TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the House Session:
Bills on 2nd Reading:
HB 7107 – Public Employees / Retirement by State Affairs – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RDREADING FOR 2/24/16
Authorizes renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees who are reemployed in position eligible for Elected Officers’ Class; provides for renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees of Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program who are reemployed on or after specified date; requires that certain retirees who are reemployed on or after specified date be renewed members in investment plan; provides vesting requirements; prohibits renewed member from receiving specified disability benefits; requires employer & retiree to make applicable contributions to renewed member’s investment plan account; prohibits participation in pension plan; provides that retiree reemployed on or after specified date in regularly established position eligible for State University System Optional Retirement Program or State Community College System Optional Retirement Program is renewed member of that program; authorizes payment of death benefits to surviving spouse or surviving children of member in investment plan; authorizes state board & department to adopt rules; adjusts employer contribution rates in order to fund changes made by act; provides directive to the Division of Law Revision & Information; provides appropriation. [NOTE: Today’s amendment requires the state to provide funding to reduce the unfunded actuarial liability of the FRS Pension Plan. This is an effort to address concerns that that the bill would increase the FRS unfunded liability because, by having new employees default into the investment plan (rather than the pension plan), the number of employees paying into the pension plan would be reduced.]
HB 183 – Administrative Procedures by Adkins – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 2/24/16
Revises requirements related to administrative proceedings regarding rules, proposed rules, unadopted rules, & agency statements; revises authorities of administrative law judges; revises provisions regarding noticing of agency actions; authorizes petitioners to pursue collateral challenges; expands agency reporting requirements of certain minor rules; revises certain timeframes in administrative proceedings; requires certain challenges for regulatory permits for special events to follow summary hearing provisions.
HB 11 – Missing Persons with Special Needs by Porter – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 230; HB 11 LAID ON THE TABLE
SB 230 – Missing Persons with Special Needs by Dean – SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 11; READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 2/24/16
Creates pilot projects in specified counties to provide personal devices to aid search-and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs; provides for administration of projects; requires reports; provides for expiration; provides appropriations. [NOTE: Today’s amendment creates additional pilot projects and adds participating counties.]
HB 147 – Criminal Records / Minors by Latvala – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 386; HB 147 LAID ON THE TABLE
SB 386 – Criminal Records / Minors by Detert – SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 147; READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RDREADING FOR 2/24/16
Provides for nonjudicial expunction of criminal history of 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; establishes application process & requiring specified documentation be submitted; requiring sworn statement from applicant; eliminates deadline for submission of application by minor for prearrest or postarrest diversion expunction.
HB 293 – Juvenile Criminal History Records by Pritchett – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RDREADING FOR 2/24/16
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; authorizes records custodians to choose not to electronically publish specified arrest or booking photos of juveniles; 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; reenacts provisions; provides statement of public necessity. [NOTE: Today’s amendment was generally technical and not substantive.]
HB 793 – Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program by O’Toole – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RDREADING FOR 2/24/16
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; creates Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award; provides appropriation. [NOTE: Today’s amendment was generally technical and not substantive.]
HB 791 – Local Tax Referenda by Ingoglia – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR2/24/16
Prohibits local government discretionary sales surtax referenda from being held during special elections; specifies varying percentage of electors voting in referendum which is required, depending on type of election at which referendum is held, to adopt or amend local government discretionary sales surtax. [NOTE: Today’s amendments were generally technical. This bill would apply to referenda for the School Capital Outlay Surtax, but appears not to apply to referenda for millage levies. In addition, the bill would not impact the 2016 election cycle.]
HB 527 – Scrutinized Companies by Workman – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 86; HB 257 LAID ON THE TABLE
SB 86 – Scrutinized Companies by Negron – SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 257; READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RDREADING FOR 2/24/16
Establishes reporting requirements for executive director of SBA regarding companies boycotting Israel; requires SBA to identify companies in which public moneys are invested that are conducting businesses that boycott Israel; requires SBA to create & maintain certain scrutinized companies lists that name all such companies; requires SBA to divest of all publicly traded securities of scrutinized company under certain conditions; providing reporting requirements; prohibiting local governmental entities from entering into contracts with companies on scrutinized list.
HB 1147 – Character Education / Life Skills by Latvala – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 2/24/16
Requires character-development programs to provide certain instruction to students in grades 9-12. [NOTE: Today’s amendment added to the topics to be covered by the instruction.]
HB 7037 – OGSR/Audit Report & Records by Government Operations — READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 7002; HB 7037 LAID ON THE TABLE
SB 7002 – OGSR/Audit Report & Records by Community Affairs — SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7037; READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 2/24/16
Removes scheduled repeal of public records exemption for certain information related to audit report of internal auditor or investigative report of inspector general prepared for or on behalf of local government unit.
HB 7067 – OGSR/Competitive Solicitation by Government Operations — READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 7030; HB 7067 LAID ON THE TABLE
SB 7030 – OGSR/Competitive Solicitation by Governmental Oversight — SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7067; READ 2NDTIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 2/24/16
Removes scheduled repeal of public records & meetings exemptions for certain information related to competitive solicitation.
In the Senate Session:
Bills on 2nd Reading:
SB 468 – Computer Coding Instruction by Ring – READ 2ND TIME, AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR2/24/16
Authorizing high schools to offer student opportunities to take specified computer coding courses by a specified school year; providing that high schools will not be required to offer such 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, requiring each student and his or her parent to sign a statement acknowledging and accepting that taking a computer coding course as a foreign language may not meet certain out-of-state requirements; requiring the inclusion of certain computer coding courses in the Course Code Directory; authorizing the Florida Virtual School to offer computer coding courses identified in the Course Code Directory; authorizing school districts to provide students access to such courses under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of Education to annually report certain information to the Board of Governors and the Legislature. [NOTE: Today’s amendments remove a mandate that school districts have to offer computer coding, allow the use of the Florida Virtual School for the coding requirement, and require reports. This short summary reflects the changes made to the bill today.]
SB 7058 – Early Childhood Development by Education PreK-12 – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7053; SB 7058 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 7053 – Child Care & Development Block Grant by Education – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 7058; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 2/24/16
Expands list of entities that have access to child abuse records for approving providers of school readiness services; requires school readiness program providers to provide DCF & local licensing agencies with access for inspection purposes; requires certain child care providers to submit affidavit of compliance with licensure requirements of ch. 402, F.S., & federal law; provides criteria for exemption from disqualification for employment with school readiness program provider; revises duties of OEL; revises provisions relating to child & parent eligibility for school readiness programs.
Bills on 3rd Reading:
SB 1004 – Public Records/Security Systems by Hays – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Revising exceptions to a public records exemption; providing exceptions to a public records exemption, etc.
SB 7040 – Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Providing implementation of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act through a 4-year plan; deleting a provision authorizing an optional federal partner to fulfill certain state planning and reporting requirements; revising the entities required to collaborate with CareerSource Florida, Inc., to establish certain performance accountability measures; requiring CareerSource Florida, Inc., to establish regional planning areas subject to certain requirements by a certain date, etc.
SB 752 – Public Records/Agency Inspector General by Abruzzo — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Providing an exemption from public records requirements for certain identifying and location information of current or former personnel employed in an agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit department whose duties include auditing or investigating certain activities that could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline, and the spouses and children thereof; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.
COMING UP TOMORROW
The House will be in Session (10:00 am – completion of business) to consider the following bills and others:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
HB 7107 – Public Employees / Retirement by State Affairs
Authorizes renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees who are reemployed in position eligible for Elected Officers’ Class; provides for renewed membership in retirement system for certain retirees of Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program who are reemployed on or after specified date; requires that certain retirees who are reemployed on or after specified date be renewed members in investment plan; provides vesting requirements; prohibits renewed member from receiving specified disability benefits; requires employer & retiree to make applicable contributions to renewed member’s investment plan account; prohibits participation in pension plan; provides that retiree reemployed on or after specified date in regularly established position eligible for State University System Optional Retirement Program or State Community College System Optional Retirement Program is renewed member of that program; authorizes payment of death benefits to surviving spouse or surviving children of member in investment plan; authorizes state board & department to adopt rules; adjusts employer contribution rates in order to fund changes made by act; provides directive to the Division of Law Revision & Information; requires state funding to reduce the unfunded actuarial liability of the FRS Pension Plan; provides appropriation.
HB 183 – Administrative Procedures by Adkins
Revises requirements related to administrative proceedings regarding rules, proposed rules, unadopted rules, & agency statements; revises authorities of administrative law judges; revises provisions regarding noticing of agency actions; authorizes petitioners to pursue collateral challenges; expands agency reporting requirements of certain minor rules; revises certain timeframes in administrative proceedings; requires certain challenges for regulatory permits for special events to follow summary hearing provisions.
SB 230 – Missing Persons with Special Needs by Dean
Creates pilot projects in specified counties to provide personal devices to aid search-and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs; provides for administration of projects; requires reports; provides for expiration; provides appropriations.
SB 386 – Criminal Records / Minors by Detert
Provides for nonjudicial expunction of criminal history of 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; establishes application process & requiring specified documentation be submitted; requiring sworn statement from applicant; eliminates deadline for submission of application by minor for prearrest or postarrest diversion expunction.
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; authorizes records custodians to choose not to electronically publish specified arrest or booking photos of juveniles; 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; reenacts provisions; provides statement of public necessity.
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; creates Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award; provides appropriation.
HB 791 – Local Tax Referenda by Ingoglia
Prohibits local government discretionary sales surtax referenda from being held during special elections; specifies varying percentage of electors voting in referendum which is required, depending on type of election at which referendum is held, to adopt or amend local government discretionary sales surtax. [NOTE: The provisons of this bill would apply to referenda for the School Capital Outlay Surtax, but appears not to apply to referenda for millage levies. In addition, the bill would not impact the 2016 election cycle.]
SB 86 – Scrutinized Companies by Negron
Establishes reporting requirements for executive director of SBA regarding companies boycotting Israel; requires SBA to identify companies in which public moneys are invested that are conducting businesses that boycott Israel; requires SBA to create & maintain certain scrutinized companies lists that name all such companies; requires SBA to divest of all publicly traded securities of scrutinized company under certain conditions; providing reporting requirements; prohibiting local governmental entities from entering into contracts with companies on scrutinized list.
HB 1147 – Character Education / Life Skills by Latvala
Requires character-development programs to provide certain instruction to students in grades 9-12.
SB 7002 – OGSR/Audit Report & Records by Community Affairs
Removes scheduled repeal of public records exemption for certain information related to audit report of internal auditor or investigative report of inspector general prepared for or on behalf of local government unit.
SB 7030 – OGSR/Competitive Solicitation by Governmental Oversight
Removes scheduled repeal of public records & meetings exemptions for certain information related to competitive solicitation.
The Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee will meet (10:00 – 11:00 am) to consider the following bill:
SB 408 – Juvenile Civil Citations by Altman
Requiring the establishment of civil citation or similar diversion programs for juveniles, etc.
The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee will meet (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) to consider the following bills and others:
SB 124 – Public Procurement Practices by Evers
Deleting provisions creating the Public-Private Partnership Guidelines Task Force; requiring a private entity that submits an unsolicited proposal to pay an initial application fee and additional amounts if the fee does not cover certain costs; deleting provisions relating to notice to affected local jurisdictions; authorizing a negotiated portion of revenues from fee-generating uses to be returned to the responsible public entity, etc. [NOTE: The Committee will also consider a linked bill — SB 126 – that provides a public records exemption.]
SB 268 – Bullying and Harassment Policies by Ring
Requiring school districts to revise their bullying and harassment policy at specified intervals; requiring the policy to include mandatory reporting procedures and a list of authorized programs that provide bullying and harassment identification, prevention, and response instruction, etc.
SB 706 – Culinary Education Programs by Altman
Providing for the applicability of Department of Health sanitation rules to a licensed culinary education program; authorizing a culinary education program with a public food service establishment license to obtain an alcoholic beverage license under certain conditions; authorizing the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to adopt rules to administer such licenses, etc.
SB 1126 – Auditory-oral Education Programs by Detert
Requiring a school district to annually add a specified number of points to the total score of all domains on a matrix of services for certain children; specifying that such children are eligible for auditory-oral education grants under certain circumstances, etc.
SB 1160 – Art in the Capitol Competition by Detert
Creating the Art in the Capitol Competition for students in specified grades; specifying procedures for student participation, notification, and the selection and display of winning submissions; authorizing rulemaking, etc.
SB 1190 – Growth Management by Diaz de la Portilla
Specifying that persons do not lose the right to complete developments of regional impact upon certain changes to those developments; revising the comprehensive plan amendments that must follow the state coordinated review process; authorizing specified parties to amend certain agreements without the submission, review, or approval of a notification of proposed change when a project has been essentially built out; authorizing the exchange of one approved land use for another under certain conditions, etc.
SB 1226 – Administrative Procedures by Ring
Providing additional requirements for the calculation of estimated adverse impacts and regulatory costs, etc.
The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee will meet (1:30 – 3:30 pm) to consider the following bills and others:
SB 824 – Dual Enrollment Program by Stargel
Exempting dual enrollment students from paying technology fees; requiring a home education secondary student to be responsible for his or her own instructional materials and transportation in order to participate in the dual enrollment program unless the articulation agreement provides otherwise; authorizing certain instructional materials to be made available free of charge to dual enrollment students in home education programs and private schools if provided for in the articulation agreement; requiring a postsecondary institution eligible to participate in the dual enrollment program to enter into an articulation agreement with certain eligible private schools, etc.
SB 830 – School Choice / Charter Schools by Stargel
Revising the required contents of a charter school application; providing for the automatic termination of a charter under certain conditions; specifying that certain limits on the number of charter schools established do not apply under certain circumstances; authorizing certain entities to apply for status as a High-Impact Charter Network; revising charter school eligibility requirements for funding allocations, etc.
SB 1068 – Education / Reading Instruction by Legg
Revising the duties of the Just Read, Florida! Office; revising requirements for school improvement plans and early warning systems; revising core curricula requirements for certain teacher preparation programs to include certain reading instruction and interventions; requiring candidates for an educator certificate in certain areas to demonstrate competence in specified areas, etc.
SB 1078 – Education / Assessments by Legg
Revising the exams each public high school is required to administer to all enrolled 10th grade students to include ACT Aspire, etc.
SB 1088 – McKay Scholarship Program by Stargel
Exempting a foster child from specified eligibility provisions; creating a transition-to-work program for specific students enrolled in the John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program; exempting a John M. McKay Scholarship award from a specified funding calculation for purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program, etc.
SB 1356 – Re-employment / School District Personnel by Brandes
Personnel;Revising provisions relating to reemployment of retirees as instructional personnel on a contract basis; providing legislative intent and findings to clarify authorization to award contracts; providing requirements for a judgment in certain civil actions or administrative proceedings, etc.
SB 1462 – Educational Instruction by Latvala
Requiring the Commissioner of Education to develop an elective course for certain students which must be included in the Course Code Directory, etc.
The Senate Transportation, Tourism & Econ. Devel. Appropriations will meet (1:30 – 3:30 pm) to consider the following bill and others:
SB 1570 – School Bus Stop Safety by Simmons
Citing this act as the “Gabby’s Law for School Bus Stop Safety”; revising the terms of violation and the penalties for failure to stop a vehicle upon approaching a school bus that displays a stop signal; authorizing school districts to use cameras and video recording devices under certain circumstances, etc.
The Senate will be in Session (4:00 – 6:00 pm) to consider the following bills and others:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
SB 468 – Computer Coding Instruction by Ring
Authorizing high schools to offer student opportunities to take specified computer coding courses by a specified school year; providing that high schools will not be required to offer such 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, requiring each student and his or her parent to sign a statement acknowledging and accepting that taking a computer coding course as a foreign language may not meet certain out-of-state requirements; requiring the inclusion of certain computer coding courses in the Course Code Directory; authorizing the Florida Virtual School to offer computer coding courses identified in the Course Code Directory; authorizing school districts to provide students access to such courses under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of Education to annually report certain information to the Board of Governors and the Legislature.
HB 7053 – Child Care & Development Block Grant by Education
Expands list of entities that have access to child abuse records for approving providers of school readiness services; requires school readiness program providers to provide DCF & local licensing agencies with access for inspection purposes; requires certain child care providers to submit affidavit of compliance with licensure requirements of ch. 402, F.S., & federal law; provides criteria for exemption from disqualification for employment with school readiness program provider; revises duties of OEL; revises provisions relating to child & parent eligibility for school readiness programs.
Bills on 2nd Reading:
SB 894 – Education Personnel by Detert
HB 719 – Education Personnel by Spano
Authorizing certain information to be used for educator certification discipline and review; authorizing certain employees or agents of the Department of Education to have access to certain reports and records; authorizing, rather than requiring, the department to sponsor a job fair meeting certain criteria; providing requirements regarding liability insurance for students performing clinical field experience, etc. [NOTE: These bills are similar, but not identical.]
SB 1220 – Award of Attorney Fees / Public Records by Garcia
Revising the circumstances under which a court must assess and award the reasonable costs of enforcement against an agency in a civil action to enforce ch. 119, F.S.; prohibiting a court from assessing and awarding the reasonable costs of enforcement against an agency if certain conditions exist; specifying circumstances under which a complainant is not required to provide certain written notice of a public record request, etc.
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
