TODAY’S HAPPENINGS
[NOTE: The bills and committees listed below are linked to their respective websites where you can find additional information.]
In the House Judiciary Committee:
HB 257 – Terroristic Threats by Smith – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE (CS)
Provides that a person commits the crime of terroristic threats if he or she threatens to commit a crime of violence with the intent to cause, or with reckless disregard for the risk of causing terror or the evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation; providing that the violation escalates from a felony in the third degree to a felony in the second degree if the violation causes the occupants of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation to be diverted from their normal or customary operations; involves a threat against instructional personnel, a school administrator, school bus driver, law enforcement officer, state attorney, public defender, statewide prosecutor, Attorney General, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, firefighter, judge, or elected official; or involves a threat against a family member of such persons; providing that a person convicted of such violation must, in addition to any other restitution or penalty provided by law, pay restitution for all costs and damages caused by an evacuation resulting from the criminal conduct. [NOTE: The bill was amended that incorporated references to, among others, a school administrator or school bus driver. This short summary reflects the amendment made to the bill today.]
In the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee:
SB 290 — STEM Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program by Smith – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Creating the STEM Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program; providing for the administration of the program; providing for teacher eligibility; specifying the type of loans the program covers; authorizing the Department of Education to make specified loan repayments; authorizing the department to use up to a specified percentage of available funds to administer the program; providing for implementation and rulemaking. [NOTE: The bill was amended with a strike all amendment. This short summary reflects the changes made by today’s amendment.]
SB 806 – Homebound & Hospitalized Students by Legg — PASSED
Requiring school districts to provide instruction to homebound or hospitalized students; requiring the State Board of Education to adopt rules related to student eligibility, methods of providing instruction to homebound or hospitalized students, and the initiation of services; requiring each school district to enter into an agreement with certain hospitals within its district by a specified date, etc.
SB 884 – Youth Suicide Awareness by Benacquisto — PASSED
Requiring the Department of Education to incorporate training in youth suicide awareness and prevention into certain instructional personnel continuing education or inservice training requirements; requiring the department, in consultation with the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention and suicide prevention experts, to develop a list of approved materials for the training, etc.
SB 886 – Parent & Student Rights by Benacquisto – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revising public school educational choice options available to students throughout the state to include CAPE Digital Tool certificates, CAPE industry certifications, and collegiate high school programs; deleting the definition of and provisions relating to the term “controlled open enrollment”; requiring each school district board to establish a classroom teacher transfer process for parents, to approve or deny a transfer request within a certain timeframe, to notify a parent of a denial, and to post an explanation of the transfer process in the student handbook or a similar publication, etc. [NOTE: Today’s amendment revised the how capacity would be identified for the purposes of the public school parental choice policy to provide that, in determining the capacity of each school, the district school board must incorporate the specifications, plans, elements, and commitments contained in the school district educational facilities plan and the long-term work programs. Although this amendment improves the bill, FSBA has significant concerns about the logistics of implementing this choice policy.]
SB 984 – Education Access & Affordability by Legg — PASSED
Requiring tuition for an online degree program to include costs associated with the provision of instructional materials; requiring a public postsecondary institution to post information relating to required and recommended textbooks and instructional materials and prices in its course registration system and on its website; requiring a state university to publicly notice meetings at which votes on proposed tuition or fee increases are scheduled, etc.
SB 1060 – Career and Adult Education by Legg — PASSED
Revising the membership requirements for the State Apprenticeship Advisory Council; revising the attributes that characterize apprenticeable occupations; increasing the maximum number of certain CAPE Digital Tool certificates that the Commissioner of Education may recommend be added to the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List, etc.
SB 1166 – Education Funding by Gaetz – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revising the calculation for certain supplemental funds for exceptional student education programs, etc. [NOTE: The bill was substantially amended via a strike all amendment. We are reviewing this lengthy amendment and will provide a detailed summary as soon as possible.]
SB 1634 – School Choice by Legg — PASSED
Specifying that the calculation for compliance with maximum class size requirements for a specified district innovation school of choice is at the school level; requiring the State Board of Education to review at a specified interval the performance metrics of each individual innovation school of choice for compliance with certain requirements, etc.
SB 7036 – School District Purchasing by Governmental Oversight – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Requiring each district school board to use certain agreements and contracts for purchasing nonacademic commodities and contractual services under certain circumstances; requiring a district school board to post a written justification for certain determinations on the board’s website, etc.
In the Senate Transportation, Tourism, & Econ. Devel. Appropriations Subcommittee:
SB 7040 – Federal Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act — PASSED
Providing implementation of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act through a 4-year plan; deleting a provision authorizing an optional federal partner to fulfill certain state planning and reporting requirements; revising the entities required to collaborate with CareerSource Florida, Inc., to establish certain performance accountability measures; requiring CareerSource Florida, Inc., to establish regional planning areas subject to certain requirements by a certain date, etc.
In the House State Affairs Committee:
HB 305 – Procurement Procedures by Drake — PASSED
Authorizes specified educational institutions to make purchases through online procurement system, electronic auction service, or other efficient procurement tool.
In the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee:
HB 11 – Missing Persons with Special Needs by Porter – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Creates pilot project in specified counties to provide personal devices to aid search-and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs; provides for administration of project; requires reports; provides for expiration; provides appropriation.
HB 287 – Principal Autonomy Pilot Program by Diaz – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Creating the Principal Autonomy Pilot Program Initiative; providing a procedure for certain district school boards to participate in the pilot program; providing requirements for participating school districts and schools; exempting participating schools from certain laws and rules; requiring principals of participating schools and specified personnel to participate in a nationally recognized school turnaround program; providing for the term of participation in the pilot program; providing for renewal or revocation of authorization to participate in the pilot program; providing for reporting, funding, eligibility requirements for certain funding, and rulemaking; requiring participating district school boards to allocate a specified percentage of certain funds to participating schools; providing additional authority and responsibilities of the principal of a participating school; providing a specific appropriation. [NOTE: The bill was amended via a strike all amendment. Among other changes, the amendment revised provisions relating to exemption from laws so that they apply to the participating school rather that the school district, increased the number of schools and school districts that may participate in the pilot program, and removed the specific reference to the University of Virginia with regard to the required professional development program.]
HB 719 – Education Personnel by Spano – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revises provisions relating to confidentiality of reports & records in cases of child abuse or neglect, trust fund exemptions, teacher recruitment & retention, educator liability insurance, Education Practices Commission, & complaints against teachers & administrators; requires DOE to approve school leader preparation programs; provides program requirements.
HB 837 – McKay Scholarship Program by Bileca — PASSED
Provides certain students enrolled in John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program are exempt from specific provisions & scholarship awards are not subject to specified funding calculations; creates transition-to-work program for specific students enrolled in program; provides for requirements & participation.
HB 1171 – Interstate Compact / Military Children by Perry — PASSED
Provides for payment of annual dues for Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children & future repeal of sections relating to compact; abrogates 2016 repeal of sections relating to compact.
HB 7043 – Education Funding by Education – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Creates Florida College System Performance-based Incentive for Florida College System institutions & Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program; revises provisions relating to preeminent state research universities program, state university system performance-based incentives, & teacher liability insurance.
HB 835 – Home Education by Eisnaugle – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Clarifies that a home education program is not a school district; Authorizes school districts to provide exceptional student education-related services to a home education program student and report them for FEFP funding for services provided; Authorizes school districts to provide a home education program student access to career and technical courses and programs; authorizes school districts to offer industry certifications, national assessments, and statewide, standardized assessments to a home education program student; reimburses dual enrollment instructional materials expenses to a home education program student; limits the documentation a school district can require from a home education student; aligns compulsory school attendance penalties of a home education program student with that of a public school student; exempts dual enrollment students from paying postsecondary institution technology fees; exempts a home education program student from the grade point average requirement for admission to a dual enrollment program if the student meets the minimum score on a common placement test; exempts public school, private school, or home education program dual enrollment students from payment of registration, tuition, technology, and laboratory fees; clarifies that private schools and a home education program student are not required to reimburse tuition for dual enrollment students; requires postsecondary institutions to have a dual enrollment articulation agreement with home education program students and with private schools; and specifies a home education program student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award. [NOTE: The bill was amended with a proposed committee substitute. This short summary reflects the changes made by today’s amendment.]
The Subcommittee also reviewed and discussed Chair Erik Fresen’s education budget proposal for FY 2016-2017(briefly outlined above).
In the Senate Session:
Bills on 3rd Reading:
SB 386 – Criminal Records / Minors by Detert – READ 3RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
Decreasing the period of time that a minor’s criminal history record must be retained before expunction; deleting a limitation on the period of time within which a minor must submit an application for prearrest or postarrest diversion expunction to the Department of Law Enforcement after successful completion of the diversion program, etc.
In the House Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee:
HB 535 – Building Codes by Eagle – AMENDED AND PASSED WITH A CS
Revises educational provisions for building code inspectors, plans examiners, & building code administrators; revises provisions related to the Florida Building Code; revises provisions regarding the Florida Building Code Compliance and Mitigation Program; restricts application of the Building Code for certain aspects of construction; revises provisions related to portable pools; revises provisions regarding the authority of building officials to issue building permits; revises provisions regarding appeal boards; revising provisions addressing certain fire service access elevators; authorizing DBPR to develop code-related training; creating a task force to study electrical safety in swimming pools.
HB 613 – Workers’ Compensation by Sullivan — PASSED
Requires members of limited liability companies to submit specified notices; deletes required item to be listed on notice of election to be exempt; revises specified rules regarding maintenance of business records by an officer of corporation; provides and removes duties of DFS; prohibits application of specified credit unless employer provides specified documentation & proof of payment to department within specified period; revises penalty calculation for imputed weekly payroll for an employee; eliminates certification requirements when expert medical advisor is selected by judge of compensation claims; deletes requirement that employers notify department within 24 hours of any injury resulting in death; revises requirements for filing claim; deletes preferred worker program; deletes notification fees on certain filed claims which supplement Special Disability Trust Fund; deletes fee for certain registration of insurance carriers.
COMING UP TOMORROW
There are no legislative meetings of interest scheduled for tomorrow. We will send you this week’s Video Update and our next issue of the Daily Update on Monday.
I hope you find this information useful. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Ruth
Ruth Haseman Melton
Director of Government Relations
Florida School Boards Association
Office: 850 / 414-2578
Cell: 850 / 509-6411
Email: melton@fsba.org
