TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the Senate Session:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
HB 793 – Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program by O’Toole — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
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.
HB 799 – Out of State Fee Waivers / Active Duty Service by Avila – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
Requiring state universities, Florida College System institutions, and certain centers to waive out-of-state fees for active duty members of the United States Armed Forces residing or stationed outside of this state; prohibiting tuition and fees charged to such students from exceeding a specified amount, etc.
HB 1125 – Child Care Personnel by McBurney — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
Prohibiting certain job applicants from employment with a child care facility, etc.
SB 1418 – Supplemental Academic Instruction by Simmons – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Deleting the fiscal year for the requirement that specified school districts use certain funds toward additional intensive reading instruction; specifying the method for determining the 300 lowest-performing elementary schools; requiring categorical funds for supplemental academic instruction to be provided for in the FEFP; specifying the method of determining the allocation of categorical funding; providing for the recalculation of categorical funding; requiring an allocation to be prorated if certain conditions exist.
SB 124 – Public Procurement Practices by Evers — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
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.
SB 126 – Public Procurement Practices / Public Records by Evers — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Transferring, renumbering, and amending provisions relating to public-private partnerships for public facilities and infrastructure; providing an exemption from public records requirements for a specified period for unsolicited proposals received by a responsible public entity; providing an exemption from public records requirements for a specified period for the recording of, and any records generated during, a closed meeting; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemptions; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.
Bills on 2nd Reading:
SB 7000 – Local Development by Community Affairs – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
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.
SB 1190 – Growth Management by Diaz de la Portilla – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 1361; SB 1190 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 1361 – Growth Management by La Rosa – SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 1361; READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
Authorizing local governments to hold joint public meetings to discuss matters of mutual interest upon certain conditions; specifying that certain developments must follow the state coordinated review process; establishing deadlines for the state land planning agency to take action on recommended orders relating to certain plan amendments; revising the applicability of certain requirements and restrictions relating to areas of critical state concern to the Apalachicola Bay Area, etc.
SB 1166 – Education Funding by Gaetz – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7029; SB 1166 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 7029 – School Choice by Choice & Innovation – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 1166; READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
Establishing a collaboration between the state board and the Legislature to designate certain Florida College System institutions as distinguished colleges; 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; revising the purpose of the Credit Acceleration Program; requiring the FHSAA to allow a private school to maintain full membership in the association or to join by sport; revising the calculation for certain supplemental funds for exceptional student education programs, etc. [NOTE: HB 7029 was extensively amended. In addition to adding the substance of SB 1166, most of the content of SB 524 was also added (see short summary of SB 524 below). In addition, several other amendments were adopted, including, among others, provisions relating to the Federally Connected Student Supplement, capital outlay project flexibility with regard to the State Requirements for Educational Facilities, reporting requirements for per student funding for operating and capital funding from all sources, the probationary period for VPK program providers, a revised version of the Best and Brightest Scholarship program, and charter school eligibility for state capital outlay funding. This lengthy bill now contains all or part of several of the major education related bills that were filed during this session, including several that are highly controversial.]
SB 268 – Bullying and Harassment Policies by Ring – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
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. [NOTE: Today’s amendment provides a short title for the section of law relating to requirements for health education curricula and school board policies on teen dating violence and abuse.]
SB 372 – Administrative Procedures by Lee – NOT CONSIDERED; RETAINED ON SPECIAL ORDER CALENDAR
Providing procedures for agencies to follow when initiating rulemaking after certain public hearings; providing for publication of notices of rule development and of rules filed for adoption; specifying legal authority to file a petition challenging an agency rule as an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority, etc.
SB 524 – Education by Gaetz – NOT CONSIDERED; RETAINED ON SPECIAL ORDER CALENDAR
Creating a Florida College System Performance-Based Incentive for Florida College System institutions; establishing a collaboration between the state board and the Legislature to designate certain Florida College System institutions as distinguished colleges; revising the academic and research excellence standards for the preeminent state research universities program; requiring the Board of Governors to designate a state university that meets specified requirements as an “emerging preeminent state research university”; requiring a school district to add a specified number of points to the calculation of a matrix of services for a student who is deaf and enrolled in an auditory-oral education program; revising eligibility for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; revising the online course requirement; creating a federally connected student supplement for school districts; creating the Principal Autonomy Pilot Program Initiative; providing requirements regarding liability insurance for students performing clinical field experience; establishing the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program; deleting provisions relating to priorities for charter school capital outlay funding; deleting provisions relating to a charter school’s allocation; providing that a charter school is not eligible for funding unless it meets certain requirements; revising the funding allocation calculation; providing that a school district may not receive funds from the Special Facility Construction Account under certain circumstances; revising the criteria for a request for funding; prohibiting certain consultants from specified employment and compensation; providing an exception to prohibiting the cost per student station from exceeding a certain amount; requiring OPPAGA to conduct a study, in consultation with the department, on cost per student station amounts and on the State Requirements for Education Facilities; providing sanctions for school districts that exceed certain costs; deleting a provision relating to applicability of certain restrictions on the cost per student station of new construction; authorizing a university board of trustees to expend reserve or carry-forward balances for certain projects; establishing a competency-based innovation pilot program within the Department of Education; defining the term “competency-based education”; authorizing certain schools to apply to the department for approval of a competency-based innovation pilot program; requiring the department to compile certain information and provide access to statewide, standardized assessments; etc. [NOTE: This is the bill that was substantially amended last week to incorporate the substance of several bills and proposed policies including, but not limited to, SB 978 relating to the Best and Brightest Teacher awards, SB 434 relating to the Principal Autonomy Pilot Program, SB 1714 relating to the Competency Based Education Pilot Program, SB 1126 relating to Auditory-Oral Education Programs, SB 1360 relating to Student Assessments, SB 1166 relating to Education Funding; SB 1064 relating to the Special Facility Construction Account Program, and the Senate’s proposal with regard to charter school capital outlay funding. The Senate charter school capital outlay proposal does not include any requirement for school districts to share local capital outlay millage revenue with charter schools, but it does include provisions that call for a study of the calculation of the statutory cost per student station, provisions that would limit district spending on capital projects, and provisions that would apply sanctions on school districts that exceed the cost per student station. Several amendments have been filed for consideration.]
In the House Session:
Bills on 2nd Reading:
HB 31 – High School Athletics by Spano – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
Providing that a private school may join the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) as a full-time member or on a per-sport basis; authorizing a public school to apply for consideration to join another athletic association; prohibiting the FHSAA from taking any retributory or discriminatory action against specified schools; authorizing the Commissioner of Education to identify other associations in compliance with specified provision; requiring the preparticipation physical evaluation form to contain certain information relating to a cardiovascular assessment that includes an electrocardiogram; requiring the FHSAA to make literature containing certain information available to parents; providing a process for resolving student eligibility disputes. [NOTE: Today’s amendments require the FHSAA to allow a private school (rather than any school) the option of joining the association as a full-time member or on a per-sport basis and require the FHSAA to provide a process for the resolution of student eligibility disputes. This brief summary reflects the changes made to the bill.]
HB 229 – Bullying and Harassment Policies by Geller — READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
Requiring each school district to review its bullying and harassment policy at specified intervals; requiring each school principal to implement the bullying and harassment policy in a certain manner and integrate it with the school’s bullying prevention and intervention program; requiring the policy to include a procedure for receiving reports of alleged acts of bullying and a list of authorized programs that provide bullying and harassment identification, prevention, and response instruction; providing a short title for chapter 2010-217, Laws of Florida, relating to requirements for health education curricula and district school board policies on teen dating violence and abuse. [NOTE: Today’s amendment provides that Chapter 2010-217, Laws of Florida, may be cited as “Taylor’s Law for Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention” ]
HB 7021 – Reading Instruction by K-12 – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
Revises provisions relating to Just Read, Florida! Office, school improvement plans & early warning systems, instruction & intervention for students with substantial reading deficiencies, & parental notification for such students; revises provisions relating to educator training & certification, teacher preparation programs, & school Community Professional Redevelopment Act; provides appropriation. [NOTE: Several amendments were adopted today, including provisions intended to better align the bill with the Senate companion bill – SB 1068. Among today’s amendments are provisions to revise teacher preparation programs to provide technology literacy training; provide that supplemental reading materials are not required to meet Just Read, Florida! standards; revising progress monitoring for students with substantial reading deficiencies; revising requirements for renewal of professional teaching certificates; authorizing the department to recommend consolidation of endorsement areas and requirements for endorsements for teacher certificates; establishing a program to recognize a high school graduate who has attained a high level of competency in one or more foreign languages; and specifying criteria to earn a Gold Seal of Biliteracy or a Silver Seal of Biliteracy.]
HB 593 – Government Accountability by Metz — READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/7/16
Requires each house of Legislature to provide by rule reporting requirements regarding lobbying firm’s lobbying activities; requires each house to establish procedures applicable to untimely filing of reports by rule; providing fines for late filing of reports; revises auditing protocols for certain agencies, councils, & state schools; revises responsibilities of certain state officials & employment or contractual relationships; revises provisions governing collection methods for certain unpaid automatic fines; requires counties, municipalities, & special districts to maintain certain budget documents on entities’ websites for specified period; prohibits member of the Legislature or candidate for legislative office from accepting employment with certain private entities; revises certain compensation protocols; revises requirements for financial statements & audits of certain governmental entities; requires lobbying firm to file report with Commission on Ethics.
COMING UP TOMORROW
There are no committee meetings or chamber sessions scheduled for tomorrow, but the Budget Conference Chairs are likely to meet to continue work on reconciling differences in the state budget. We will notify you promptly of any significant progress on the budget. On Monday, we will issue this week’s Video Update and our next issue of the Daily Update.
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
