TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the Senate Appropriations Committee:
SB 154 – Hazardous Walking Conditions by Hays – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Revising criteria that determine a hazardous walking condition for public school students; requiring a district school board to correct hazardous walking conditions and 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, etc.
SB 574 – Electronic Auction Services by Montford — PASSED
Revising the powers and duties of the district school board to authorize the adoption of rules regarding procurement practices; authorizing a district school board’s use of electronic auction services in conjunction with bid pooling for school buses and related purchases, etc.
SB 622 – Higher Educational Facilities Financing by Montford — PASSED
Expanding the definition of the term “project” as it relates to the Higher Educational Facilities Financing Act, etc.
SB 874 – Dual Enrollment Program by Stargel – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Exempting dual enrollment students from paying certain fees, including technology fees; revising requirement that a home education secondary student be responsible for his or her own transportation and instructional materials in order to participate in the dual enrollment program; authorizing certain instructional materials to be made available free of charge to certain dual enrollment students; etc. [NOTE: The bill was amended to require a postsecondary institution that is eligible to participate in the dual enrollment program to enter into a home education articulation agreement that, among other things, will specify the person or entity responsible for providing instructional materials and transportation for a home school student enrolled in a dual enrollment program. The amendment also deletes reference to public school students with regard to instructional materials that may be made available free of charge to dual enrollment students.]
SB 942 – Rapid Response Education & Training Program by D. Gaetz — PASSED
Establishing the Rapid Response Education and Training Program within the Complete Florida Plus Program; requiring the Complete Florida Plus Program to work with Enterprise Florida, Inc., to offer certain education and training commitments to businesses, etc.
SB 972 – Value Adjustment Boards by Flores – AMENDED AND PASSED
Establishing deadlines for value adjustment boards to complete final tax roll certifications; revising the interest rate upon which unpaid and overpaid ad valorem taxes accrue; authorizing the district school board and district county commission to audit certain expenses of the value adjustment board; revising the entities that may represent a taxpayer before the value adjustment board, etc.
SB 7046 – Education by Education PreK-12 — PASSED
Requiring a state research university to enter into and maintain a formal agreement with a specified organization to offer college-sponsored merit scholarship awards as a condition of designation as a preeminent state research university; authorizing a low-performing elementary school to administer the required additional hours of instruction in a summer program; revising the types and amounts of bonuses that a teacher may receive in any given school year, etc.
SB 7082 – FRS / Death Benefits by Governmental Oversight – AMENDED AND PASSED
Authorizing payment of death benefits to the surviving spouse or surviving children of a Special Risk Class member killed in the line of duty under specified circumstances; requiring the State Board of Administration or the Division of Retirement to take certain action upon receipt of notification of disqualification from the Internal Revenue Service; providing for allocations for death benefits authorized by the act, etc.
In the House SESSION:
HB 41 – Hazardous Walking Conditions by Metz – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
Revises criteria that determine hazardous walking conditions for public school students; revises procedures for inspection & identification of hazardous conditions; authorizes district school superintendents to initiate formal request for correction of hazardous conditions; requires district school boards to provide transportation to students who would be subjected to hazardous conditions; requires state or local entities with jurisdiction over roads with hazardous conditions to correct condition; provides requirements for governmental entities relating to transportation work programs; provides requirements relating to civil actions for damages; & provides for certain interlocal agreements.
HB 7015 – Agriculture and Consumer Services by Agriculture – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
Revises provisions relating to limited certification for urban landscape commercial fertilizer application; Florida Food Safety Act; power & duties of DACS relating to program services; designation of Pompano State Farmers Market; powers & duties of Division of Administration relating to information technology support; powers & duties of Division of Food Safety relating to food & feed sample analysis; powers & duties of Division of Marketing & Development relating to dealers in agricultural products; powers & duties of Division of Consumer Services relating to dealers in agricultural products; Florida Agriculture Center & Horse Park; Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign; notice of infection of plants; school food & nutrition service programs; Florida Farm Fresh Schools Program; children’s summer nutrition program; commodity distribution services; bond & certificate of deposit prerequisite for agricultural products dealers; & security requirements for grain dealers; & directs Board of Trustees of Internal Improvement Trust Fund to sell specified land & provides for deposit & use of proceeds.
HB 747 – Bright Futures Scholarship Program by Rooney — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
Delays initial award & renewal period for certain students; revises eligibility requirements for home education students; requires student, as prerequisite for Florida Academic Scholars award, Florida Medallion Scholars award, & 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 except in certain circumstances.
HB 587 – Educational Professional Practices by Spano — READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
Authorizes certain employees or agents of DOE to have access to certain reports & records; requires DOE to provide liability insurance to certain persons; provides coverage & notification requirements; revises membership of Education Practices Commission; authorizes Commissioner of Education to appoint emeritus members to commission; authorizes commissioner to issue letter of guidance in response to complaint against teacher or administrator in certain circumstances.
COMING UP TOMORROW
There are no legislative committee meetings or sessions of interest scheduled for tomorrow. Our next Daily Update will be issued on Monday, April 20, 2015.
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
