We’re back! Today, we resume our FSBA Daily Updates to report on activities each day during the 2016 Legislative Session. These updates are sent to school board members, superintendents, and district staff members as well as hundreds of state and local government officials, parent and citizen advocates, and others who have asked to be included in our distribution list. Please let me know if there are other individuals in your community that wish to be added to our FSBA Daily Update distribution list.
We have reopened our Legislative Session Resource Center on the FSBA website. Our Legislative Center provides a wealth of legislative session information and advocacy tools in one convenient location. To access our Legislative Center, simply go to the FSBA website at www.fsba.org and click on the tab on the right-hand side of our main page labeled “2016 Legislative Session Updates” or use this direct link to the Center: https://fsba.org/2016-
OPENING CEREMONIES AND KEY ISSUES
The day began with opening sessions in each chamber. During their opening remarks, Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crissifulli outlined their priorities for the 2016 Session which included providing more opportunities for people with disabilities and “unprecedented” funding for K-12 education. Both leaders also expressed the desire to pursue a tax cut package. After these opening comments, Governor Scott delivered his annual State of the State address in which he highlighted his on-going efforts in job creation, his commitment to enhancing services for people with developmental disabilities and to increasing education funding. The governor also encouraged support for his proposed $1 billion tax-cut package.
Several education related issues are expected to be in the spotlight during this Session including education funding, assessments and accountability, school choice and charter schools, services for students with disabilities, school governance and local authority, juvenile justice, curriculum (including computer coding, reading programs, and athletics), workforce education, the Florida Retirement System and other employee benefits, school facilities and growth management, and ethics and elections. Our current Bill Tracking List (as of 1/10/16) provides links to more information on the bills that address these issues and it is available in our Legislative Session Center.
TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
[Legislative Process Notes: Nearly all legislative committee and chamber meetings may be viewed via live webcast or archived videos on the Florida Channel at http://thefloridachannel.org/.
In the House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee:
HB 837 – McKay Scholarship Program by Bileca — PASSED
Provides certain students enrolled in John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program are exempt from specific provisions & scholarship awards are not subject to specified funding calculations; creates transition-to-work program for specific students enrolled in program; provides for requirements & participation.
In the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee:
SB 686 – Government Accountability by Gaetz – PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Citing this act as the “Florida Anti-Corruption Act of 2016”; specifying that the Governor, the Commissioner of Education, or the designee of the Governor or of the Commissioner of Education may notify the Legislative Auditing Committee of an entity’s failure to comply with certain auditing and financial reporting requirements; specifying the applicability of certain provisions of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees to officers and board members of corporate entities associated with the Department of Economic Opportunity, etc. [NOTE: The bill was amended with a “strike all” amendment that added and clarified provisions. Senator Gaetz issued this press release– which includes a summary of the bill’s provisions — after the bill passed the committee.]
COMING UP TOMORROW
The Senate will be in Session (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) to consider the following items and others on Special Order (2nd Reading):
SB 672 – Educational Options by Gaetz
Creating the “Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act”; establishing student eligibility requirements for enrollment in the program; establishing the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities; establishing a Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Scholarship for certain qualified students; authorizing certain school districts and charter schools to be eligible to receive incentive payments for implementing a standard student attire policy that meets certain criteria, etc.
SB 7010 – Individuals with Disabilities by Governmental Oversight
Revising the state’s equal employment opportunity policy to include individuals who have a disability; requiring the Department of Management Services to develop and implement certain programs geared toward individuals who have a disability; requiring the department to compile and post data regarding the hiring practices of executive agencies regarding the employment of individuals who have a disability; creating the “Employment First Act”, etc. APPROPRIATION: $330,182.00.
The House Government Operations Subcommittee will meet (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) to consider the following items and others:
HB 293 – Juvenile Criminal History Records by Pritchett
Specifies that certain confidential information obtained under ch. 985, F.S., relating to juvenile justice, is exempt from public records requirements; revises applicability of public records requirements with respect to arrest records of certain juvenile offenders; provides for future review & repeal of such applicability provisions; provides exemption from public records requirements for juvenile information compiled by Criminal Justice Information Program from intrastate sources; provides exceptions; provides for future review & repeal of exemption; provides for release by FDLE of criminal history information of juvenile which has been deemed confidential & exempt; provides statement of public necessity.
HB 505 – Voter Identification by Burgess
Expands list of acceptable forms of identification for certain voter registration applicants & for identification at polls, to include veteran health identification cards & licenses to carry concealed weapon or firearm.
HB 4041 – Write-in Candidates by Geller
Repeals requirement that write-in candidate reside within district of office sought at time of qualification.
The House K-12 Subcommittee will meet (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) to consider the following items:
Panel Discussion of School Safety
HB 719 – Education Personnel by Spano
Revises provisions relating to confidentiality of reports & records in cases of child abuse or neglect, trust fund exemptions, teacher recruitment & retention, educator liability insurance, Education Practices Commission, & complaints against teachers & administrators; requires DOE to approve school leader preparation programs; provides program requirements.
The House Economic Development & Tourism Subcommittee will meet (1:00 – 3:00 pm) to consider the following item and others:
PCB EDTS 16-01 — Workforce Development
Modifies Florida’s workforce development system to begin the process of the state’s implementation of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The House Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee will meet (1:00 – 2:00 pm) to consider the following item:
HB 793 – Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program by O’Toole
Provides that initial award period & renewal period for students who are unable to accept initial award immediately after high school due to specific obligations begins upon completion of obligation; requires student, as prerequisite for certain awards, to identify social or civic issue or professional area of interest & develop specified plan.
The House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee will meet (1:00-3:00 pm) to consider the following item and others:
HB 613 – Workers’ Compensation by Sullivan
Requires members of limited liability companies to submit specified notices; deletes required item to be listed on notice of election to be exempt; revises specified rules regarding maintenance of business records by an officer of corporation; provides and removes duties of DFS; prohibits application of specified credit unless employer provides specified documentation & proof of payment to department within specified period; revises penalty calculation for imputed weekly payroll for an employee; eliminates certification requirements when expert medical advisor is selected by judge of compensation claims; deletes requirement that employers notify department within 24 hours of any injury resulting in death; revises requirements for filing claim; deletes preferred worker program; deletes notification fees on certain filed claims which supplement Special Disability Trust Fund; deletes fee for certain registration of insurance carriers.
The House Local Governmental Affairs Subcommittee will meet (1:00 – 3:00 pm) to consider the following item and others:
HB 791 – Local Tax Referenda by Ingoglia
Requires local government discretionary sales surtax referenda to be held on day of general election; requires approval of specified percentage of electors voting in referendum to adopt or amend such surtax; prohibits use of certain funds and materials to advertise proposed surtax referenda for certain discretionary sales surtaxes; provides exception.
The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee will meet (1:30 – 3:30 pm) to consider the following items:
SB 434 – Principal Autonomy Pilot Program by Garcia
Creating the Principal Autonomy Pilot Program Initiative; providing a procedure for a school district to participate in the pilot program; requiring principals of participating schools and specified personnel to participate in the University of Virginia School Turnaround Program; requiring participating district school boards to allocate a specified percentage of certain funds to participating schools, etc.
SB 468 – Computer Coding Instruction by Ring
Requiring high schools to offer computer coding courses; requiring the Commissioner of Education to identify the computer coding courses that satisfy two credits of foreign language instruction under certain circumstances; requiring Florida College System institutions and state universities to recognize the credits as foreign language credits, etc.
The subcommittee will also conduct a workshop on Alternative Assessments and a discussion of FEFP Local Dollars.
The Senate Transportation, Tourism, & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee will meet (1:30 – 3:30 pm) to consider the following item and others:
SB 7000 – Developments of Regional Impact by Community Affairs
Providing that a proposed development that is consistent with certain comprehensive plans is not required to undergo review pursuant to the state coordinated review process, etc.
The House Judiciary Committee will meet (3:30 – 5:30 pm) to consider the following item and others:
HB 147 – Criminal Records / Minors by Latvala
Provides for nonjudicial expunction of criminal history of an offense after specified period for minor who is not serious or habitual juvenile offender; provides exception for specified minors to apply for expunction before attaining 21 years of age; eliminates deadline for submission of application by minor for prearrest or postarrest diversion expunction.
The House State Affairs Committee will meet (3:30 – 5:30 pm) to consider the following item and others:
HB 181 – Public Works Projects by Van Zant
Prohibits state & political subdivisions that contract for public works projects from imposing restrictive conditions on certain contractors, subcontractors, or material suppliers or carriers; provides an exception; prohibits state & political subdivisions from restricting qualified bidders from submitting bids or being awarded contracts.
HB 541 – Addresses of Legal Residence by Spano
Defines “address of legal residence”; requires voter registration application to include applicant’s address of legal residence; provides that list of valid addresses maintained by supervisor of elections must include certain additional distinguishing information.
The Senate Education PreK-12 Committee will meet (4:00 – 6:00 pm) to consider the following items:
The Committee will conduct a workshop on Class Size, Innovation, and Public School Choice [NOTE: School board member Patty Hightower and several district school superintendents will serve on a panel for this workshop.] and a discussion of proposed legislation relating to the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program.
I hope you find this information useful. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Ruth
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
