The House passed its version of public school deregulation, with amendments to SB 7002 and SB 7004. Among other provisions, the amended language in SB 7002 and SB 7004:
The House version of deregulation removed Senate provisions that would have lowered high school graduation requirements and removed protections to ensure charter schools get fair federal funding. The bills head back to the Senate for further consideration.
“We appreciate the House’s commitment to providing regulatory relief to public school districts without lowering standards, expectations or fair funding for public school choice options.”
“Florida has long been a leader in maintaining high standards, strong accountability and robust choice in education. That’s why copying states like Oregon, New York and New Jersey in rolling back student expectations would have been the wrong way for Florida to go.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed legislation to protect young people from the harmful effects of social media, citing amended legislation that the legislature will consider in HB 3. The amended language is HB 3:
Sen. Jennifer Bradley’s SB 1680 passed the Senate. The bill establishes a modernization council to consider and make recommendations about the impact of new technologies, including artificial intelligence. Among other items, the council will consider what policies and curricula need to be deployed to ensure students are prepared to navigate the digital age. The bill heads to the House for further consideration.
Rep. John Snyder’s HB 917 was approved by the Florida House and amended by Sen. Corey Simon in the Senate. Among other provisions, the bill expands math pathways in high school aligned to postsecondary education and career programming and allows districts to provide alternatives to career fairs. The bill also directs the state’s workforce agencies to develop a report that examines the state of career and technical education (CTE) offered by local districts and to determine the alignment of program offerings and outcomes to industry demand and the state’s overall economic needs. The bill heads back to the House for final consideration.
Sen. Erin Grall’s SB 7032 passed the Senate. This bill would create an alternative graduation program that provides students aged 16–21 who have dropped out of school with an opportunity to obtain postsecondary course credits at no cost while earning their high school diploma or equivalent.
The Florida legislature will convene for the final week of session, anticipating Sine Die adjournment will come on Friday, March 8, 2024, upon passage of a budget and final bill action.
