HB 443- Interscholastic and Intrascholastic Activities, by Representative Mike Beltran (R-Valrico), authorizes the Commissioner of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Education (SBE), to approve other nonprofit athletic associations that public schools may join for interscholastic athletic competition. The bill provides that any high school in the state, including private schools, traditional public schools, charter schools, virtual schools, and home education cooperatives, may become a member of an approved athletic association. Current law prohibits the FHSAA from denying or discouraging interscholastic competition between member and non-member schools and prohibits retributory or discriminatory action against member schools that participate in competition with non-FHSAA member schools. The bill applies these prohibitions to all approved athletic associations as well as allowing schools or home education cooperatives the option of full membership or by individual sport participation in the FHSAA and other approved athletic associations. This bill has been reported favorable out of all its committees and is waiting to be taken up on the House floor. A similar bill in the Senate, SB 728, by Senator Travis Hutson (R- Palm Coast), was referred to the Senate Education, Community Affairs, and Rules committees.

HB 1467- K-12 Education, by Representative Sam Garrison (R- Orange Park), repeals the salary for school board members who are newly elected or re-elected on or after August 1, 2022. However, the bill specifies that members may receive $200 stipend per regular or special school board meeting, with an annual cap of $4,800. The bill also strengthens current transparency for selecting and using instructional and library materials in schools through several provisions including:

• Requiring that school district instructional material review committee meetings be noticed and open to the public;
• Requiring district staff who review materials to complete training on selecting quality, age-appropriate books, prior to making selections; and
• Requiring school districts to provide access to all materials for public inspection and to publish a list of all materials available to students on the school website in a searchable format.

The bill passed the House with a vote of 78 yeas, 40 nays. It has been sent to the Senate who referred the bill to the Rules committee. A Similar bill in the Senate, SB 1300- District School Boards, by Senator Joe Gruters (R- Sarasota), is waiting to be taken up in its last committee of reference, the Senate Rules committee.

SB 7046- Public Employment, by Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability, increases the contribution rate paid by employers participating in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) for the purpose of funding the full normal cost and the amortization of the unfunded actuarial liability of the FRS. With these new rates the FRS Trust Fund will increase by roughly $438 million, a cost shared by public employers such as state agencies, state universities and colleges, school districts, counties, municipalities, and other participating in the FRS. Other provisions in the bill include:

• ncreasing the employer-paid contribution to investment plan account by three percent of the member’s compensation;
• Extending the time eligibility for law enforcement officers participating in the DROP Program from 60 months to 96 months (if the officer begins participating in DROP before July 1, 2028); and
• Requiring the Department of Management Services (DMS) to conduct compensation surveys every 10 years to determine the competitiveness of the State of Florida’s compensation plan to other public and private employers in the state.

The bill was successfully introduced last week in the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee. A similar bill in the House, HB 5007- State-administered Retirement Systems, by the House Appropriations Committee is on the Special Order Calendar for tomorrow, February 15th. HB 5007 is a conforming bill, which means this bill is tied to the budget and will be negotiated as part of the budget conference between the House and Senate. Unlike the budget, which is law for one fiscal year, policy passed in a conforming bill is permanent.

SB 1240- Mental Health of Students, by Senator Gayle Harrell (R- Stuart), requires charter schools to report the removal of a student from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity for an involuntary mental health examination. The bill provides that the Department of Education must share data comprised of both public and charter schools reporting with the Department of Children and Families. The bill also modifies the annual plan requirements for the mental health assistance allocation prepared by school districts to include that parents, and other individuals living in the same household as a student receiving mental health services, be provided with information regarding other services available through the school or local community-based mental health providers for which the student may qualify that would contribute to the student’s improved well-being. This bill has been placed on the Senate Special Order Calendar for Thursday, February 17th. The identical bill in the House, HB 899- Mental Health of Students, by Representative Christine Hunschofsky (D- Coconut Creek), is waiting to be heard in its last committee of reference, the House Education & Employment Committee.

SB 520- Public Records and Public Meetings, by Senator Jeff Brandes (R- St. Petersburg), was amended on the Senate floor this past week. The amendment maintained the 21 day provision for the number of days personal information of final group of applicants must be released prior to in person interviews but further required that the age, race, and gender of all applicants who met the minimum qualifications established for the position must also be released to the public at the time the names of the final group is released. The bill passed the Senate Floor with a vote of 28 yeas, 11 nays, meeting the required two-thirds vote for a new public records exemption. The bill is now in messages to the House. The similar bill in the House, HB 703, by Representative Sam Garrison (R- Orange Park), is waiting to be heard in its last committee of reference, the House Education & Employment Committee.