to instead establish a public school parental choice policy that allows students to attend any public school that has not reached capacity in their district; requiring each school district board to establish a classroom teacher transfer process for parents, approve or deny a request within a certain timeframe, and post an explanation of the transfer process in the student handbook, etc.
SB 7046 – Education by Education PreK-12
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; authorizing a low-performing elementary school to administer the required additional hours of instruction in a summer program; revising the types and amounts of bonuses that a teacher may receive in any given school year, etc.
SB 7050 – Digital Classrooms by Governmental Oversight
Requiring the Agency for State Technology to establish and publish information technology architecture standards for purposes of implementing digital classrooms by a specified date; requiring the agency’s annual assessment of the Department of Education to review specified issues with respect to school district digital classrooms plans and to provide planning assistance to address and reduce issues identified by the assessment, etc.
The House will be in SESSION (11:00 am – completion of business) to consider the the following items and others:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
HB 5001 – 2015-2016 Appropriations by Appropriations
Provides moneys for annual period beginning July 1, 2015, & ending June 30, 2016, & supplemental appropriations for period ending June 30, 2015, to pay salaries & other expenses, capital outlay—buildings & other improvements, & for other specified purposes of various agencies of state government.
HB 5003 – 2015-2016 Appropriations Implementing Bill by Appropriations
Implementing the 2015-2016 General Appropriations Act: Implements specific appropriations of the General Appropriations Act for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
HB 5005 – FRS / Employer Contributions by Appropriations
Increases employer contribution to retiree health insurance subsidy for members of state-administered plan; increases employer contribution to health insurance subsidy for members of Elected Officers’ Class; increases employer contribution to health insurance subsidy for members of Senior Management Service Class; increases employer contribution to health insurance subsidy for members of Regular, Special Risk, & Special Risk Administrative Support Classes; revises amount of employer contributions to FRS for 2015-2016 fiscal year; provides findings of important state interest.
The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee will meet (11:30 am – 1:00 pm) to consider the following items and others:
SB 960 – Bright Futures Scholarship Program 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 1140 – Bright Futures Scholarship Program by Montford
Providing that the initial award and renewal period for students who are unable to accept an initial award immediately after completion of high school due to a full-time religious or service obligation begins upon the completion of the religious or service obligation, etc.
SB 7002 – Workforce Services by Commerce & Tourism
Renaming Workforce Florida, Inc., as CareerSource Florida, Inc., etc.
The Senate will be in SESSION will meet (2:00 – 6:00 pm) to consider the following items and others:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
SB 224 – Public Records/Contractors by Simpson
Requiring that a public agency contract for services include a statement providing the contact information of the public agency’s custodian of records; revising required provisions in a public agency contract for services regarding a contractor’s compliance with public records laws; specifying applicable penalties for a contractor who fails to provide requested records; specifying circumstances under which a court may assess and award reasonable costs of enforcement against a public agency or contractor, etc.
Bills on 2nd Reading:
SB 2508 – Education Appropriations Conforming Bill by Appropriations
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.
HB 7069 – Education Accountability by Education
Revises provisions relating to uniform opening date of public schools, high-performing school districts, student & parent rights, student remediation, scholar designation for standard high school diploma, statewide standardized assessment program, administration & proctoring of assessments, student progression, student evaluation for college readiness, research-based reading instruction allocation, salary schedules, evaluation procedures & criteria, teacher certification, & professional development.
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
