SB 72 – Postsecondary Education by Senator Kelli Stargel (R – Lakeland), is a comprehensive higher education bill that:

• Expands the criteria by which a state agency may contract with a specified nonpublic college or university.
• Modifies the Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) criteria for new construction, renovation, or remodeling at a Florida College System (FCS) institution.
• Modifies the preeminence standards source of data and removes the emerging preeminent funding provision. The bill specifies equal distribution of funding increases between preeminent institutions, rather than as determined by the Legislature.
• Replaces the State University System Programs of Excellence with State Universities of Distinction, but the amendment excludes preeminent universities from the program.
• Modifies the state university performance-based incentive metric to require:
  • A 4-year graduation rates for first-time-in-college students;
  • Beginning in FY 2021-2022, a 2-year graduation rates for FCS institution associate in arts transfer students;
  • Beginning in FY 2021-2022, the 6-year graduation rate for students who are awarded a Pell Grant in their first year.
• Creates the Florida Institute of Politics at FSU. The bill requires the institute to collaborate with related policy institutes and research activities at FSU and other institutions of higher education to motivate, increase, and sustain citizen involvement in public affairs.
• Creates the Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic Freedom at Florida International University.
• Authorizes FCS institution and state university BOT innovative pricing techniques and payment options policies to include either an opt-in or opt-out provision for students.
• Revises Florida Student Assistant Grant (FSAG) provisions, follows:
  • Priority in the distribution of summer awards must be given to students who are within one semester of completing a degree or certificate program, as applicable (the FSAG Public program also includes priority for students who have not yet earned 9 semester hours in summer terms); and
  • Priority in the distribution of grant moneys may be given to students who are within one semester of completing a degree or certificate program, as applicable.
• Modifies the Florida Academic Scholars award to specify an annual stipend (rather than $300) for textbooks, as appropriated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
• Modifies the Florida Medallion Scholars award to specify that beginning in the fall 2021 semester, a Florida Medallion Scholar who is enrolled in an associate degree program at an FCS institution is eligible for an award equal to the amount necessary to pay 100 percent of tuition and fees.
• Modifies requirements for initial eligibility and scholarship renewal provisions for the Benacquisto Scholarship Program.
• Modifies provisions relating to the carry forward of operational funds by state universities and FCS institutions, the bill does not remove the requirement in the spending plan that specified operating expenditures be nonrecurring.
• Provides that expenditures in a carry forward spending plan may include a commitment of funds to a contingency reserve for expenses incurred as a result of a state emergency declared by the Governor.
• Requires the BOG LBR request to also include 5-year trend information on the number of faculty and administrators at each university and the proportion of full-time equivalent (FTE) dedicated to instruction and research compared to administration.
• Requires that employees of a state university or research entity comply with policies of the university or entity, BOG regulations, and state laws. Also requires that employees engaged in the design, conduct, or reporting of research disclose and receive a determination that the outside activity or financial interest does not affect the integrity of the state university or entity, with penalties for noncompliance.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020, Chapter Law 2020-117

SB 646 – Intercollegiate Athlete Compensation and Rights by Senator Debbie Mayfield (R – Melbourne), establishes the right of intercollegiate athletes and the responsibilities for postsecondary educational institutions concerning an intercollegiate athlete’s right to be compensated for her or his name, image, or likeness (NIL). Specifically, the bill:

• Authorizes an intercollegiate athlete at a postsecondary educational institution to earn compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness.
• Stipulates that such compensation must be commensurate with the market value and may not be provided in exchange for athletic performance or attendance at a particular institution and may only be provided by a third party unaffiliated with the athlete’s postsecondary educational institution.
• Prohibits a postsecondary educational institution from adopting or maintaining a contract, rule, regulation, standard, or other requirement that prevents or unduly restricts an intercollegiate athlete from earning compensation for the use of her or his name, image or likeness.
• Stipulates that earning such compensation may not affect the intercollegiate athlete’s grant-in-aid or athletic eligibility.
• Prohibits a postsecondary educational institution, an entity whose purpose includes supporting or benefitting the institution or its athletic programs, or an officer, director, or employee of such institution or entity from compensating or causing compensation to be directed to a current or prospective intercollegiate athlete for her or his name, image, or likeness.
• Prohibits a postsecondary educational institution, an entity whose purpose includes supporting or benefitting the institution or its athletic programs, or an officer, director, or employee of such institution or entity from compensating or causing compensation to be directed to a current or prospective intercollegiate athlete for her or his name, image, or likeness.
• Requires an athlete agent representing an intercollegiate athlete for purposes of securing compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness, to be licensed under part IX of chapter 468.
• Requires an attorney representing an intercollegiate athlete for purposes of securing compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness must be a member in good standing of The Florida Bar.
• Specifies that grant-in-aid, including cost of attendance, awarded to an intercollegiate athlete by a postsecondary educational institution is not compensation for the purposes of name, image, or likeness, and may not be revoked or reduced as a result of an intercollegiate athlete earning compensation or obtaining professional representation for the purpose of name, image, or likeness.
• Requires an intercollegiate athlete under 18 years of age to have any contract for compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness approved under law.
• Prohibits an intercollegiate athlete from entering into a contract for compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness if a term of the contract conflicts with a term of the intercollegiate athlete’s team contract.
• Requires a postsecondary educational institution asserting a conflict to disclose each relevant contract term that conflicts with the team contract to the intercollegiate athlete or her or his representative.
• Requires an intercollegiate athlete who enters into a contract for compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness to disclose the contract to the postsecondary educational institution at which she or he is enrolled, in a manner designated by the institution.
• Specifies that the duration of a contract for representation of an intercollegiate athlete or compensation for the use of an intercollegiate athlete’s name, image, or likeness may not extend beyond her or his participation in an athletic program at a postsecondary educational institution.
• Requires each postsecondary institution to conduct a financial literacy and life skills workshop for a minimum of 5 hours at the beginning of the intercollegiate athlete’s first and third academic years, and requires such workshop to:
  • Include information concerning financial aid, debt management, and a recommended budget for full and partial grant-in-aid intercollegiate athletes based on the current academic year’s cost of attendance.
  • Include information on time management skills necessary for success as an intercollegiate athlete and available academic resources.
  • Not include any marketing, advertising, referral, or solicitation by providers of financial products or services.
• Requires the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to adopt regulations and rules relevant to implementation.
• Requires a person to hold a valid license as an athlete agent to act as an athlete agent representing an intercollegiate athlete for purposes of contracts authorized under law.
• Authorizes an athlete agent to represent an intercollegiate athlete in securing compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness under law, notwithstanding athletic conference or collegiate athletic association rules, bylaws, regulations, and policies to the contrary.

The bill is effective July 1, 2021. Approved by the Governor on June 12, 2020

SB 1714 – Sale of Surplus State-owned Office Building and Associated Non-conservation Lands by Senator Rob Bradley (R – Orange Park), provides that funds received through the sale of surplus state-owned office buildings and associated non-conservation lands are deposited into the Architects Incidental Trust Fund as opposed to the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, and must be used for the acquisition, lease, planning, entitlement, design, permitting, construction, or maintenance of state-owned office buildings.

The bill removes the requirement that state universities and Florida College System institutions be offered the option to lease a building or parcel of land with priority consideration before the same is offered to another government entity or private party.

The bill also provides that when appraising surplus lands’ value, the Division of State Lands must base the value on the “highest and best use” of the property after considering any applicable developmental rights.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Approved by the Governor on June 9, 2020

CS/CS/HB 441 – Public Procurement of Services by Representative Nick DiCeglie (R – Largo), increases the maximum limit for continuing contracts covered by the Consultant’s Competitive Negotiation Act from an estimated per project construction cost of $2 million to $4 million. The bill also increases the maximum limit for procuring a study using a continuing contract from $200,000 per study to $500,000. The bill is effective July1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-127

CS/SB 738 – Jury Service by Senator Gayle Harrell (R – Stuart), allows students who are 18 to 21 years of age to be excused from a specific jury summons upon request if they are enrolled as a full-time student at a high school, state university, private post-secondary educational institution, Florida College System Institution, or career center.

The bill does not affect jury service for those students older than 21 years of age.

The bill takes effect July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-57

CS/CS/CS SB 662 – Education and the Military by Senator Tom Wright (R – Port Orange), gives greater flexibility to transitioning students from military families by considering a student a resident of the school district at the point in time in which the parent is transferred or pending transfer to a military installation within the state, for purposes of enrollment and preferential treatment in special programs. The bill also modifies the school grading model for high schools by adding to the calculation the percentage of students who earn a Category II Armed Forces Qualification Test score or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and have earned a minimum of two credits in Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps courses from the same branch of the United States Armed Forces as a school grade college and career acceleration component.

The bill takes effect July 1, 2020, although the provisions to modify the school grading model begin with the 2022-2023 school year. Chapter Law 2020-75

CS/CS/CS/SB 70 – Alert Systems in Public Schools by Senator Lauren Book (D – Plantation), creates “Alyssa’s Law.” The bill modifies statute to:

• Allows each public school, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, to implement a mobile panic alert system, known as “Alyssa’s Alert”, capable of connecting diverse emergency services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between multiple first responders.
• For the 2020-2021 fiscal year, subject to legislative appropriation, require the Department of Education, in consultation with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, to develop a competitive solicitation for a statewide mobile panic alert system.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-145

HB 101 – Public Construction by Representative Alex Andrade (R – Pensacola), changes the limits on retainage permitted to be withheld on state and local government contracts.

For contracts more than $200,000, the bill reduces the maximum amount that may be retained:

• From ten percent before half of the work is complete, and five percent after half of the work is complete
  • To five percent for the entire project; and
• From ten percent for the entire project if the government entity is a municipality with a population of 25,000 or less or a county with a population of 100,000 or less
  • To five percent for the entire project.

The bill repeals:

• The ability of a contractor to make a request the government entity release up to half of the retained amount after half of the project is completed; and
• The ability of a contractor to withhold more than five percent of each progress payment to his or her subcontractors after half of a project for a government entity is completed.

For contracts less than $200,000, the bill reduces the amount that the state may retain from a progress payment to a contractor from ten percent to five percent.

The bill is effective October 1, 2020.

CS/HB 171 – Postsecondary Education for Certain Military Personnel by Representative Mel Ponder (R – Ft. Walton Beach, FSU Alum), requires the Board of Governors (BOG) to adopt regulations and the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt rules to create a process that enables servicemembers and veterans of the United States Armed Forces to earn uniform postsecondary credit or career education clock hours across all Florida public postsecondary educational institutions for 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 uniform award of postsecondary credit or career education clock hours, 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 process for determining when courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military is appropriate for postsecondary credit or career education clock hours;
• provide recommendations to the BOG and the SBE regarding a process for determining postsecondary course equivalencies; and
• approve a list of postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military.

The bill requires the BOG and the SBE to adopt the list approved by the ACC. State universities, Florida College System (FCS) institutions, and career centers must award postsecondary credit or career education clock hours based on the list adopted by the BOG and the SBE, provided the credit is applicable toward the student’s degree or certificate.

The bill is effective upon becoming law. Chapter Law 2020-80

CS/CS/HB 1213 – Holocaust Education by Representative Randy Fine (R – Palm Bay), requires the Florida Department of Education (DOE) to prepare and offer curriculum standards for teaching the history of the Holocaust. The DOE may work with the Commissioner of Education’s Task Force on Holocaust Education, the Florida Holocaust Museum, and other state or nationally recognized Holocaust educational organizations to develop curricula, training for instructional personnel, and classroom instructional material for the instruction.

The bill requires each school district to include in this instruction the state policy against anti-Semitism. The DOE must create a process for school districts to annually certify and provide evidence of compliance with the Holocaust instructional requirements to the DOE.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-88

CS/HB 7011 K-12 Student Athletes by Representative Ralph Massullo (R – Beverly Hills), requires the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to:

• require member schools to monitor heat stress and modify athletic activities (i.e., contests, practices, workouts, and conditioning) based on heat stress guidelines;
• identify heat stress levels at which a cooling zone must be made available for athletic activities;
• make training and materials available for the effective monitoring of heat stress;
• establish requirements for cooling zones and individuals with related training at athletic activities, including the use of cold water immersion tubs or equivalent means;
• require school emergency action plans to include a procedure for onsite cooling using cold water immersion or equivalent means before transport to the hospital for exertional heat stroke (EHS);
• establish hydration guidelines, including appropriate introduction of electrolytes; and
• require student athletes to pass the annual medical evaluation each year before engaging in any athletic activities that occur outside of the school year. The bill specifies that these requirements apply year-round.

The bill also requires all athletic coaches and sponsors of extracurricular activities involving outdoor practices or events to complete annual training in EHS identification, prevention, and response, including effective administration of cooling zones.

Beginning June 1, 2021, the bill requires an employee or volunteer with current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training to be present at each athletic activity during and outside of the school year. All employees or volunteers who are reasonably expected to use an AED must complete the training and must be notified annually of the location of each AED on school grounds, which must be available in a clearly marked and publicized location for each athletic activity.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-91

SB 1326 – Child Welfare by Senator Wilton Simpson (R – Spring Hill), referred to as the “State of Hope Act,” makes several changes to the child welfare programs administered by the Department of Children and Families (DCF or department) to promote accountability and improve program performance. As it relates to FSU, the bill:

• Expands the functions of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW) to inform, train, and engage social work students for a successful career in child welfare and directs the FICW to work with the FSU College of Social Work to redesign the social work curriculum to enable students to learn from real-world child welfare cases.
• Directs the DCF, in collaboration with the FICW, to develop an expanded career ladder for child protective investigators.
• Directs the FICW, subject to an appropriation, to design and implement a career long professional development curriculum for child welfare professionals by July 1, 2021.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-153

CS/HB 255 Commission on Human Relations by Representative Bruce Antone (D – Orlando), ramends several statutes pertaining to the Commission on Human Relations. Specifically, the bill:

• Provides that six Commission members constitute a quorum for conducting business;
• Authorizes the Commission to recommend up to 10 nominees for the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame;
• Specifies the applicable statute of limitations for bringing a cause of action pursuant to the Florida Civil Rights Act;
• Deletes the registration requirements for facilities and communities claiming the housing for older persons exemption and eliminates related forms, fees, and fines;
• Deletes an investigation requirement for certain public accommodation discrimination cases, allowing the Commission to immediately use methods of conference, conciliation, and persuasion; and
• Aligns time periods in state employee whistle-blower cases with time periods in other cases investigated by the Commission.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-154

HB 641 – Funds for the Operation of Schools by Representative Rene Plasencia (R – Titusville), modifies the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) by:

• Creating the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) to assist school districts in their recruitment and retention of classroom teachers and other instructional personnel.
• Repealing the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation.
• Deleting the use of the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation in the calculation of the Virtual Education Contribution and adding the use of the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation in its calculation.

The bill repeals the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program and the Florida Best and Brightest Principal Scholarship Program.

The bill provides for school districts to receive additional funding through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) for each student who receives an Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma in addition to a standard high school diploma.

The Fiscal Year 2020-2021 General Appropriations Act appropriates $500 million in recurring funds from the General Revenue Fund to fund the new Teacher Salary Increase Allocation.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-94

HB 7067 – K-12 Scholarship Programs by Representative Jennifer Sullivan (R – Eustis), modifies provisions in the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program (FES), the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC), and the Hope Scholarship Program (HSP) in order to expand access to the FES and establish a priority order for award of FES and FTC scholarships. Specifically, the bill:

• increases the FES enrollment cap from 0.25 percent to 1.0 percent of the state’s total public school enrollment,
• increases the income eligibility for the FES by 25.0 percent of the maximum federal poverty level after a year in which more than 5.0 percent of the amount of the annual increase in available scholarships are not awarded,
• allows a student who can no longer receive a FTC scholarship award due to lack of available scholarships to transfer to the FES and receive priority of award second only to FES renewal scholarships,
• requires scholarship-funding organizations (SFOs) to give priority to FTC renewal students who received a scholarship during the previous school year and to exhaust all funds for renewal scholarships before awarding initial scholarships,
• requires SFOs to refer FTC eligible students to another SFO if funds are not available to award a scholarship to the student, and
• requires the exhaustion of FTC funds before HSP funds in excess of the 5.0 percent carry forward may be used to award initial FTC scholarships.

The bill also provides full-time equivalent (FTE) add-on bonus funding amounts in the Florida Education Finance Program to school districts for each student who completes a general education core course or associate degree, with a specified letter grade or GPA, through dual enrollment. School districts must allocate at least 50.0 percent of the funds received from dual enrollment bonus FTE to schools that generated funds to support student academic and postsecondary readiness.

The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact based on the number of kindergarten FES scholarships awarded that would exceed the forecasted number of kindergarten students entering the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). However, any fiscal impacts would be incorporated into the overall FEFP.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-95

HB 7097 – Taxation by Representative Bryan Avila (R – Hialeah), provides for tax reductions and tax-related modifications that will impact both families and businesses.

Several provisions related to sales tax include:

• A three-day “back-to-school” tax holiday in early August 2020 and a seven-day “disaster preparedness” tax holiday in May and June of 2020;
• A requirement that School Capital Outlay sales surtaxes approved in the future be proportionately shared with charter schools;
• A requirement that any future levy of the Charter County and Regional Transportation System Sales Surtax in any eligible county be limited to 30 years in duration.

For corporate income tax, the bill amends the calculation of a taxpayer’s “final tax liability” for purposes of calculating certain corporate income tax refunds.

The bill increases the population limit, under which a county is authorized to use its tourist development tax revenues for zoological parks, fishing piers, and nature centers, from 750,000 to 950,000.

Regarding property taxes, the bill amends the requirements for hospitals to qualify for a charitable tax exemption. Non-profit hospitals will be required to document the value of charitable services they provide, and their current charity tax exemption will be limited to the value of that charity care. The bill updates the qualifying operations for the deployed servicemember tax exemption; amends statutory provisions that address conflict of interest for special magistrates; and restricts information that may be mailed with the yearly TRIM notice. The bill also exempts from property tax vacant affordable housing units and units occupied by persons or families that met the qualifying income thresholds at the time they began their tenancy, but whose income grew through the income thresholds. The bill also exempts from property tax an affordable housing project owned by a limited liability company, which is also owned by a limited liability company, as long as the owner of the second limited liability company is a qualifying 501(c)(3) entity.

The bill lowers the tax rate on surplus lines insurance and provides that the new lower rate applies to all policies irrespective of where the insured risk is located.

The bill exempts new school construction projects funded solely through local impact fees from the total cost per student station limitation. It also prohibits an owner of a public building from soliciting any payment for providing the allocation letter needed to receive a federal income tax deduction for energy efficient construction.

The bill also includes provisions proposed by the Department of Revenue to enhance the administration of state taxes and oversight of property taxation.

The total state and local government revenue impact of the bill in Fiscal Year 2020-21 is estimated to be -$47.4 million (non-recurring).

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-10

SB 226 – Athletic Trainers by Senator Gayle Harrell (R – Stuart), creates a new licensure pathway for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree, have completed the Board of Certification (BOC) internship requirements, and hold a current certification from the BOC to become licensed in Florida. The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-029

SB 830 – OGSR/Certain Personal Financial and Health Information by Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (R – Ft. Myers), Amends a provision which provides an exemption from public records requirements for certain personal financial and health information held by the Florida Prepaid College Board, Florida ABLE, Inc., or the Florida ABLE program, or an agent or service provider thereof; removing the scheduled repeal of the exemption, etc. The bill is effective October 1, 2020.

CS/CS/HB 821 Pub. Rec. and Meetings/Information Technology Security Information by Representative Jayer Williamson (R – Pace), expands the public record exemption in the IT Security Act to include network schematics, hardware and software configurations, or encryption. The bill also creates a public meeting exemption for those portions of a public meeting that reveal certain confidential and exempt records. Any portion of an exempt meeting must be recorded and transcribed and those recordings and transcripts are confidential and exempt from public record requirements, unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines that the meeting was not restricted to the discussion of confidential and exempt data and information. The bill is effective upon becoming law. Chapter No. 2020-025

SB 664 – Verification of Employment Eligibility by Senator Tom Lee (R – Brandon), requires every public employer, contractor, and subcontractor to register with and use the E-Verify system to verify the work authorization status of all newly hired employees. A public employer, contractor, or subcontractor may not enter into a contract unless each party to the contract registers with and uses the E-Verify system.

Additionally, the bill requires a public employer, contractor, or subcontractor who has a person or entity with which it is contracting to have knowingly violated s. 448.09(1) should terminate the contract with the person or entity. A contract terminated is not a breach of contract and may not be considered such. The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-150

CS/HB 959 – Broadband Internet Service by Representative Brad Drake (R – DeFuniak Springs), designates the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) as the lead state agency to facilitate the expansion of broadband Internet service in the state. It creates the Florida Office of Broadband (Office) within DEO’s Division of Community Development for purposes of developing, marketing, and promoting broadband Internet service in the state.

The bill transfers to the new office most of the powers and duties previously given to DMS. Specifically, the Office must:

• Create a strategic plan for increasing the use of broadband Internet service in the state;
• Build local technology planning teams representing, among others, libraries, schools, colleges and universities, local health care providers, private businesses, community organizations, economic development organizations, local governments, tourism, parks and recreation, and agriculture; and
• Encourage the use of broadband Internet service, especially in rural, unserved, and underserved areas of the state through grant programs.
• Monitor, participate in, and provide input in proceedings of the Federal Communications Commission and other federal agencies related to the geographic availability and deployment of broadband Internet service in Florida.

The bill is effective July 1, 2020. Chapter Law 2020-026

PCB EDC 03 – Higher Education by Representative Randy Fine (R – Palm Bay), required the University of Florida to merge with Florida Polytechnic University and New College. The bill died in committee.

HB 7081 – Public Records and Meetings/Postsecondary Education Executive Search by Representative Ramon Alexander (D – Tallahassee) and SB 774 by Senator Manny Diaz (R – Hialeah Gardens), created an exemption from public record and public meeting requirements for information associated with the applicant recruitment process and discussions associated with the applicant search for the position of president of a state university or FCS institution. The bill provided that any personal identifying information of an applicant for president of a state university or FCS institution is confidential and exempt from public record requirements. The bills were indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration.

CS/CS/HB 7 – Legal Notices by Representative Randy Fine (R – Palm Bay) and SB 1340 by Senator Joe Gruters (R – Sarasota, FSU Alum), allowed a governmental agency the option to publish legally required advertisements and notices on a publicly accessible website. The bills were indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration.

SB 1270 – Fiduciary Duty of Care for Appointed Public Officials and Executive Officers by Senator Tom Lee (R – Brandon) and HB 1111 by Representative Josie Tomkow (R – Auburndale), established an express fiduciary duty of care for appointed public officials’ and executive officers acting on behalf of governmental entities. The bills were indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration.

SB 96 – Educational Opportunities for Veterans by Senator Janet Cruz (D – Tampa), granted disabled veterans an education benefit to fully provide for the cost of tuition and fees charged at a public postsecondary academic institution. An award provided in this bill was intended to supplement what is provided to a recipient through the federal Post 9/11 GI Bill to reach a 100 percent payment of tuition and fees. The bill died in the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.

HB 993 – High School Graduation Requirements by Representative Richard Stark (D – Weston) and SB 1550 by Senator Janet Cruz (D – Tampa), required students to submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid to be awarded standard high school diploma. The bills died in committee.

SB 1114 – Cost-of-living Adjustments to State Employee Salaries by Senator Bill Montford (D – Tallahassee, FSU Alum) and HB 845 by Representative Ramon Alexander (D – Tallahassee), created an annual salary adjustment for eligible state employees filling established positions in the executive and judicial branches, and certain employees of the state university system, contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature. The bills died in committee.

SB 90 – Employment Discrimination by Senator Linda Stewart (D – Orlando) and HB 739 by Representative Geraldine Thompson (D – Orlando, FSU Alum), created the “Senator Helen Gordon Davis Fair Pay Protection Act,” which prohibited an employer from providing a less favorable employment opportunity to an employee based on the employee’s sex, and prohibited an employer from paying an employee at a rate less than the employer pays an employee of the opposite sex for substantially similar work on a job that requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility. The bills died in committee.

CS/SB 566 – Prohibited Discrimination by Senator Randolph Bracy (R – Orlando) and HB 761 by Representative Kamia Brown (D – Orlando), amended the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 to define “race” as “inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles.” Under the bill, a “protective hairstyle” included hairstyles such as braids, locks, or twists. The bills died in committee.

HB 799 – Public Records/Trade Secrets by Representative Tommy Gregory (R – Bradenton) and SB 1532 by Senator Dennis Baxley (R – Lady Lake, FSU Alum), created a uniform public record exemption for trade secrets that applied to most agencies that are subject to public record requirements. The bills died in committee.

HB 595 – Medical Marijuana Employee Protection by Representative Tina Polsky (D – Boca Raton) and SB 962 by Senator Lori Berman (D – Boynton Beach), prohibited employers from taking adverse personnel action against employees or applicants who are qualified patients using medical marijuana. The bills died in committee.

SB 1106 – Universal Changing Places by Senator Dennis Baxley (R -Lady Lake, FSU Alum) and HB 669 by Representative Wengay Newton (D – St. Petersburg), required public entities to install and maintain at least one universal changing place at specified locations.

HB 581 – Civic Education by Representative Vance Aloupis (R – Miami) and SB 918 by Senator Jeff Brandes (R – St. Petersburg), established minimum requirements for a student to complete a civic literacy practicum, including identifying a civic issue, researching and developing an involvement plan to address the issue, and creating a portfolio evaluating and reflecting on the experience and outcome, or likely outcome, of his or her involvement. The bills died on the calendar.

SB 934 – First Aid for Severe Bleeding by Senator Jason Pizzo (D – Miami) and HB 275 by Representative Michael Grieco (D – North Bay Village), required the placement of bleeding control kits in state buildings and required district school boards to provide a bleeding control kit in every school within the school district. The bills died in committee.

HB 953 – Charter Schools by Representative Stan McClain (R – Ocala), SB 1578 by Senator Travis Hutson (R – Palm Coast) and HB 7103 by Representative Jennifer Sullivan (R – Eustis), authorized state universities and Florida College System institutions to solicit applications and sponsor charter schools upon approval by the Department of Education. The bills died in committee.

SB 608 – Health Education by Senator Jason Pizzo (D – Miami) and HB 325 by Representative James Bush III (D – Opa Locka), required health education instruction for K – 12 students to include age-appropriate water safety instruction. The bills died without consideration.

HB 315 Enforcement of School Attendance by Representative Susan Valdes (D – Tampa) and SB 588 by Senator Darryl Rouson (D – St. Petersburg), authorized each district school board and charter school governing board to allow each student to take up to one “mental health day” for each semester as an excused absence. The bills died in committee.

SB 96 – Educational Opportunities for Veterans by Senator Janet Cruz (D – Tampa), granted disabled veterans an education benefit to fully provide for the cost of tuition and fees charged at a public postsecondary academic institution. An award provided in this bill was intended to supplement what is provided to a recipient through the federal Post 9/11 GI Bill to reach a 100 percent payment of tuition and fees. The bill died in committee.