Legislative Report - Week 5 (Nov. 11 - 15)
General Information
This report contains information presented and discussed during the fifth interim committee week of the 2020 legislative session. Both the House and Senate held meetings which consisted of presentations and legislative bills.
Governor’s Budget Proposal
On November 14th, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a proposal that would replace the Best and Brightest bonus program with the new Florida Classroom Teacher and Florida School Principal Bonus Program.
The Governor’s proposal would provide bonuses to classroom teachers and school principals whose schools meet one of the following tier structures:
- Tier 1: Schools earn 85 percent or greater of the total possible points or gain 6 or more points in their A-F school grading calculation;
- Tier 2: Schools gaining 3 to 5 points in their A-F school grading calculation; or
- Tier 3: Schools gaining 1 to 2 points in their A-F school grading calculation.
The bonus award amounts for teachers are as follows:
- Tier 1: Title I schools will receive a bonus of up to $7,500 and non-Title I schools receive up to $3,700;
- Tier 2: Title I schools will receive a bonus of up to $3,500 and non-Title I schools receive up to $1,750; and
- Tier 3: Title I schools will receive a bonus of up to $1,000 and non-Title I schools receive up to $500.
The bonus award amounts for principals are as follows:
- Tier 1: Title I schools will receive a bonus of up to $10,000 and non-Title I schools receive up to $5,000;
- Tier 2: Title I schools will receive a bonus of up to $5,000 and non-Title I schools receive up to $2,500; and
- Tier 3: Title I schools will receive a bonus of up to $2,500 and non-Title I schools receive up to $1,250.
To view Governor Ron DeSantis Florida Classroom Teacher and Florida School Principal Bonus Programs proposal press release, please the highlighted link.
Senate Committees
Senate Education Committee - Chair Manny Diaz
SB 120 by Senator Pizzo related to Naloxone in Schools
The bill authorizes a K-12 public school to purchase the opioid antagonist naloxone and administer the drug to a student who overdoses on an opioid. The bill requires a participating school district to adopt a protocol developed by a licensed physician and provides liability protections for the physician and school district personnel from injuries arising from naloxone use that complies with the protocol.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee favorably and is now in Senate Health Policy Committee.
SB 130 by Senator Hutson related to Florida Job Growth Grant Fund
The bill authorizes charter schools that exclusively offer the Career and Technical Education graduation pathway option to apply for workforce training grants through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. The bill also authorizes the Governor to approve workforce training grants from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for charter schools that exclusively offer this pathway.
Senator Hutson filed an amendment (351802) which would delete lines 19 to and insert “public schools that offer Career and Technical.” This amendment would allow public schools that offer the Career and Technical Education graduation pathway option to apply for workforce training grants through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee favorably and is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 154 by Senator Thurston related to Human Trafficking Education in Schools
The bill requires that information regarding the dangers and signs of human trafficking be included in the comprehensive health education instruction that is required to be administered in the public school system. The bill permits a student to opt out of such human trafficking instruction by providing the school with a written note from his or her parent.
The bill also requires the Florida Department of Legal Affairs (DLA), subject to a legislative appropriation, to develop campaigns to increase awareness of human trafficking.
The bill has no impact on state revenues or expenditures. The requirement for the DLA to develop human trafficking awareness campaigns is contingent upon legislative appropriation.
School districts may incur costs associated with implementing additional human trafficking curriculum and instruction; however, these costs should be absorbed through funding provided in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP).
On September 30th, the State Board of Education approved a new rule requiring instruction in child trafficking prevention for students in grades K-12. With this approval, Florida will be the first state in the nation to address the need for instruction in child trafficking prevention. The new rule also establishes procedures for school districts to plan and document delivery of the required instruction.
The new rule requires that by December 1 of each year, each school district must submit an implementation plan to the commissioner and post the plan on the school district website. The implementation plan must include:
- The methods in which instruction will be delivered for each grade level;
- The professional qualifications of the person delivering instruction; and
- A description of the materials and resources utilized to deliver instruction.
- The rule also establishes that every school in Florida be a “Child Trafficking Free Zone.”
Additionally, by July 1 of each year, each school district must submit an annual report to the commissioner to verify completion of the instruction
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee favorably and is now in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
SB 168 by Senator Cruz related to Drinking Water in Public Schools
The bill requires each school district to filter drinking water at each source for each district school built before 1986.
Specifically, for such schools the bill requires each school district to:
- Install and maintain a filter that meets specified standards and capacity to reduce lead at each school water source.
- Post a conspicuous sign near each school non-drinking-water source warning that water from such source should not be used for human consumption or food preparation.
- Publish on the school district’s website information about filters and location for each drinking water source.
The bill provides a $3 million appropriation to the Department of Education to implement the requirements of the bill.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee favorably and is now in the Senate Appropriations Education Subcommittee.
SB 156 by Senator Perry related to Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program
The legislature established the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program in 2017 for three years to assist certain school districts in implementing comprehensive music education programs in kindergarten through grade 2, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.
For a school district to be eligible for participation in the pilot program, the district school superintendent must certify to the Commissioner of Education (commissioner) that each elementary school within the district has established a comprehensive music education program that:
- Includes all students enrolled at the school in kindergarten through grade 2;
- Is staffed by certified music educators;
- Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive minutes 2 days a week;
- Complies with class size requirements under the law;4 and
- Complies with the Department of Education’s standards for early childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
The bill extends the scheduled expiration of the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program from June 30, 2020, to June 30, 2022.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee favorably and is now in the Senate Appropriations Education Subcommittee.
SB 356 by Senator Hutson related to Keep Our Graduates Working Act
The bill removes the state authority to take disciplinary action against a healthcare practitioner who defaults on a federal- or state-guaranteed student loan or who fails to comply with the terms of a service scholarship. The effect is that such practitioners may not have their licenses suspended or revoked by the Department of Health solely because of a loan default or failure to complete service scholarship obligations.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee favorably and is now in the Senate Innovation, Industry, and Technology Committee.
SB 7008 by Senate Education related OGSR/Animal Medical Records/State College of Veterinary Medicine
The bill saves from repeal the current public records exemption relating to animal medical records held by or transferred to any state college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee favorably.
House Committees
House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee - Chair Randy Fine
The House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee met this week. The subcommittee meeting consisted of legislative member projects.
Also, the subcommittee was given a presentation by Suzanne Pridgeon, Deputy Commissioner of Finance and Operations from the Florida Department of Education.
During the presentation, Suzanne gave an overview of the following below:
- State Financial Aid Program
- Funding History of the Bright Futures Program
- Florida Student Assistance Grant Program
- Florida Work Experience Program
- Tuition Assistance Programs
- Pell Grants
To view the Florida State Scholarship and Grant Program presentation by Suzanne Pridgeon, Deputy Commissioner of Finance and Operations from the Florida Department of Education, please click the highlighted web link.
House Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee - Chair Cord Byrd
HB 171 by Rep. Hattersley related to Postsecondary Education for Certain Military Personnel
The bill requires the Board of Governors (BOG) to adopt regulations and the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt rules to create a uniform system that enables service members and veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States to earn postsecondary credit at public postsecondary educational institutions for experience, college-level training, and education acquired in the military. The regulations and rules must be developed in consultation with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and include procedures for credential evaluation and the award of postsecondary credit, including, but not limited to, equivalency and alignment of military coursework with appropriate postsecondary courses and course descriptions.
The bill requires the Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC) to:
- convene a workgroup to develop a uniform process for determining when military experience is appropriate for postsecondary credit;
- provide recommendations to the BOG and the SBE regarding a uniform process for determining postsecondary course equivalencies; and
- approve a list of postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum credit that must be awarded for military experience and credentials
The bill passed the House Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee favorably and is now in the House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee - Chair Chris Latvala
The House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee meet. The Subcommittee was given a brief presentation on School Hardening, which was presented by Damien Kelly, Director of the Office of Safe Schools.
During the presentation, Damien gave an overview of the following below:
- Florida Safe School Assessment Tool (FSSAT)
- School Hardening Grant Program FY 18-19
- School Hardening Grant Program FY 19 - 20
- Grant Process
To view the School Hardening presentation by Damien Kelly, Director of the Office of Safe Schools from the Florida Department of Education, please click the highlighted web link.
The Subcommittee was also given a brief presentation on Youth Mental Health Awareness Training, which was presented by Dr. Monica Verra-Tirado, Bureau Chief of Exceptional Education and Student Services within the Department of Education.
During the presentation, Dr. Verra-Tirado gave an overview of the following below:
- Youth Mental Health Awareness Training {YMHAT) Districts' Allocation for SY 2018- 2019 and SY 2019-2020
- Youth Mental Health Awareness Training (YMHAT) Statistics for SY 2018-2019
- Youth Mental Health Awareness Training {YMHAT) Statistics for SY 2019-2020
- Youth Mental Health Awareness Training (YMHAT) District Support for SY 2019-2020
- Youth Mental Health Awareness Training (YMHAT) Instructor Support for SY 2019-2020
To view the Youth Mental Health Awareness Training presentation by Dr. Monica Verra-Tirado, Bureau Chief of Exceptional Education and Student Services within the Department of Education, please click the highlighted web link.
House Health Market Reform Subcommittee
HB 81 by Rep. Andrade related to Medicaid School-based Services
The bill removes the requirement that Medicaid recipients receiving services through the Florida Medicaid Certified School Match Program qualify for Part B or H of the IDEA, or for exceptional student services, or have an IEP or IFSP. The change to Florida law reflects federal regulations allowing the provision of Medicaid school health services to the general population of Medicaid-eligible students.
The Florida Medicaid Certified School Match Program (program) provides school districts and private and charter schools the opportunity to enroll in Medicaid in order to have Medicaid share in the cost of providing school health services to students that are Medicaid recipients. Under the program, schools and school districts use state and local funds to pay for covered health services provided to students that are Medicaid recipients for which AHCA then reimburses them with matching federal Medicaid funds. Schools and school districts participating in the program can either employ or contract directly with Medicaid enrolled health care providers.
The following types of health services covered by the program:
- Physical therapy;
- Occupational therapy;
- Speech therapy services;
- Behavioral health services;
- Mental health services; and
- Transportation services
The program also reimburses the federal share for administrative work associated with delivering care to recipients, such as making a referral to a medical service. Medicaid recipients who receive services through the program must be under the age of 21 and qualify for Part B or H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), or for exceptional student services, or have an individualized education plan (IEP) or individualized family service plan (IFSP). Health services provided must be both educationally relevant and medically necessary and tailored to meet the recipient’s individual needs.
The bill passed the House Health Market Reform Subcommittee favorably and is now in the House Healthcare Appropriations Subcommittee.