HB 383 – Private Property Rights by Edwards – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Provides that settlement agreements between owners & governmental entities apply if issues are resolved; creates cause of action for damages caused by unconstitutional exaction of property in this state; authorizes award of certain amounts under certain circumstances.
In the House Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee:
HB 747 – Bright Futures Scholarship Program by Rooney – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Requires student, as prerequisite for Florida Academic Scholars award, Florida Medallion Scholars award, or Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, to identify social or civic issue or professional area of interest & develop plan for personal involvement in addressing issue or learning about area; prohibits student from receiving remuneration or academic credit for volunteer service work. [NOTE: Today’s amendment delays initial award and renewal period for students unable to accept an award immediately after completion of high school due to a religious or service obligation and revises eligibility requirements for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program for home education students.]
HB 4005 – Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons by Steube –PASSED
Deletes provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed weapon or firearm into college or university facility.
In the Senate SESSION:
SB 290 – Concealed Weapon / Evacuations by Brandes – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING FOR 3/24/15
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 Senate Appropriations Committee:
SB 258 – Property and Casualty Insurance by Brandes – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Requiring the Office of Insurance Regulation to use certain models or methods, or a straight average of model results or output ranges, to estimate hurricane losses when determining whether the rates in a rate filing are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory; increasing the length of time during which an insurer is not required to adhere to certain models found by the Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology to be accurate or reliable in determining probable maximum loss levels with respect to certain rate filings, etc.
SB 7024 – State Board of Administration by Government Oversight — PASSED
Requiring that additional income received after distribution of the residual balance be deposited in the Local Government Surplus Funds Trust Fund; establishing conditions for the transfer of any residual balance in the Fund B Surplus Funds Trust Fund upon self-liquidation; repealing provisions relating to restrictions on investments in institutions doing business in or with Northern Ireland; etc.
In the House SESSION:
HB 7069 – Education Accountability by Education – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
Revises provisions relating to uniform opening date of public schools, high-performing school districts, student & parent rights, student remediation, scholar designation for standard high school diploma, statewide standardized assessment program, administration & 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.
In the Senate Education PreK-12 Committee:
SB 530 – Bullying and Harassment Policies in Schools by Ring — PASSED
Requiring school districts to revise their bullying and harassment policies at specified intervals; specifying that a school district policy require a school to implement the policy in a certain manner and integrate it with the school’s bullying prevention and intervention program, etc.
SB 874 – Dual Enrollment Program by Stargel — PASSED
Exempting dual enrollment students from paying certain fees, including technology fees; deleting the requirement that a home education secondary student be responsible for his or her own instructional materials in order to participate in the dual enrollment program; authorizing certain instructional materials to be made available free of charge to dual enrollment students in public high schools, home education programs, and private schools, etc.
SB 1020 – Student Transportation Funding by Simmons — PASSED
Revising the membership of students that a school district reports for transportation funding purposes; revising the school transportation allocation formula used by each school district; revising the types of students eligible for transportation funds used for transportation to and from school in private passenger cars and boats, etc.
SB 1202 – Voter Registration by Brandes — PASSED
Designating a specified period each year during which supervisors of elections are authorized to provide certain students with the opportunity to register to vote at school and with instruction on the elections process, etc.
SB 1262 – Education by Legg — PASSED
Requiring the Department of Education to have an operating electronic IEP system in place for statewide use; authorizing the Commissioner of Education to issue a letter of guidance in response to a complaint against a teacher or administrator in lieu of a probable cause determination, etc.
SB 1264 – Digital Classrooms by Legg – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Establishing requirements for digital classrooms technology infrastructure planning by the Agency for State Technology or a contracted organization; requiring the Office of Technology and Information Services of the Department of Education to consult with the Agency for State Technology in developing the 5-year strategic plan for Florida digital classrooms; specifying conditions for a school district to maintain eligibility for Florida digital classrooms allocation funds, etc.
SB 1552 – Parent and Student Rights by Benacquisto – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Requires school district to provide parents with a fiscal transparency notification regarding the estimated amount of funding associated with the education of his or her child; authorizes school and classroom choice options beyond school district boundaries, provided the receiving district or school has not reached capacity and the parent provides transportation; allows a student to transfer to another classroom teacher, in specified circumstances; creates options for students to receive customized instruction while receiving health care services in children’s hospitals; modifies charter school requirements related to application processes, contract renewal and termination, operations, performance and fiscal accountability, student reporting, and governing board conflict of interest disclosure and reporting; authorizes the replication of high performing charter school in the attendance zone of a school in need of intervention, to meet capacity needs, or to meet district identified innovative choice options; authorizes an entity that successfully operates a system of charter schools to apply to the State Board of Education for status as a high-performing charter school system; creates the Charter School District Pilot Program authorizing the State Board of Education to enter into a performance contract with district school boards to provide principals of participating school with increased autonomy and authority; creates the Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation at the Florida State University to provide technical assistance to charter school applicants and improve charter school accountability, quality, and innovation [NOTE: The committee took up and amended a Proposed Committee Substitute in place of the original bill. The summary above reflects the basic provisions of the bill. Several of these provisions give rise to questions and concerns. We are preparing a more detailed summary of the bill and comparison to related House bills.]
COMING UP TOMORROW
[REMINDER: Florida Channel webcasts available at http://thefloridachannel.org]
The House Education Committee will meet (8:00-11:00 am) to consider:
HB 55 – Children and Youth Cabinet by Harrell
Revises membership of Children & Youth Cabinet to include a district school superintendent; etc..
HB 143 – American Founders’ Month by Bileca
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
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 181 – Educational Facilities by Bileca
Provides for school district construction flexibility; authorizes exceptions to educational facilities construction requirements under certain circumstances.
HB 291 – Involuntary Examinations of Minors by Harrell
Provides requirements for notification of involuntary examination of minors by public schools, charter schools, & receiving facilities.
HB 357 – Principal Autonomy Pilot Program by M. Diaz
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 665 – Maximum Class Size by Moraitis
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 district plan for compliance with class size maximums be posted to district website & provided to school advisory committee of each noncompliant school; authorizes that plan be posted on noncompliant school’s website.
HB 7043 – Standard Student Attire by K-12
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 7037 – School Choice by Choice & Innovation
Revises provisions relating to charter school application, certain appeals, funding for & payments to charter schools, long-term charters, nonrenewal, termination, & closure of charter schools, financial statements, charter school representatives & public meetings, governing board residency requirements, high-performing charter schools, termination of virtual instruction provider contracts, & charter school professional development; authorizes charter school to defer opening & use of certain funds for educational purposes; establishes Florida Charter School Innovation Institute; provides appropriation.
EDC3 – Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts by Education
Increases the pool of eligible applicants by expanding the definition of autism to include all students on the autism spectrum disorder and to include students who have muscular dystrophy; increases the types of services available to participants; clarifies that funds must be expended for the student’s educational needs; outlines specific criteria for when payments to a personal learning scholarship account would cease and when an account is closed and funds revert to the state; requires review of all expenditures prior to reimbursement; authorizes the Commissioner of Education to deny, suspend, or revoke program participation or use of program funds in specified circumstances; rquires a high-risk child who reaches 6 years of age has documentation of an eligible disability in order to continue in the program; requires the Auditor General to provide a copy of the annual operational audit to the Commissioner of Education; etc..
The House Local & Federal Affairs Committee will meet (9:00-11:00 am) to consider the following items and others:
HB 361 – Military Housing Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions by Trumbull
Grants certain leasehold interests & improvements to land owned by U.S. or agency thereof, branch of U.S. Armed Forces, or quasi-governmental agency exemption from ad valorem taxation; exempts such leasehold interests & improvements without need to apply for exemption or property appraiser approving exemption; provides nonapplicability of provisions to transient public lodging establishments; provides retroactive applicability.
HB 365 – Skateboarding, Skating, or Bicycling by Gonzalez
Removes requirement that governmental entity that provides designated area for skateboarding, inline skating, or freestyle bicycling post rules indicating written consent of parent or legal guardian of child under certain age is required to participates; provides for application of specified provisions that limit liability of governmental entity.
The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee will meet (9:30 am-12:00 pm) to consider:
SB 802 – Vocational Rehabilitation by D. Gaetz
Providing for the future repeal of the designation of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as the administrative unit for purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, subject to legislative review of a required report; requiring the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to initiate, by a specified date, a performance improvement plan designed to achieve specified goals; requiring the division to develop and implement a pilot program to improve the state vocational rehabilitation program, etc.
SB 960 – Bright Futures Scholarship Program by T. Lee
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; prohibiting the student from receiving remuneration or academic credit for the volunteer service work performed, etc.
SB 1140 – Bright Futures Scholarship Program by Montford
Providing that the initial award and 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 begins upon the completion of the religious or service obligation, etc.
SB 616 – Education Accountability by Legg
Revising requirements for the administration of local assessments; revising the percentage thresholds for performance evaluation criteria for instructional personnel and school administrators; authorizing a school district to request approval from the state board to use student performance results on new statewide assessments for diagnostic and baseline purposes, etc.
The House Economic Affairs Committee will meet (12:30-2:30 pm) to consider the following items and others:
EAC1 – Individuals with Disabilities by Economic Affairs
Creates the Florida Unique Abilities Partner program to recognize business entities that employ individuals who have a disability, contribute to organizations that support the independence of individuals who have a disability, or establish a program that contributes to the independence of individuals who have a disability.
HB 7019 – Workforce Services by Economic Development
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.
The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee will meet (1:00-3:00 pm) to consider the following items and others:
SB 152 – Disability Awareness by Ring
Requiring, rather than authorizing, each district school board to provide disability history and awareness instruction in all K-12 public schools beginning in a specified school year; requiring each public school to establish a disability history and awareness advisory council, etc.
SB 408 – Skateboarding, Skating, or Bicycling by Simmons
Deleting the requirement that a governmental entity that provides a designated area for skateboarding, inline skating, or freestyle bicycling obtain the written consent of the parent or legal guardian of a child under a certain age before allowing the child to participate in these activities in such area; requiring the governmental entity to post a rule indicating that consent forms are required for children under a certain age before participation in paintball or mountain and off-road bicycling, etc.
The House Appropriations Committee will meet (3:00-6:00 pm) to consider the following items and others:
HB 19 – School Safety by Steube
Permits school superintendent, with approval of the school board, to authorize school safety designee to carry concealed weapon or firearm on school property; provides requirements for school safety designees; provides exception to prohibition on possession of firearms or other specified devices on school property or other specified areas; provides for fingerprint processing & retention; requires that fees be borne by school safety designee or school; requires school boards to formulate policies & procedures for dealing with active shooters & hostage situations in consultation with law enforcement; requires district school boards & private schools allow campus tours by local law enforcement agencies for specified purposes & that their recommendations be documented; permits district school boards to commission one or more school safety officers on each school campus.
HB 113 – Local Government Construction Preferences by Perry
Prohibits local ordinances & regulations from restricting competition for award of construction services based upon certain conditions; requires state college, school district, or other political subdivision to make specified disclosures in competitive solicitation documents.
HB 477 – Background Screening by Sprowls
Revises requirement relating to background screening of instructional personnel in virtual instruction programs; provides additional offenses that determine ineligibility for educator certification or employment; revises requirements for submission, retention, search, & reporting of fingerprints of educational personnel & contractual personnel; provides for FDLE participation in national retained print arrest notification program.
HB 549 – Associations of Government Officials by M. Diaz
Requires membership association that receives specified percentage of budget from public funds to file annual report with Legislature; specifies required elements of report; prohibits membership association from expending public funds on litigation against the state.
HB 565 – Retirement by Beshears
Authorizes local agency employers to reassess designation of positions for inclusion in SMS Class; provides for removal of certain positions.
HB 571 – Personal Privacy by R. Rodrigues
Designates act as “Florida Privacy Protection Act”; provides that digital data is protected from unreasonable search & seizure; prohibits use of certain radar technology by law enforcement agency without warrant; prohibits disclosure of certain Internet protocol addresses; 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; 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.
HB 1091 – Military Affairs by Steube
Requires application form for original, renewal, or replacement driver license or identification card to include voluntary checkoff permitting veterans to request written information for federal, state, & local programs; directs DHSMV to report specified information to DVA; directs DVA to assist veterans with preparing certain claims & securing certain services; provides for SBE & BOG to work collaboratively to establish degree programs at state universities & Florida College System institutions, train faculty, coordinate campus disability services, facilitate statewide meetings for personnel, & provide sufficient courses & priority registration to veterans; creates Overseas Military Voting Assistance Task Force; requires Division of Elections to provide support staff to task force & Agency for State Technology to assist task force upon request; requires Secretary of State to submit report to Governor & Legislature containing task force recommendations for development & implementation of online voting system.
The House Finance & Tax Committee will meet (3:00-6:00 pm) to consider the following item and others:
HB 695 – Value Adjustment Boards by Avila
Revises entities who may appear before value adjustment board; revises procedures related to value adjustment boards; revises interest rate for unpaid ad valorem taxes; authorizes district school board & county commission to audit value adjustment board; requires certain counties to notify DOR of petitions contesting tax assessments; specifies how DOR must conduct reviews; requires DOR to report the findings to Legislature; requires DOR to find value adjustment board to be in violation of law if certain criteria are met; authorizes filing of lawsuit by property appraiser; requires DOR to adopt rules.
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
