TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
[NOTE: The bills listed below are linked to the each bill’s website where you can find information about the bill including the bill sponsor, committees of reference, and staff analysis. The committees/subcommittees are linked to each committee’s website where you can find information about the committee including the committee’s leadership, membership and staff, the committee’s meeting packets, contact information, and related materials. Also, here’s aLegislative Process Note on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Reading: In order to be enacted into law, all bills need to be “Read” 3 times. 1st Reading occurs when the bill is introduced and is referred to one or more committees for consideration. Once a bill has been considered, amended as needed, and passed by all committees of reference, it is placed on the full chamber’s calendar on 2nd Reading. Bills on 2nd Reading are selected from the calendar and placed on the Special Order Calendar (this is the “agenda” for the floor session). A bill on 2nd Reading will be discussed, debated, and, if needed, amended (at this stage, an amendment requires a simple majority vote for approval). The bill is then place on the calendar on 3rd Reading. Again, the bill will be discussed, debated, amended (at this stage, an amendment requires a 2/3 vote for approval), and then put up for a vote on final passage of the bill by the chamber. A simple majority vote is required for passage.]
In the House Education Committee:
HB 31 – High School Athletics by Spano – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Provides requirements regarding fees & contest receipts collected by FHSAA; provides that school may join FHSAA as full-time member or on per-sport basis; prohibits FHSAA from taking retributory or discriminatory action against specified schools; authorizes Commissioner of Education to identify other associations in compliance with specified provisions.
HB 117 – Education Funding by Beshears – PASSED
Prohibits school district with student population of 2,000 or less from receiving sparsity wealth adjustment.
HB 119 – Educational Facilities by Bileca – PASSED; PLACED ON HOUSE CALENDAR ON 2ND READING
Provides for school district construction flexibility; authorizes exceptions to educational facilities construction requirements under certain circumstances.
HB 149 – Maximum Class Size by Moraitis — PASSED; PLACED ON HOUSE CALENDAR ON 2ND READING
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 specified district plan be posted to district website & provided to specified school advisory councils; authorizes that plan be posted on noncompliant school’s website.
HB 189 – Teacher Certification by Diaz – PASSED; PLACED ON HOUSE CALENDAR ON 2ND READING
Allows an individual to earn a professional certificate for grades 6 through 12 in a STEM subject without having to complete additional coursework if the individual meets certain requirements.
HB 585 – Homebound & Hospitalized Students by Burgess — PASSED; PLACED ON HOUSE CALENDAR ON 2NDREADING
Requires school districts to provide instruction to homebound or hospitalized students; provides for student eligibility, methods of providing instruction to homebound or hospitalized students, & initiation of services.
HB 7017 – Career and Adult Education by Higher Education and the Workforce — PASSED; PLACED ON HOUSE CALENDAR ON 2ND READING
Revises provisions relating to apprenticeships & job-training programs, high school equivalency programs, Higher Education Coordinating Council, applied technology diploma programs, adult general education programs, CAPE digital tool certificates, & career centers; creates Florida Apprenticeship Grant (FLAG) & Rapid Response Grant programs; provides appropriations.
In the House Health & Human Services Committee:
HB 241 – Children & Youth Cabinet by Harrell — PASSED
Revises membership of Children & Youth Cabinet to include a superintendent.
In the House Regulatory Affairs Committee:
HB 577 – Liability Insurance Coverage by Lee – TEMPORARILY POSTPONED
Adds company employee adjusters to list of persons who may respond to claimant’s written request for information relating to liability insurance coverage.
In the House Rules, Calendar, & Ethics Committee:
PCB RCEC 16- 5 – Public Corruption by Rules, Calendar, & Ethics – SUBMITTED AS A COMMITTEE BILL
Establishes a number of criminal offenses related to public officials or employees and the performance of their official duties, including bribery, unlawful compensation for official behavior, official misconduct, and bid tampering. In order to be convicted of an offense under ch. 838, F.S., one must act “corruptly” or “with corrupt intent,” which is defined as “acting knowingly and dishonestly for a wrongful purpose.”
In the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee:
SB 386 – Criminal Records / Minors by Detert – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Decreasing the period of time that a minor’s criminal history record must be retained before expunction; deleting a limitation on the period of time within which a minor must submit an application for prearrest or postarrest diversion expunction to the Department of Law Enforcement after successful completion of the diversion program, etc.
SB 520 – Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program by Lee — AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Providing that the initial award period and the 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 begin upon the completion of the religious or service obligation; 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, etc.
SB 576 – Postsecondary Educational Facilities by Flores — PASSED
Authorizing certain Florida College System institutions to construct dormitories for up to 400 students, etc.
In the House Finance & Tax Committee
HB 301 – Property Prepared for Tax-Exempt Use by Burton — PASSED
Consolidates provisions relating to tax exemptions on property owned by certain tax-exempt organizations; authorizes property appraiser to serve notice of tax lien on certain otherwise exempt properties under certain circumstances; specifies entities to whom lien attaches; provides exemption; deletes provisions rendered obsolete by consolidation.
In the Senate Education PreK-12 Committee:
SB 684 – Choice in Sports by Gaetz — AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Revising public school choice options available to students to include CAPE digital tools, CAPE industry certifications, and collegiate high school programs; requiring each district school board and charter school governing board to authorize a parent to have his or her child participate in controlled open enrollment; requiring the FHSAA to allow a school to maintain full membership in the association or to join by sport, etc.
SB 1026 – High School Athletics by Simmons — AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Providing requirements regarding fees and contest receipts collected by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA); requiring the FHSAA to allow a school to join the FHSAA as a full- time member or on a per-sport basis, etc.
In the House Session:
HB 7003 – Individuals with Disabilities by State Affairs – READ 2ND TIME; READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE; IN MESSAGES TO THE SENATE
Establishes Financial Literacy Program for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities within DFS; requires department to develop & implement program in consultation with specified stakeholders; requires qualified public depository to participate in Financial Literacy Program for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities; creates “Employment First Act”; requires specified state agencies & organizations to develop & implement interagency cooperative agreement; requires DEO, in consultation with other entities, to create Florida Unique Abilities Partner Program.
HB 7011 – Educational Options by Education Appropriations – READ 2ND TIME; SB 672 SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7011; HB 7011 LAID ON THE TABLE
SB 672 – Educational Options by Gaetz – SB 672 SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7011; READ 2ND TIME; READ 3RDTIME; PASSED THE HOUSE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
Creates “Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act”; establishes student eligibility requirements for enrollment in program; establishes Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities; establishes Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Scholarship for certain qualified students; authorizes certain school districts and charter schools to be eligible to receive incentive payments for implementing a standard student attire policy that meets certain criteria; revises provisions relating to Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program & Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program; provides appropriations. [NOTE: These are companion bills. The Senate passed their version – SB 672 — on Wednesday with an amendment renaming the Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts as the Gardiner Scholarship. The House took up the Senate bill in lieu of their version – HB 7011 – and passed SB 672l. The bill has been signed by the officers and delivered to the Governor for his consideration and action. It is expected that Governor Scott will sign the bill.]
COMING UP TOMORROW
[NOTE: Nearly all meetings may be viewed via live webcast or archived videos on the Florida Channel athttp://thefloridachannel.org/.
The Senate will be in Session (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) to consider the following items and others:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
SB 7010 – Individuals with Disabilities by Governmental Oversight
HB 7003 – Individuals with Disabilities by State Affairs
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. [NOTE: These are companion bills. The House passed its version – HB 7003 – on Thursday. As in Thursday’s House Session (see HB 7011 and SB 672 above), the Senate is expected to lay one version on the table and pass the other version.]
Bills on Special Order (2nd Reading):
SB 86 – Scrutinized Companies by Negron
Requiring the State Board of Administration to identify all companies that are boycotting Israel or are engaged in a boycott of Israel in which the public fund owns direct or indirect holdings in; requiring the public fund to create and maintain a scrutinized companies list that names all such companies; prohibiting a state agency or local governmental entity from contracting for goods and services that exceed a specified amount if the company has been placed on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, etc.
The Legislature has no meetings scheduled during the weekend and will remain in recess on Monday, January 18 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We will send out our first FSBA Weekly Video Update on Monday and will resume our Daily Updates on Tuesday, January 19. 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
