Legislative Update, Feb. 21- 25, 2022
Overview
This week, the Florida Legislature completed the seventh week of its Legislative Session. This was the last week for several committees to meet to consider bills, as much of the activity moved to the House and Senate floors. Of the 3,727 bills filed this session, 23 bills have passed both the House and the Senate. While no education-related bills have passed both chambers, education bills received considerable floor consideration this week (see Bill Activity below).
The House on Thursday passed legislation (HB 7) to prohibit workplace training sessions and school curriculum from including instruction that individual people have any responsibility for past actions of members of their race or should feel guilty about what their racial group has done and several other elements related to race and racism. Debate over the bill is part of a national effort to counter “
critical race theory,” an
academic idea about the ways racism may be embedded in American society and sustained as a system either intentionally or unintentionally. The bill now goes to the Senate.
A House bill (HB 1557) that would limit discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade passed the full House on Thursday on a 69-47 vote. During debate on the floor, the only two openly gay Democratic lawmakers in the House spoke against the proposal, referring to it as the “don't say gay” bill. Seven Republicans crossed party lines to vote against the bill while one Democrat voted for it. Supporters say the measure is aimed at asserting the rights of parents to control what their kids learn in school. Opponents worry the proposal could be detrimental for some children and
warn it could violate civil rights protections, including Title IX. A similar Senate version of the bill (SB 1834) still has two more committees to clear.
A bill (HB 1193) to replace standardized testing with a new “progress monitoring program” cleared its final committee in the House on Wednesday, sending the bill to the floor. The House Education and Employment Committee approved an amendment to the bill to remove turnaround language that would prohibit districts from using the same method that helped raise a school to a grade of “C” or above should the school return to a “D” or “F” within two years. A similar Senate bill (SB 1048) is also ready for floor consideration.
The Week Ahead
House Calendar - House released the agenda calendar for February 25, 2022. It contains agendas for meetings through February 28, 2022.
Senate Calendar - Senate released the agenda calendar for February 28, 2022. It contains agendas for meetings through March 2, 2022.
Committee Activity
The following legislative committees held meetings this week on education-related matters:
House: Education and Employment Committee
Consideration of Bills on Agenda:
•
HB 0015: Children with Developmental Delays (Tant)
•
HB 0055: Assistive Technology Advisory Council (Tant)
•
HB 0155: Certificates of Completion (Valdes)
•
HB 0255: Private Personnel & Applied Behavior Analysis Services (Plasencia)
•
HB 0609: Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation (Borrero)
•
HB 0859: Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence (Williams)
•
HB 0865: Charter Schools (Rizo)
•
HB 1115: High School Graduation Requirements in Personal Finance (Busatta Cabrera)
•
HB 1193: K-12 Assessments and Accountability (Plasencia)
•
HB 1317: Individual Education Plans (Tant)
Bill Activity
Below are education-related bills that received legislative action this week.
HB 1193 K-12 Assessments and Accountability by Plasencia
K-12 Assessments and Accountability: Renaming "Next Generation Sunshine State Standards" as "state academic standards"; revises provisions relating to statewide assessment program, DOE & school district requirements, & state accountability program; provides end-of-year comprehensive progress monitoring assessments are statewide, standardized ELA & Mathematics assessments; revises coordinated screening & progress monitoring program. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/25/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
SB 0340 Care of Students with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders by Garcia
Care of Students with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders; Providing for the creation of an individualized seizure action plan for a student with epilepsy or seizure disorders to receive health care at school; requiring school nurses or appropriate school employees to coordinate the care of such students and ensure that specified training is provided to specified school employees and individuals; requiring school districts to provide specified information and training to school bus drivers who transport students with epilepsy or seizure disorders; providing immunity from liability under certain conditions, etc. Effective Date: Upon becoming a law
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/25/2022 SENATE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
SB 1122 Workforce Education Postsecondary Student Fees by Gainer
Workforce Education Postsecondary Student Fees; Authorizing district school boards and Florida College System institutions’ boards of trustees, in consultation with certain organizations, to implement a plan for a differential out-of-state fee for specified purposes; requiring school districts and Florida College System institutions to prioritize the enrollment of certain students in specified programs of study, etc.Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/25/2022 SENATE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 0173 Care of Students with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders by Duran
Care of Students with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders: Requires school to provide epilepsy or seizure disorder care to student; provides for creation & implementation of individualized seizure action plan for students with epilepsy or seizure disorders to receive health care at school; provides requirements for DOE, schools, school nurses & certain other school employees, & such plans. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: Senate Appropriations
Actions
02/25/2022 SENATE Received; Referred to Appropriations
HB 0045 Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans by Morales
Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans: Provides that disabled veterans receiving certain federal educational assistance benefits are eligible to receive waiver for tuition & fees at certain institutions; provides calculation for waiver amount; requires amount awarded by state to be contingent on application of specified federal benefits; requires institutions to submit annual report to Board of Governors & State Board of Education; requires boards to adopt regulations & rules. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 0229 Guidance Services on Academic and Career Planning by Arrington
Guidance Services on Academic and Career Planning: Requires students & parents be informed of certain acceleration, academic, & career planning options; requires personalized academic & career plan be developed in consultation with certified school counselor for certain students; requires certain information to be included in such plan. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 0235 Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Public Schools by Plasencia
Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Public Schools: Prohibits school personnel from using mechanical restraint on students with disabilities. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 0255 Private Instructional Personnel Providing Applied Behavior Analysis Services by Plasencia
Private Instructional Personnel Providing Applied Behavior Analysis Services: Revises definition of "private instructional personnel" to include certain registered behavior technicians; requires such technicians to meet specified requirements. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 0899 Mental Health of Students by Hunschofsky
Mental Health of Students: Revises data DCF is required to analyze when creating its annual report on initiation of involuntary examinations; requires charter schools to be in compliance with involuntary reporting laws; requires DOE to share certain data with DCF; requires district school boards to designate mental health coordinator; revises requirements for plans relating to mental health assistance allocations. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 1199 Funding for the School Readiness Program by Grall
Funding for the School Readiness Program: Revises provisions relating to school readiness program. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 1317 Individual Education Plans by Tant
Individual Education Plans: Requires IEPs for certain students to contain information on legal rights & responsibilities that transfer to students at age 18; requires information to include ways in which student may provide informed consent to allow his or her parent to continue to participate in educational decisions. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/01/22
HB 0007 Individual Freedom by Avila
Individual Freedom: Provides that subjecting individuals to specified concepts under certain circumstances constitutes discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin; revising requirements for required instruction on the history of African Americans; requiring the department to prepare and offer certain standards and curriculum; authorizing the department to seek input from a specified organization for certain purposes; prohibits instructional materials reviewers from recommending instructional materials that contain any matter that contradicts certain principles; requires DOE to review school district professional development systems for compliance with certain provisions of law. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE On Committee agenda - Rules, 03/01/22, 1:30 pm, 412 K
HB 1557 Parental Rights in Education by Harding
Parental Rights in Education: Requires district school boards to adopt procedures that comport with certain provisions of law for notifying student's parent of specified information; requires such procedures to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children; prohibits school district from adopting procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying parent about specified information or that encourage student to withhold from parent such information; prohibits school district personnel from discouraging or prohibiting parental notification & involvement in critical decisions affecting student's mental, emotional, or physical well-being; prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels; requires school districts to notify parents of healthcare services; authorizes parent to bring action against school district to obtain declaratory judgment; provides for additional award of injunctive relief, damages, & reasonable attorney fees & court costs to certain parents. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE On Committee agenda - Appropriations, 02/28/22, 10:30 am, 412 K
HB 0395 Victims of Communism Day by Borrero
"Victims of Communism Day": Requires Governor to proclaim November 7 of each year as "Victims of Communism Day"; requires day to be observed in public schools & by public exercise; requires day other than November 7 to be observed by public schools under specified circumstance; requires high school students to receive specified instruction; requires SBE to adopt specified revised social studies standards. Effective Date: upon becoming a law
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE Referred to Appropriations
HB 0777 Local Tax Referenda Requirements by Robinson (W)
Local Tax Referenda Requirements: Requires referenda elections related to tourist development taxes, tourist impact taxes, children's services & independent special district property taxes, increases in county & municipal ad valorem tax millages, ninth-cent fuel tax, local option fuel taxes, & certain school district millage elections to be held on day of general elections. Effective Date: October 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE Referred to Appropriations
HB 1421 School Safety by Hawkins
School Safety: Revises provisions relating to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, FortifyFL, Commissioner of Education oversight of enforcement of school safety and security requirements, Office of Safe Schools, certain emergency drills, family reunification plans, threat assessment teams, safe-school officers, DOE responsibilities, & Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE Referred to Appropriations
HB 0225 Charter School Charters by Hawkins
Charter School Charters: Revises provisions relating to consolidation of multiple charter into single charter, renewals, nonrenewals, & terminations of charters. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE Referred to Rules
SB 1194 Local Tax Referenda Requirements by Boyd
Local Tax Referenda Requirements; Requiring referenda elections related to tourist development taxes, tourist impact taxes, and children’s services and independent special district property taxes to be held on the day of a general election; requiring referenda elections related to increases in county and municipal ad valorem tax millages to be held on the day of a general election; requiring referenda elections related to local option fuel taxes to be held on the day of a general election, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: Senate Appropriations
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE Favorable with CS by Appropriations; 19 Yeas, 1 Nay
SB 0758 Education by Diaz
Education; Establishing the Charter School Review Commission within the Department of Education; requiring the Commissioner of Education to appoint members; authorizing the commission to solicit and review charter school applications; requiring that the district school board that oversees the school district where a charter school approved by the commission will be located shall serve as the charter school’s sponsor; requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to conduct an analysis of charter school capital outlay and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature by a specified date, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: Senate Appropriations
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE Favorable with CS by Appropriations; 14 Yeas, 6 Nays
SB 0538 Private Instructional Personnel Providing Applied Behavior Analysis Services by Hooper
Private Instructional Personnel Providing Applied Behavior Analysis Services; Revising the definition of the term “private instructional personnel” to include certain registered behavior technicians, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: Senate Rules
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE On Committee agenda - Rules, 03/01/22, 1:30 pm, 412 K
HB 1467 K-12 Education by Garrison
K-12 Education: Establishing term limits for school board members; deleting a requirement that district school boards maintain a specified list on their websites; requiring certain meetings relating to instructional materials to be noticed and open to the public; revising requirements for the department relating to the development of training programs for the selection of materials used in schools and library media centers; revising district school board requirements for the selection and adoption of certain materials, etc. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: Senate Rules
Actions
02/24/2022 SENATE On Committee agenda - Rules, 03/01/22, 1:30 pm, 412 K
HB 0573 Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans by Snyder
Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans: Authorizes DOE to issue temporary certificate to specified military servicemembers who meet certain criteria; requires teacher mentorship for specified military servicemembers who hold temporary certificate; specifies duration & issuance of temporary certificate for specified military servicemembers. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/24/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
SB 0896 Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans by Burgess
Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans; Authorizing the Department of Education to issue a temporary certificate to specified military servicemembers who meet certain criteria; requiring a teacher mentorship for specified military servicemembers who hold a temporary certificate; specifying the duration and issuance of a temporary certificate for specified military servicemembers, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE In Messages
SB 0390 Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Public Schools by Book
Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Public Schools; Prohibiting school personnel from using mechanical restraint on students with disabilities; providing exceptions, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: Senate Appropriations
Actions
02/23/2022 SENATE On Committee agenda - Appropriations, 02/28/22, 10:30 am, 412 K
SB 0802 School Safety by Gruters
School Safety; Requiring the FortifyFL reporting tool to notify reporting parties that submitting false information may subject them to criminal penalties; requiring the Commissioner of Education to oversee and enforce compliance with requirements relating to school safety and security; requiring certain law enforcement officers to be physically present and directly involved in active assailant emergency drills; authorizing school safety officers to make arrests on property owned or leased by a charter school under a charter contract, etc. Effective Date: Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: Senate Appropriations
Actions
02/23/2022 SENATE On Committee agenda - Appropriations, 02/28/22, 10:30 am, 412 K - PCS
SB 0892 Charter School Charters by Burgess
Charter School Charters; Requiring a request for a consolidation of multiple charters to be approved or denied within a specified timeframe; requiring a charter school sponsor to provide to the charter school specified information relating to a denial of a request for a consolidation within a certain timeframe; providing for the automatic renewal of a charter under certain circumstances, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 SENATE Retained on Calendar
SB 1054 Financial Literacy Instruction in Public Schools by Hutson
Financial Literacy Instruction in Public Schools; Citing this act as the “Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act”; revising the requirements regarding financial literacy for the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards; revising the required credits for a standard high school diploma to include one-half credit of instruction in personal financial literacy and money management and seven and one-half, rather than eight, credits in electives, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 SENATE Retained on Calendar
HB 0015 Children with Developmental Delays by Tant
Children with Developmental Delays: Revises definition of term "exceptional student" to include additional students with developmental delays. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
HB 0155 Certificates of Completion by Valdes
Certificates of Completion: Provides students who have been awarded certificate of completion are eligible to enroll in certain programs; requires identification of such programs by charter technical career centers; & requires students who will be awarded certificate of completion to be advised of specified educational options. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
HB 0609 Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation by Borrero
Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation: Requires DOE to collaborate with Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation in developing sponsor evaluation framework for charter schools; establishes institute at Miami Dade College; provides purpose & duties of institute; authorizes institute to apply for & receive certain grants; requires District Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College to establish certain policies. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
HB 0859 Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program by Williams
Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program: Authorizes tutoring within Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program to be provided after school day & for provision of stipend to instructional personnel & high school students serving as tutors for after school tutoring. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
HB 1115 High School Graduation Requirements in Personal Finance by Busatta Cabrera
High School Graduation Requirements in Personal Finance: Revises required credits for standard high school diploma to include one-half credit of instruction in personal financial literacy & money management & seven & one-half, rather than eight, credits in electives; authorizes students to earn one-half credit in personal financial literacy & money management as elective. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
HB 0865 Charter Schools by Rizo
Charter Schools: Creates Charter School Review Commission within DOE; provides requirements for commission; authorizes commission to approve charter school applications; provides for oversight of such charter schools; revises provisions relating to reporting requirements & charter renewal & nonrenewal & charter school facilities; requires OPPAGA to conduct specified study & provide report. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: House Education & Employment Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE Temporarily Postponed by Education & Employment Committee
HB 0851 School Concurrency by McClain
School Concurrency: Revises provisions specifying when school concurrency is deemed satisfied; requires district school board to notify local government that capacity is available for development within certain timeframe; specifies that proportionate-share mitigation must be set aside & not spent if improvement has not been identified. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/23/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
HB 0599 Upgrades to Education Facilities as Emergency Shelters by Casello
Upgrades to Education Facilities as Emergency Shelters: Exempts certain costs associated with certain upgrades to education facilities from being included in certain cost per student station calculations; specifies eligible upgrades that may be made; requires costs associated with certain upgrades to be consistent with prevailing market costs in area where education facility is located. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/22/2022 HOUSE Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
SB 2524 Education by Appropriations
Education; Revising the maximum number of students for whom scholarships are established under the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, beginning in specified school years; requiring the Department of Education to provide incentives to school readiness personnel and prekindergarten instructors who meet specified requirements, subject to the appropriation of funds for that purpose; revising requirements for materials assigned for use within dual enrollment courses; creating the Inclusive Transition and Employment Management Program; creating the Seal of Excellence in Advancing Literacy, etc.Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Current Committee of Reference: No Current Committee
Actions
02/22/2022 SENATE In returning messages