BUDGET UPDATE — ACTION REQUESTED
Last night, the Senate presented their second counter-offer that would have cleared several remaining differences between the House and Senate education budgets. This Senate offer was contingent upon the House’s agreement to certain stipulations in the offer. However, when the House returned later in the evening with their responding 3rd counter-offer, there was no agreement on those stipulations. As a result, several items have been “bumped up” for resolution by the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs – Representative Seth McKeel and Senator Joe Negron.
OF TREMENDOUS CONCERN, as we have reported earlier, budget negotiators have REDUCED FEFP funding by more than $100 million since budget negotiations began on Monday. The funding has see-sawed up and down, depending upon the most recent offer, but the bottom line is that funding is now BELOW where it began in each chamber’s original budget proposal despite the fact that the total education allocation was slightly increased. This is simply unacceptable in a year in which the state is enjoying a $1.5 billion budget surplus and in which districts will be expected to implement new programs and serve more students with less funding per student than was available in 2007.
Action Requested: As the budget negotiations have now moved to the Appropriations Chairs, please contact Representative McKeel (850-717-5040; seth.mckeel@myfloridahouse.gov
TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
In the Senate Appropriations Committee:
SB 444 – Workers’ Compensation by Galvano – PASSED WITH A CS
Revising powers of the Department of Financial Services relating to compliance with and enforcement of workers’ compensation coverage requirements; revising requirements for the release of stop-work orders; revising rate formulas related to the determination of compensation for disability and death, etc.
SB 886 – Teachers Classroom Supply Program by Montford – PASSED
Revising procedures for distributing program funds to classroom teachers, etc.
SB 1206 – Agricultural Industry Certifications by Montford – PASSED
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.
In the House Session:
Bills on 2nd Reading
HB 7181 – Public Retirement Plans by State Affairs – READ 2ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Provides that certain members enrolled in FRS are vested in pension plan after 10 years of creditable service; revises provisions relating to compulsory membership in FRS Investment Plan, membership in Elected Officers’ Class & Senior Management Service Class, elected official membership eligibility, & Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program; closes Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program to new members; revises provisions relating to disability benefits; provides certain members with specified time to choose participation in pension plan or investment plan; revises provisions related to firefighters’ & police officers’ pension trust fund & pension plans; revises provisions relating to benefits funded from premium tax revenues & defined contribution plans; provides declaration of important state interest.
HB 487 – Agricultural Industry Certifications by Raburn – READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Requires DOACS to annually provide to SBE & DOE industry certifications for farm occupations to be considered for placement on industry certification funding lists; defines industry certification as part of career education programs; requires rules for implementing industry certification process for farm occupations.
HB 1053 – Teacher Education by Castor Dentel –READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Revises eligibility criteria for receipt of minority teacher education scholarship; requires Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc., to submit annual report to Legislature relating to scholarship funds & recipients; revises funding for administration & training program carried out by board of directors of Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.
In the Senate Session:
Bills on 2nd Reading
SB 514 – Single Gender Public School Programs by Flores – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 313; SB 514 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 313 – Single Gender Public School Programs by Diaz – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 514; READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Providing requirements for a district school board when establishing a gender-specific elementary, middle, or high school; requiring school administrative and instructional personnel to participate in professional development, etc.
SB 790 – Education Technology by Legg – TEMPORARILY POSTPONED ON 2ND READING
Providing the purpose for the Florida digital classrooms allocation; requiring the State Board of Education to adopt a Florida digital classrooms plan that establishes certain protocols, parameters, requirements, and digital tools; repealing provisions relating to a pilot program for the transition to electronic and digital instructional materials; establishing the Florida Center for Library Automation, etc.
SB 952 – Workers’ Compensation by Simpson – READ 2ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 785; SB 952 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 785 – Workers’ Compensation by Albritton – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 952; READ 2ND TIME; PLACED ON 3RD READING
Authorizing employers to negotiate the retrospectively rated premium with insurers under certain conditions, etc.
Bills on 3rd Reading
SB 850 – Education by Legg – TEMPORARILY POSTPONED ON 3RD READING
Requiring a school that includes certain grades to include information, data, and instructional strategies in its school improvement plan; revising the kind of lab schools that receive a proportional share of the sparsity supplement; requiring a district school board, in consultation with the district school superintendent, to make CAPE Digital Tool certificates and CAPE industry certifications available to students, including students with disabilities, in prekindergarten through grade 12, to enable students to attain digital skills; authorizing district school boards to execute a contract with a state university or certain independent colleges and universities to establish the collegiate high school program, etc.
SB 286 – Concrete Masonry Education by Richter – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Creating the “Concrete Masonry Education Act”; creating the Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council, Inc.; requiring the council to operate under a written contract with the Department of Economic Opportunity; authorizing the council to accept grants, donations, contributions, and gifts under certain circumstances; providing for collection of a voluntary assessment on concrete masonry units; requiring manufacturers who elect to pay the assessment to commit to paying the assessment for a specified period, etc.
HB 7009 – Security for Public Deposits by Insurance & Banking – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Revises collateral-pledging level for public deposits; repeals provisions relating to Qualified Public Depository Oversight Board; provides that notice of default or insolvency of qualified public depository is not required; requires information from nonqualified bank, savings bank, or savings association that acquires public depository by default or insolvency; revises notice requirements for public depositors; revises restrictions on loss protection provisions in certain circumstances in which public depositor fails to comply with notice requirements.
HB 7031 – Education / Repealer by K-12 – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Revises & repeals various provisions relating to education; revises course & assessment requirements for promotion to high school & for award of standard high school diploma; provides course & assessment requirements for graduation for certain cohorts of high school students transitioning to new graduation requirements; revises & conforms provisions relating to selection & purchase of instructional materials, statewide assessment program, education personnel, & educational facilities.
SB 566 – Florida Bright Futures Scholarships by T. Lee – READ 3RD TIME; AMENDED; PASSED THE SENATE
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 782 – Government Data Practices by Brandes – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Requiring the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State to adopt rules providing procedures for an agency to establish schedules for the physical destruction or other disposal of records containing personal identification information; requiring an agency that collects and maintains personal identification information to post a privacy policy on the agency’s website; requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to provide specified data on assisted living facilities by a certain date, etc.
HB 7029 – Code of Student Conduct by K-12 – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Provides that simulating firearm or weapon while playing or wearing certain clothing or accessories is not grounds for disciplinary action or referral to criminal justice or juvenile justice system; provides criteria for determining whether certain student conduct warrants disciplinary action; provides criteria for determining appropriate consequences for conduct.
COMING UP TOMORROW
The Senate will be in Session – 10:00 am-6:00 pm; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following items and others:
Bills on 2nd Reading
SB 790 – Education Technology by Legg
Providing the purpose for the Florida digital classrooms allocation; requiring the State Board of Education to adopt a Florida digital classrooms plan that establishes certain protocols, parameters, requirements, and digital tools; repealing provisions relating to a pilot program for the transition to electronic and digital instructional materials; establishing the Florida Center for Library Automation, etc. [NOTE: This bill was temporarily postponed on Thursday and retained on the 2nd Reading Calendar.]
SB 732 – Florida Prepaid College Program by Galvano
Redefining the term “tuition differential”; prohibiting the amount of the aggregate sum of registration fees, the tuition differential fee, and local fees paid by the board to a state university on behalf of a qualified beneficiary of an advance payment contract from exceeding a certain percentage of the amount charged by the state university for the aggregate sum of those fees; prohibiting the amount of the dormitory fees paid for by the board to a state university on behalf of a qualified beneficiary of an advance payment contract from exceeding a certain percentage of the amount charged by the state university for those fees, etc.
Bills on 3rd Reading
HB 313 – Single Gender Public School Programs by M. Diaz
Providing requirements for a district school board when establishing a gender-specific elementary, middle, or high school; requiring school administrative and instructional personnel to participate in professional development, etc.
HB 785 – Workers’ Compensation by Albritton
Authorizing employers to negotiate the retrospectively rated premium with insurers under certain conditions, etc.
SB 850 – Education by Legg
Requiring a school that includes certain grades to include information, data, and instructional strategies in its school improvement plan; revising the kind of lab schools that receive a proportional share of the sparsity supplement; requiring a district school board, in consultation with the district school superintendent, to make CAPE Digital Tool certificates and CAPE industry certifications available to students, including students with disabilities, in prekindergarten through grade 12, to enable students to attain digital skills; authorizing district school boards to execute a contract with a state university or certain independent colleges and universities to establish the collegiate high school program, etc. [NOTE: This bill was temporarily postponed on 3rd Reading on Thursday.]
SB 602 – Residency/Candidates/Public Officers by Latvala
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; specifying the applicability of residency requirements on the Governor and Cabinet officers; specifying that the act does not apply to members of the Legislature, etc. [NOTE: This bill was not considered on 3rd Reading on Thursday.]
The House will be in Session – 10:30 am-5:30 pm; Florida Channel webcast – to consider the following items and others:
Bills on 2nd Reading
HB 7107 – Administrative Procedures by Rulemaking
Revises requirements for notice of rule development, notice of proposed rule, & notice of change; authorizes electronic delivery of certain notices; revises requirements for certain agency filings with JAPC; requires certain agency personnel to attend public hearings; requires agency to publish notice of convening separate proceeding & tolling rulemaking deadlines during separate proceedings; revises requirements for substantially affected persons to submit proposals for lower cost regulatory alternatives following notice of change; revises requirements for agency’s consideration of lower cost regulatory alternatives; provides addition documents to be listed on agency website under certain conditions; provides additional requirements for calculation of estimated regulatory costs; creates presumption of adverse impact on small business; requires petition to establish community development district to include certain economic impacts statement.
HB 753 – School Safety by Stube
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. [NOTE: This bill has been amended to require authorization by the school board and designations to be made by the district superintendent, which makes it slightly more palatable. While FSBA supports this amendment, we remain opposed to this bill as a whole.]
Bills on 3nd Reading
HB 7181 – Public Retirement Plans by State Affairs
Provides that certain members enrolled in FRS are vested in pension plan after 10 years of creditable service; revises provisions relating to compulsory membership in FRS Investment Plan, membership in Elected Officers’ Class & Senior Management Service Class, elected official membership eligibility, & Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program; closes Senior Management Service Optional Annuity Program to new members; revises provisions relating to disability benefits; provides certain members with specified time to choose participation in pension plan or investment plan; revises provisions related to firefighters’ & police officers’ pension trust fund & pension plans; revises provisions relating to benefits funded from premium tax revenues & defined contribution plans; provides declaration of important state interest.
HB 487 – Agricultural Industry Certifications by Raburn
Requires DOACS to annually provide to SBE & DOE industry certifications for farm occupations to be considered for placement on industry certification funding lists; defines industry certification as part of career education programs; requires rules for implementing industry certification process for farm occupations.
HB 1053 – Teacher Education by Castor Dentel
Revises eligibility criteria for receipt of minority teacher education scholarship; requires Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc., to submit annual report to Legislature relating to scholarship funds & recipients; revises funding for administration & training program carried out by board of directors of Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.
IN THE NEWS
VOXXI – Opinion Column – 4/24/14
Students learning ESOL with vouchers may be getting shortchanged
http://voxxi.com/2014/04/24/
StateImpact Florida – 4/24/14
Opting out of FCAT can have consequences (includes link to audio article)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
