3/12/19
Florida
A busy bill day as many got their first hearing of the session. Here is a rundown of a number of those affecting public schools:
Last, for the first time in years, the Democratic Caucus has developed its own version of a 2019-2020 state budget for comparison with that released last month by Governor Desantis. It is attached for your information. Both chambers will independently develop their own budget plans, the starting subcommittee level we should see by the end of next week.
Federal
More on the administration's budget from yesterday: proposed for elimination are Title II professional training funds, elimination of Title IV programs and elimination of the 21st Century grants. These cuts were also recommended in the past two budget years. Education Week today produced an easy-to-follow graphic which I've linked here for your information.
Meanwhile, school district legal counsel and others should note the release from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that the department has opined that the restrictions in ESEA against the use of federal dollars for private religious schools are unconstitutional and, therefore, the department will not be enforcing any violation. The decision is largely based on last year's Supreme Court decision involving playground equipment given a Lutheran Church in Missouri. The court stated the ruling did not address program dollars.
The US-Ed announcement is here.
A busy bill day as many got their first hearing of the session. Here is a rundown of a number of those affecting public schools:
- HB6005 passed 10-3 in House Criminal Justice to allow adult holders of concealed weapons permits to bring a weapon securely locked in their vehicle and park in a school parking lot while on school business. The change does not include students.
- SJR274 to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the November, 2020 general election ballot to impose 8-year term limits on school board members, starting with the 2020 election, was approved 4-3 in Senate Ethics and Elections.
- SB62 passed unanimously in Senate Education to set specific guidelines in the use of restraint and seclusion procedures and require school district/FLDOE reporting of incidents.
- HB727 passed House Criminal Justice to expand the definitions of "hazing" and to immunize certain individuals from legal proceedings if they provide aid to a victim.
- SB1198 passed Senate Education to streamline audit and fiscal transparency reporting procedures that were passed last year as part of HB1279, which is slated to take effect this July 1.
- SB522 passed Senate Education to establish a Florida Apprenticeship Grant Program, providing stipends to start up additional apprenticeship programs by sponsors who do not require assistance from a career education program institution; the bill also requires state reporting of available programs at the college or school district levels.
- House Prek-12 Appropriations holds discussion on pending budget implementing and conforming bills;
- House Higher Education and Career Readiness will take up proposed committee bill HEC2 whose text and analysis are attached and which deal with student enrollment at the college and district levels for CTE programs.
Last, for the first time in years, the Democratic Caucus has developed its own version of a 2019-2020 state budget for comparison with that released last month by Governor Desantis. It is attached for your information. Both chambers will independently develop their own budget plans, the starting subcommittee level we should see by the end of next week.
Federal
More on the administration's budget from yesterday: proposed for elimination are Title II professional training funds, elimination of Title IV programs and elimination of the 21st Century grants. These cuts were also recommended in the past two budget years. Education Week today produced an easy-to-follow graphic which I've linked here for your information.
Meanwhile, school district legal counsel and others should note the release from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that the department has opined that the restrictions in ESEA against the use of federal dollars for private religious schools are unconstitutional and, therefore, the department will not be enforcing any violation. The decision is largely based on last year's Supreme Court decision involving playground equipment given a Lutheran Church in Missouri. The court stated the ruling did not address program dollars.
The US-Ed announcement is here.
|
| ||||||||||
3/27/19
Both House and Senate Appropriations Committees went through a perfunctory series of approvals on budget documents today, setting the scene for full House and Senate consideration next week. House bills will be filed with bill numbers tomorrow late or Friday morning. The Senate will its official docs out later tomorrow. We will get them to you as they are filed. There were no changes as it pertains to Prek-12 funding. What you have from the weekend still holds for now.
The House, on a 18-6 vote, passed HB5101 which is the budget conforming bill for appropriations (I.e., conforms state law to the budgetary intent for one year). Included is a revision of the Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship for which highly effective and effective classroom teachers would be eligible. Members of the FAME legislative committee met this week with numerous legislators to urge inclusion of "other instructional personnel" that includes library/media specialists. President-elect Lorraine Stinson of St. Johns County testified before the House panel urging inclusion noting media specialists are teachers of students, teachers of teachers and are responsible for every student in their school. The group included current President Julie Hiltz, legis chairs Michelle Jarrett and Deb Svec, and members Christine Cyrier, Marie Masferer, past President Andrea Parisi, Ruth Witter, Angela Young and Vange Scivally. They will continue its efforts for throughout the rest of the session and will be urging FAME members to help provide support. (note: the vodcast of Stinson's appearance is on www.thefloridachannel.org, go to video library, click today's House Appropriations Committee and her testimony begins about 3 hrs, 45-50 minutes into the meeting)
As part of the appropriations process, the House committee approved HB7075 that establishes the Family Empowerment Scholarship for low income parents initially at a federal poverty level of 300% and moving up to 375% by the '21-22 school year. The program would use state funds in the amount equivalent to a district's basic student FEFP value. It is modeled after the original Opportunity Scholarship in 1999 and is one of both Governor Desantis' and the Senate leadership's priorities for this session. The Senate version is contained in SB7070. The House bill passed along a party-line 16-9 vote. The Senate bill is awaiting action in Appropriations.
House Bill 1 is evolving as a ethics/elections bill to watch. Approved unanimously by the Oversight, Transparency & Public Management Subcommittee, the bill is headed to the House floor for action. While it has specifics for higher education, the bill in several areas affects all public officials. The bill's provisions could "grow" in coming weeks. It is linked here. Some of the contents now include:
The Senate today unanimously passed SB74 that requires that any proposals to revise the State Constitution, or any part thereof, filed by the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) be limited to a single subject. The measure would be a constitutional amendment on the November, 2020 ballot. It goes to the House for consideration. During the CRC process last year, there was much criticism of how proposals were grouped into a single ballot issue.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, House Education will consider a number of bills starting at 8:30am. The meeting will be aired over www.thefloridachannel.org. Bills include:
HJR 229 Limitation on Terms of Office for Members of a District School Board by Sabatini, Fine
CS/HB 349 Students with Disabilities in Public Schools by PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee, DuBose
CS/HB 547 Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program by Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee, Clemons
HB 807 Civics Education by Aloupis
HB 1027 Office of Early Learning by Aloupis
HB 7051 Higher Education by Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee, Byrd
We'll have more tomorrow.
The House, on a 18-6 vote, passed HB5101 which is the budget conforming bill for appropriations (I.e., conforms state law to the budgetary intent for one year). Included is a revision of the Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship for which highly effective and effective classroom teachers would be eligible. Members of the FAME legislative committee met this week with numerous legislators to urge inclusion of "other instructional personnel" that includes library/media specialists. President-elect Lorraine Stinson of St. Johns County testified before the House panel urging inclusion noting media specialists are teachers of students, teachers of teachers and are responsible for every student in their school. The group included current President Julie Hiltz, legis chairs Michelle Jarrett and Deb Svec, and members Christine Cyrier, Marie Masferer, past President Andrea Parisi, Ruth Witter, Angela Young and Vange Scivally. They will continue its efforts for throughout the rest of the session and will be urging FAME members to help provide support. (note: the vodcast of Stinson's appearance is on www.thefloridachannel.org, go to video library, click today's House Appropriations Committee and her testimony begins about 3 hrs, 45-50 minutes into the meeting)
As part of the appropriations process, the House committee approved HB7075 that establishes the Family Empowerment Scholarship for low income parents initially at a federal poverty level of 300% and moving up to 375% by the '21-22 school year. The program would use state funds in the amount equivalent to a district's basic student FEFP value. It is modeled after the original Opportunity Scholarship in 1999 and is one of both Governor Desantis' and the Senate leadership's priorities for this session. The Senate version is contained in SB7070. The House bill passed along a party-line 16-9 vote. The Senate bill is awaiting action in Appropriations.
House Bill 1 is evolving as a ethics/elections bill to watch. Approved unanimously by the Oversight, Transparency & Public Management Subcommittee, the bill is headed to the House floor for action. While it has specifics for higher education, the bill in several areas affects all public officials. The bill's provisions could "grow" in coming weeks. It is linked here. Some of the contents now include:
- Removes restrictions on state employees lobbying the Legislature;
- Prohibits public officers and employees from soliciting an employment or contractual relationship from entities with whom they are prohibited from entering into conflicting employment and contractual relationships;
- Requires public officers and employees to report or disclose particular solicitations and offers of employment or contractual relationships;
- Imposes certain restrictions on statewide elected officers and legislators related to employment or investment advice;
- Restricts certain unelected state officers and employees regarding soliciting and negotiating an employmentor contractual relationship with certain employers;
- Authorizes the Commission on Ethics to investigate disclosures of certain prohibited solicitations in the same manner as a complaint; and
- Revises executive branch lobbying registration requirements to mandate electronic registration, clarify provisions, and add the Board of Governors of the State University System and the State Board of Education to the list of entities to which the requirements apply.
The Senate today unanimously passed SB74 that requires that any proposals to revise the State Constitution, or any part thereof, filed by the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) be limited to a single subject. The measure would be a constitutional amendment on the November, 2020 ballot. It goes to the House for consideration. During the CRC process last year, there was much criticism of how proposals were grouped into a single ballot issue.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, House Education will consider a number of bills starting at 8:30am. The meeting will be aired over www.thefloridachannel.org. Bills include:
HJR 229 Limitation on Terms of Office for Members of a District School Board by Sabatini, Fine
CS/HB 349 Students with Disabilities in Public Schools by PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee, DuBose
CS/HB 547 Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program by Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee, Clemons
HB 807 Civics Education by Aloupis
HB 1027 Office of Early Learning by Aloupis
HB 7051 Higher Education by Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee, Byrd
We'll have more tomorrow.