In the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee:
HB 143 – American Founders’ Month by Bileca — PASSED
Designates September as “American Founders’ Month”; authorizes Governor to annually designate month; requires district school boards to celebrate American Founders by observing American Founders’ Month; provides that instruction may be integrated into existing school curriculum.
HB 153 – Literacy Jump Start Pilot Project by L. Lee — PASSED
Requires Office of Early Learning to establish pilot project in St. Lucie County to assist low-income, at-risk children in developing emergent literacy skills; requires OEL to select organization to implement pilot project; provides eligibility requirements for participation; requires background screening for childcare personnel; requires OEL to allocate funds for pilot project.
HB 357 – Principal Autonomy Pilot Program by M. Diaz — PASSED
Creates Principal Autonomy Pilot Program Initiative; provides requirements for participation, exemptions, professional development, rulemaking, & reporting; provides authorization period for participation in program; provides for renewal or revocation of authorization to participate in program; revises school district minimum classroom expenditure requirements; requires district school boards participating in program to provide certain funding allocations; provides additional authority & responsibilities to school principals of participating school districts; specifies contents of professional development program.
HB 935 – Individuals with Disabilities / Florida ABLE Program by R. Rodrigues — PASSED
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 – Florida ABLE Program Trust Fund 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 7017 – Early Learning by Education – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Includes large family child care homes in local zoning regulation requirements; revises certain minimum standards for child care facilities & requirements for certain personnel; provides for inspection of programs regulated by DCF; provides exemptions from child care facility licensing standards; revises restrictions on residential property insurance coverage to include coverage for large family child care homes & Child Care Executive Partnership; provides OEL with authority to allocate certain funds.
HB 7037 – School Choice by Choice & Innovation — AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revises provisions relating to charter school application, certain appeals, funding for and payments to charter schools, long-term charters, nonrenewal, termination, and closure of charter schools, financial statements, charter school representatives and public meetings, governing board residency requirements, high-performing charter schools, termination of virtual instruction provider contracts, and charter school professional development; establishes Florida Charter School Innovation Institute. [NOTE: Three amendments were adopted: The first provides that, upon approval of an application, the charter school may notify the district of its intent to defer the opening of the school’s operations for up to two years to provide time for adequate facility planning. The sponsor may not require a charter school to provide written notice of its intent to defer earlier than 15 calendar days before the first day of school. The second amendment provides that any unrestricted surplus or unrestricted net assets identified in the charter school’s annual audit may be used by the not-for-profit or municipal entity organizing or operating the charter school for any educational purpose. The third amendment provides an appropriation of $1,000,000 to create and implement the Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation.]
HB 7043 – Standard Student Attire by K-12 – PASSED
Designates act as “Students Attired for Education (SAFE) Act”; authorizes school boards to adopt standard student attire policy; limits liability for districts that implement attire policy; creates safe schools allocation to provide funding for certain safe schools activities; provides for withholding of funds from districts that do not comply with certain school safety & student discipline reporting; authorizes additional funds for districts that implement standard student attire policy; provides appropriation.
HB 7069 – Education Accountability by Education – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS; PLACED ON SPECIAL ORDER CALENDAR FOR 3/17/15
Revises provisions relating to uniform opening date of public schools, high-performing school districts, student and parent rights, student remediation, scholar designation for standard high school diploma, statewide standardized assessment program, administration and proctoring of assessments, student progression, student evaluation for college readiness, research-based reading instruction allocation, salary schedules, evaluation procedures and criteria, teacher certification, and professional development. [NOTE: Several amendments to the bill were approved today, including an amendment that added additional instructional strategies that may be included a district’s comprehensive reading plan; an amendment providing that the student assessment program is designed to, among existing elements, provide information to improve instruction; and an amendment creating an incentive award for highly achieving high schools that have 65% or more of their student population eligible for free and reduced price lunch.]
HB 665 – Maximum Class Size by Moraitis – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
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.
In the Senate Children, Families, & Elder Affairs Committee:
SB 238 – Athletic Coaches by Ring — PASSED
Requiring an independent sanctioning authority to dismiss an athletic coach ejected from a game for the remainder of that sport season under certain circumstances; authorizing such athletic coach to resume working under certain circumstances, etc.
SB 878 – Children and Youth Cabinet by Montford – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revising the membership of the cabinet to include a superintendent of schools, etc.
In the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee:
HB 571 – Personal Privacy by R. Rodrigues — AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Designates act as “Florida Privacy Protection Act”; provides that digital data is protected from unreasonable search & seizure; prohibits certain government agencies from selling personal information; prohibits use of certain radar devices by law enforcement agency without warrant; prohibits disclosure of certain Internet protocol addresses; regulates collection of images from unmanned aircraft; restricts searches of portable electronic devices; prohibits government entities from entering into nondisclosure agreements with vendors of device monitoring equipment; provides that evidence unlawfully collected is not admissible; prohibits certain state agency use of license plate readers; requires school district contracts involving student data to contain provision barring contractors from selling data; provides that student data shall not be provided to Federal Government or commercial interests without written permission of parent or guardian, or of student; prohibits companies from mining student data; prohibits DHSMV from incorporating certain devices into driver license or identification card; prohibits DHSMV from collecting fingerprints or DNA material for certain purposes. [NOTE: This bill was substantially amended by a “strike all” amendment. The revised bill retains provisions relating to student data privacy and the obligations of school districts, and particularly school board members, to protect that student data.]
In the Senate Rules Committee:
SB 290 – Concealed Weapon / Evacuations by Brandes – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS; PLACED ON SPECIAL ORDER CALENDAR FOR 3/18/15
Providing an exemption from criminal penalties for carrying a concealed weapon or a concealed firearm when evacuating pursuant to a mandatory evacuation order during a declared state of emergency, etc.
In the House Transportation & Ecoomic Development Appropriations Subcommittee:
HB 7019 – Workforce Services by Economic Development & Tourism — PASSED
Renames Workforce Florida, Inc., as CareerSource Florida, Inc.; holds in abeyance specified provisions relating to Workforce Estimating Conference; requires EDR to develop & test labor market economic model & submit report; provides for future repeal; creates task force on preparation for state’s implementation of federal Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act; provides membership & duties of task force; requires task force to submit report & recommendations for approval by CareerSource Florida, Inc.; requires CareerSource Florida, Inc., to submit specified state plan to USDOL; provides for abolishment of task force.
In the House Education Committee:
HB 7057 – School Administration by K-12 – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revises provisions relating to a school district strategic plan, certain standards for certain personnel and school officers, early warning system for certain students, annual review of certain procedures, compulsory student attendance, protected school speech, parental access to homework, out-of-field teachers, related records, policies, court hearings, and penalties, high school equivalency diploma, parental notices for exceptional students, bullying & harassment, certain school districts policies, and certain policies for principals, district school boards employees, and suspension of educator certifications. [NOTE: Several amendments were adopted today including amendments authorizing additional internal audits as directed by the district school board; clarifying circumstances in which students may be counted in attendance; creating a distinction between cases of “nonenrollment” and nonattendance:; revising accountability and state approval for school leader preparation programs; establishing an additional goal for professional development program; and requiring training to be provided through school leader preparation programs.]
The Committee also conducted a Workshop on proposed legislation relating to personal learning scholarship accounts and relating to extracurricular activities.
In the House Health & Human Services Committee:
HB 55 – Children and Youth Cabinet by Harrell — PASSED
Revises membership of Children & Youth Cabinet to include a superintendent of schools; etc..
In the House Finance & Tax Committee:
HB 37 – Voluntary Contributions for Education Facilities by Raschein – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Authorizes participating business that registers with DOR to solicit & collect contributions from customers for construction & maintenance of public education facilities; provides registration requirements; requires participating business to file return & remit contributions to DOR; requires DOR to deposit contributions into PECO & Debt Service Trust Fund; authorizes DOR to adopt emergency rules.
COMING UP TOMORROW
There are no legislative committees of interest scheduled for tomorrow.. Look for our next Daily Update on Monday, March 16.
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
