Two key priorities of the Foundation for Florida’s Future (FFF) have progressed through their initial committee stages in the House. HB 949, introduced by Rep. Demi Busatta, was approved unanimously by the House Education Administration Committee. This bill aims to extend Florida’s current phone-free school policy from instructional time to encompass entire school days.
Additionally, HB 1145, sponsored by Rep. Jason Shoaf, also received unanimous approval from the House Careers and Workforce Committee. The legislation seeks to make charter schools eligible for the Workforce Capitalization Incentive Grant Program and broaden the Money-Back Guarantee Program in Florida. It would mandate that Florida College System Institutions and participating districts increase their Money-Back Guarantee Programs from three to six if graduates cannot secure employment at a certain wage within six months.
Legislative proposals concerning workforce education made headway in both chambers this week, focusing on opportunities for students with disabilities and career exploration activities. Sen. Don Gaetz and Rep. Kim Kendall each advanced separate bills supporting workforce education for students with disabilities.
Senate Bill 102, sponsored by Sen. Gaetz, proposes a workforce credential program enabling students with disabilities to earn badges indicating specific skills tailored to employer needs. Meanwhile, HB 127 by Rep. Kendall advocates for a micro-credential program within existing career frameworks allowing students to showcase their skills to potential employers.
Rep. Kendall also succeeded in advancing HB 571 through the House Careers and Workforce Committee. This bill requires scheduling work-based learning at optimal times for student participation and mandates high schools hold career fairs featuring employers offering paid work experience.
In other developments, Rep. Kendall’s HB 569 passed out of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee in response to challenges faced by private and charter school operators due to local zoning actions.
The legislation ensures that charter schools are not subjected to building code requirements beyond those imposed on traditional public schools or forced into special exemptions or conditional use approvals for facility development. It introduces an education impact fee credit for developers contributing improvements near schools and shields private schools from restrictive local traffic ordinances during school hours that could limit enrollment.
Moreover, bills HB 151 introduced by Rep. Shane Abbott and SB 248 proposed by Sen. Corey Simon advanced through committees this week as well; they aim to provide private school students access to sports offered at public schools if unavailable at their institutions.
In the Senate, anti-accountability measures included in Senate Bill 166 progressed through the Pre-K 12 Appropriations Committee under Sen. Corey Simon’s sponsorship without a corresponding House companion bill.
SB 166 suggests turning two diagnostic tests into high-stakes exams affecting grade promotion decisions while reducing graduation standards such as passing Algebra I end-of-course assessments or English Language Arts exams being replaced with grading weightage adjustments instead—impacting overall accountability systems across districts along with fair funding provisions directed towards charter operations statewide among others included under its scope.”
