TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the Senate Education Committee:
SB 138 – Meetings of District School Boards by Ring – PASSED
Requiring district school boards to convene at least one regular meeting during the evening hours each quarter during the school year and to establish written criteria for convening such a meeting; providing that a district school board is deemed to be in compliance under certain circumstances; revising requirements for calling a special meeting, etc.
SB 212 – Financial Literacy Education by Hukill – PASSED WITH A CS
Removing the requirement for financial literacy to be included in the instruction of Economics and, beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2014-2015 school year, revising the required credits for high school graduation and a standard high school diploma to include one-half credit for instruction in personal financial literacy and seven and one-half, rather than eight, credits in electives; etc.
SB 396 – Joint Use of Public School Facilities by Bean – PASSED WITH A CS
Authorizing district school boards to enter into joint-use agreements with a local government or a private organization or adopt public access policies; providing criteria for joint-use agreements; authorizing a district school board to enter into agreements with a county, municipality, or Florida College System institution to develop and operate joint community projects; requiring such agreements to have certain specifications; requiring certain provisions to be included in joint-use agreements for joint community projects, including indemnification of district school boards and liability insurance; etc. [NOTE: The bill was substantially amended in the meeting. This brief summary reflects those amendments.]
SB 420 – Fine Arts Courses by Detert – PASSED
Requiring the Commissioner of Education to prepare an annual report relating to student access to and participation in fine arts courses and information on educators, facilities, and instruction in such courses, etc.
SB 566 – Florida Bright Futures Scholarships by T. Lee – PASSED
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 628 – Educational Facilities Financing by Montford – PASSED WITH A CS
Expanding the definition of the term “project” as it relates to the Higher Educational Facilities Financing Act. [NOTE: The bill was substantially amended in the meeting. This brief summary reflects that amendment.]
SB 908 – Education Funding / AVID Classes by Montford – PASSED
Providing for the calculation of additional full-time equivalent student membership based on enrollment in Advancement Via Individual Determination elective classes and examination scores; providing for the use of funds, etc.
SB 1060 – Code of Student Conduct by Evers – PASSED
Providing that simulating a firearm or weapon while playing or wearing certain clothing or accessories is not grounds for disciplinary action or referral to the criminal justice or juvenile justice system; providing actions that constitute simulating a firearm or weapon while playing; providing criteria for determining whether certain student conduct warrants disciplinary action, etc.
SB 1202 – Career & Charter Technical Career Centers by Montford – PASSED WITH A CS
Authorizing a career center to offer college credit courses applicable toward specific certificates or degrees; providing a process for approval to offer specific degree programs; authorizing a career center to change the institution’s name if certain requirements are met; authorizing a charter technical career center to offer college credit courses applicable toward specific certificates or degrees; authorizing a charter technical career center to change the institution’s name if certain requirements are met; renaming the applied technology diploma program as the college credit certificate program and clarifying the program; revising and clarifying tuition and fees for specific workforce education programs; authorizing a career center to offer associate in applied science degree programs; requiring school districts and Florida College System institutions to maintain certain records; revising operational and performance funding calculation and allocation for workforce education programs; etc. [NOTE: The bill was substantially amended in the meeting. This brief summary reflects these amendments.]
SB 1206 – Agricultural Industry Certifications by Montford – PASSED WITH A CS
Requiring the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to annually provide to the State Board of Education and the Department of Education information and industry certifications for farm occupations to be considered for placement on industry certification funding lists; defining the term “industry certification”; requiring the state board to adopt rules for implementing an industry certification process for farm occupations; etc.
SB 1226 – Education / Repealer by Montford – PASSED WITH A CS
Requiring the Auditor General to notify the Legislative Auditing Committee if a district school board fails to take corrective action subsequent to an audit; repealing provisions relating to the Learning Gateway program; revising the definition of the term “Next Generation Sunshine State Standards”; revising Department of Education duties relating to the public broadcasting program system; revising course and assessment requirements for the award of a standard high school diploma, etc.
SB 1292 – Postsecondary Education by Legg – PASSED WITH A CS
Establishing the Florida Center for Library Automation; providing the duties of the center and executive director; repealing s. 1006.72, F.S., relating to licensing electronic library resources; repealing s. 1006.73, F.S., relating to the Florida Virtual Campus; creating the Complete Florida Plus Program, rather than the Complete Florida Degree Program, within the Innovation Institute of the University of West Florida; establishing the Complete Florida Degree Initiative; requiring the initiative to use labor market data and projections to identify specific workforce needs and targeted occupations; requiring the Complete Florida Plus Program to develop and manage a statewide Internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by public postsecondary education institutions; providing requirements for the operational procedures for the catalog; requiring the Complete Florida Plus Program to make available to postsecondary students specified online supports and services; providing that records, personnel, property, existing contracts, unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, grants, and other funds of the Florida Virtual Campus are transferred to the University of West Florida; revising the articulated acceleration mechanisms that are available for secondary and postsecondary students attending public educational institutions to include industry certifications; etc. [NOTE: The bill was substantially amended in the meeting. This brief summary reflects these amendments.]
SB 1394 – Standard Diploma / Merit Designation by Legg – PASSED
Revising the requirements to earn a Merit designation on a standard high school diploma, etc.
SB 1528 – Charter Schools by Bradley
Authorizing contract disputes to be referred to the Division of Administrative Hearings for summary final order; requiring a charter school to request that withdrawing students or parents of withdrawing students complete a survey; requiring a charter school to annually report information concerning why students leave the charter school to its sponsor and the Department of Education; providing that a charter school may only discipline students for the grounds and in the manner specified in the code of student conduct. [NOTE: The bill was substantially amended in the meeting. References to the use of a standard contract, out-of-state high performing charter schools, and charter school access to district school facilities that are no longer used as schools were removed and this brief summary reflects the amended version of the Senate bill. Please see the news articles below in the In the News section of this Update.]
In the House Higher Education & the Workforce Subcommittee:
HB 1053 – Teacher Education by Castor Dentel – PASSED WITH A CS
Revises eligibility criteria for receipt of minority teacher education scholarship; revises funding for administration & training program carried out by board of directors of Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.; revises criteria for eligibility & issuance of temporary certificates.
In the Senate Judiciary Committee:
SB 602 – Residency/Candidates/Public Officers by Latvala – PASSED WITH A CS
Requiring a candidate or public officer required to reside in a specific geographic area to have only one domicile at a time; providing factors that may be considered when determining residency; providing exceptions for active duty military members, etc.
SB 72 – Legislative Session Dates by Flores – PASSED WITH A CS
Fixing the date for convening the regular session of the Legislature in even-numbered years. [NOTE: The bill was amended to apply only to the 2016 regular Legislative Session and sets the date for convening as January 12, 2016.]
In the House Governmental Operations Subcommittee:
HB 1327 – Government Accountability by Metz – PASSED WITH A CS
Revises responsibilities of department heads, Supreme Court as it relates to state courts system, Justice Administrative Commission, state attorneys, public defenders, criminal conflict & civil regional counsel, Guardian Ad Litem program, Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation, each local governmental entity, and governing body of charter school, to include responsibility of establishing certain internal controls; revises provisions relating to agency inspectors general; revises definition of “state agency” to include Justice Administrative Commission and agencies it administratively supports; revises responsibilities of district school board’s internal auditor to permit certain audits and reviews; requires each Florida College System institution to file certain annual financial statements with State Board of Education; requires each school district, Florida College System institution, and state university to establish certain internal controls.
In the House K-12 Subcommittee:
HB 1121 – Hazardous Walking Conditions by Metz – PASSED WITH A CS
Revising criteria that determine a hazardous walking condition for public school students; revising procedures for inspection and identification of hazardous walking conditions; authorizing a district school superintendent to initiate a formal request for correction of a hazardous walking condition; authorizing a district school board to initiate an administrative proceeding under certain circumstances and providing requirements therefor; requiring a district school board to provide transportation to students who would be subjected to hazardous walking conditions; requiring state or local governmental entities with jurisdiction over a road with a hazardous walking condition to correct the condition within a reasonable period of time; providing requirements for a governmental entity relating to its capital improvements program; providing requirements relating to a civil action for damages.
In the Senate Military & Veterans Affairs, Space, & Domestic Security Committee:
SB 1120 – Military Affairs by Abruzzo – PASSED WITH A CS
Prohibiting a public employer from compelling an employee who is the spouse of a military service member to work extended work hours during active duty deployment of his or her spouse; prohibiting the imposition of a sanction or penalty upon such employee for failure or refusal to work extended work hours during the period of his or her spouse’s active duty deployment; requiring a public employer to grant a request by such employee for unpaid leave for specified purposes during the active duty deployment, etc.
COMING UP TOMORROW
The House will be in Session – 9:00 am-12:00 pm; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following items and others on 2nd Reading:
HB 313 – Gender-Specific School Pilot Project by M. Diaz
Provides requirements for district school board when establishing gender-specific elementary, middle, or high school; requires school administrative & instructional personnel to participate in professional development; provides accountability requirements.
HB 433 – Educator Certification by Spano
Provides requirements for certain instructional personnel who supervise or direct pre-service field experience; revises acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of general knowledge, subject area knowledge, & professional preparation & education competence; revises components of competency-based professional development certification & education competency program; repeals study to compare performance of certain certificate-holders; revises certain requirements for renewal or reinstatement of professional certificate.
HB 533 – Student Eligibility / Athletics by M. Diaz
Revises provisions enabling home education, charter school, virtual education, & certain private school students to participate in extracurricular activities at public school; authorizes students attending certain public schools to participate in extracurricular activities at another public school; requires district school board eligibility policies to apply evenly to all students regardless of student’s extracurricular activity; requires FHSAA bylaws to specify that pre-participation physical evaluation form advise students to complete cardiovascular assessment that includes electrocardiogram.
HB 707 – Background Screening by M. Diaz
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 7057 – Career & Charter Technical Career Centers by Education
Authorizes career center & charter technical career center to offer college credit courses applicable toward specific certificates or degrees; provides process for approval to offer specific degree programs; renames & clarifies applied technology diploma program; revises & clarifies tuition & fees for specific workforce education programs; revises funding calculation & allocation for workforce education programs.
HB 9 – Legislative Session Dates by Nunez
Fixes date for convening regular session of Legislature in even-numbered years.
The Senate will be in Session – 9:30-11:00 am; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following items and others:
3rd Reading:
SB 846 – Governmental Ethics by Latvala
Prohibiting a local officer from registering to lobby the Legislature or an agency on behalf of another person or entity other than his or her political subdivision; specifying the applicability of certain provisions of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees to members of the executive council of the Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation; authorizing the Commission on Ethics to initiate an investigation and hold a public hearing without receipt of a complaint in certain circumstances, etc.
SB 1648 – Public Records by Governmental Oversight
Revising the general state policy on public records; providing that public records requests need not be in writing unless otherwise required by law; revising contract requirements between a public agency and a contractor; requiring each agency to provide training on the requirements of ch. 119, F.S.; specifying a reasonable cost of enforcement; providing that a party filing an action against certain agencies is not required to serve a copy of a pleading claiming attorney fees on the Department of Financial Services, etc.
SB 160 – Food Distributed Free of Charge by Bullard
Limiting the liability of public schools with respect to canned or perishable food donated to charitable or nonprofit organizations, etc.
SB 188 – Education Data Privacy by Hukill
Providing for annual notice to K-12 students and parents of rights relating to education records; providing limitations on the collection of information and the disclosure of confidential and exempt student records; revising provisions relating to the submission of student social security numbers and the assignment of student identification numbers; requiring the Department of Education to establish a process for assigning student identification numbers, etc.
2nd Reading:
SB 358 – Volunteers / Organized Youth Sports by Ring
Revising the definition of the term “athletic coach”; expanding provisions relating to athletic coaches for independent sanctioning authorities to require such authorities to conduct specified background screening of certain coaches of youth athletic teams; providing that the duty may not be delegated; providing for disqualification; providing for exemption from disqualification; requiring that specified documentation be maintained for a specified period by such authorities, etc.
SB 852 – Education Assessments by Education
Prohibiting a student from taking certain local assessments during a specified time, etc.
The House Appropriations Committee will meet – 1:00-7:00 pm; Florida Channel webcast – to consider their Appropriations, Implementing and Conforming bills, including:
APC-9 – General Appropriations Act by Appropriations
APC-10 – Implementing GAA by Appropriations
APC-4 – Education Capital Outlay by Appropriations
APC-7 – Florida Retirement System / Contribution Rates by Appropriations
HB 5101 – Education Funding / Conforming by Education Appropriations
Establishes FIRN according to specified requirements; revises provisions relating to compliance with maximum class size requirements; provides for masters in science program at New College of Florida; authorizes DOE to collect fees for instructional materials approval process & pay stipend to reviewers; revises provisions relating to dual enrollment articulation agreements, participating postsecondary institutions, student eligibility, costs, payments, & funding; revises certain postsecondary student fees; revises provisions relating to advance payment contracts; revises provisions relating to John M. McKay Scholarship amounts; creates technology supplemental allocation. [NOTE: FSBA has concerns about several provisions in this conforming bill, especially with regard provisions relating to FIRN and technology policies.]
HB 5103 – Students with Disabilities by Choice & Innovation
Establishes Florida Personal Learning Account Program to enable parents of students with disabilities to customize their child’s education using wide range of instructional services; provides student eligibility, responsibilities for program participation, administration & funding of Florida Personal Learning Accounts, & DOE, nonprofit scholarship-funding organization, & school district obligations. [NOTE: FSBA has concerns about this bill as it creates a new voucher program and mechanism for funding the vouchers.]
The Senate Governmental Oversight & Accountability Committee will meet – 1:30-3:30 pm; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following item and others:
SB 864 – Instructional Materials / Adoption by Hays
Providing that the district school board has the constitutional duty and responsibility to select and provide adequate instructional materials for all students; requiring a district school board or consortium of school districts to implement an instructional materials program; repealing provisions relating to bids, proposals, and advertisement regarding the adoption of instructional materials; requiring the district school board, rather than the commissioner, to conduct an independent investigation to determine the accuracy of district-adopted instructional materials, etc. [NOTE: FSBA is opposed to this bill, particularly because it imposes costs and responsibilities on school districts that are better addressed at the state level.]
IN THE NEWS
Palm Beach Post – 3/24/14
After voucher bills stalls, charter school expansion gains traction in Legislature
http://www.mypalmbeachpost.
Tampa Bay Times – 3/25/14
State Senate waters down charter school bill
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/
