Florida Legislative Highlights | Week of March 17-21, 2025

Math and Reading Priorities Advance in House  

Two FFF policy priorities advanced unanimously through their first committee stops in the House. Together, both bills would improve the state’s math and reading policy landscape.  

• HB 1309, sponsored by Rep. John Snyder, would improve literacy by:
  • Expanding interventions, supports and instructional methods developed by the Florida Center for Reading and Research for grades 4-12, including career and technical education centers; 
  • Strengthening district reading plans by adding requirements for districts to include evidence-based reading interventions for students who have reading deficiencies, determine how they will assign high-quality teachers to K-2 and deploy reading coaches subject to Department of Education approval. 
• HB 1113, sponsored by Rep. Susan Valdes, would improve math policy by:
  • Increasing and standardizing the amount of math content teacher prep programs must require students to take. The bill additionally requires the competency-based alternative certification programs to increase math content requirements. 

In addition to FFF priorities in literacy and math, HB 1255, sponsored by Rep. Dana Trabulsy, passed its first committee stop. The bill improves literacy and math policy by (1) requiring district reading plans to specify how they will deploy highly effective teachers in K-2; (2) clarifying that intensive interventions must be provided by an individual with a literacy endorsement or microcredential; and (3) requiring Department of Education approval of district reading plans.  

The legislation also requires districts to submit, as part of their district reading plan, a detailed math instruction plan. 

House Committee Advances Improvements to Absenteeism and School Grades

The House Education Administration Committee advanced two bills this week targeted at fixing the state’s chronic absenteeism challenge and increasing the rigor of the state’s A-F school grade scale.

• HB 1367, sponsored by Rep. Erika Booth, would establish a statewide definition and uniform standards for absenteeism and add requirements for districts to play a more active role in reducing student absenteeism.
• HB 1483, sponsored by Rep. Susan Valdes, would phase in a more rigorous A-F school grade, culminating in requiring that schools earn at least 90% for a grade of “A,” 80% for a grade of “B,” 70% for a grade of “C” and 60% for a grade of “D.”

Workforce Legislation Continues Moving

Another FFF priority, HB 1145, sponsored by Rep. Jason Shoaf, passed its second committee stuff with an amendment. The bill would allow charter schools to participate in the Workforce Capitalization Incentive Grant program, which could pave the way for unique partnerships between charter school operators and in-demand industries like healthcare to establish work-based charter schools. 

The bill additionally would improve the money-back guarantee program, doubling the number of programs Florida College System institutions and participating school districts must offer as money-back guarantees if an individual graduates and cannot find a job in their program of study at a certain wage within six months of graduation. The amendment responds to findings that institutions have placed overly burdensome requirements on students to be eligible for the money-back guarantee. It ensures institutions cannot impose requirements on students that are any more stringent than those required for individuals seeking unemployment assistance.  

Other workforce initiatives that received support this week, include: 

• HB 127, sponsored by Rep. Kim Kendall, which would require the Department of Education and Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities to establish a workforce microcredential program for students with disabilities within existing career and technical education frameworks that would allow a student to signal their skills to employers. 
• SB 102, sponsored by Sen. Gaetz, which would require the Department of Education and Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities to establish a workforce credential program for students with disabilities allowing students to earn badges to signal specific skills to meet employer needs. 
• HB 571, sponsored by Rep. Kim Kendall, which would expand access to high school career fairs and require that work-based learning opportunities be scheduled to maximize participation. The bill also requires the Board of Governers and Department of Education to adopt rules for students pursuing nontraditional pathways to earn a bachelor’s degree or certificate through uniform postsecondary credit for equivalent clock hours while receiving education and training as an apprentice or pre-apprentice. 

Public School Choice Bills Advance

Several bills that would improve the charter school landscape and private school student access to FHSAA sports advanced further in the process, including: 

• SB 248, sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon, which would expand access to sports offered at a public school to any private school student if their school does not offer the sport. The bill additionally expands access to public school sports for students participating in a home education program. 
• SB 1188, sponsored by Sen. Stan McClain, which would:
  • Ensure charter schools won’t be subject to building code requirements that traditional public schools are not subject to; 
  • Ensure charter schools won’t be forced to obtain special exemptions or conditional use approvals for facility development; 
  • Create an education impact fee credit for developers who provide a contribution or improvement to a school district or charter school near the development. 
• SB 140, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, which would make it easier to initiate a charter school conversion process and allow municipalities to convert charter schools under certain conditions for the purpose of creating “job-engine charter schools.” The bill also adds charter schools to the eligibility under the Workforce Capitalization Incentive Grant Program, an FFF priority.