The 2022 Florida Legislative Sessionofficially began on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
During the 60-day session – ending on March 11, 2022, legislators will take action on various issues — from the state budget to K12 education funding. Much of the focus will be driven by the agenda that Governor DeSantis released in December 2021. His proposal included, among other things:
- The second round of bonus checks for teachers and principals
- $600 million – a $50 million budget increase over the past year – for teacher pay
- An increase in per-student funding to $8,000 per student
- $421 million for school safety and mental health initiatives – those include safe schools program, menta; health, and school hardening grants
- Fully eliminate the Florida Standards Assessment and implement progress monitoring in its place
Our Legislative Priorities
Using feedback from our member charter schools — their principals and governing board members — the Florida Charter School Alliance developed a list of priorities for the 2022 Florida Legislative session. Among the priorities that members identified, clarifying district responsibilities ranked on the top of the list – in particular, district overreach during the charter renewal process and requesting reports not required by state statute.
The FCSA advocacy team represents the Florida charter school movement in Tallahassee and is tracking all proposed bills (listed below) that impact K-12 education and charter schools. Throughout the Legislative Session, we will provide members with weekly updates. We may ask for your feedback on proposed legislation. Your voice is critical in this process – let us know if you support a bill or have concerns. We will relay your input on a bill as it goes through the legislative process. We may also ask you to contact your State Senator or Representative about a bill.
If you would like more information about a proposed bill or are concerned about its impact on your school, please contact an FCSA team member.
SENATE BILLS
NOTE: The first line lists the Senate (SB) bill number, the title of the bill, and the companion bill number. The Legislator who sponsored the bill is listed as “General Bill by…” followed by a brief description of the bill and links to the proposed bill and/or bill analysis drafted by legislative staff.
- SB 270 – Funds for Student Transportation [HB 1327]
General Bill by Hutson CoSponsors: Perry
Funds for Student Transportation; Modifying requirements for determining student membership in a school district in order to determine the annual allocation for funding for student transportation, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/270/BillText/Filed/PDF
Link to Latest Bill Analysis:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/270/Analyses/2022s00270.ed.PDF
- SB 506 – Hope Scholarship Program
General Bill by Diaz
Hope Scholarship Program; Revising the purpose of the Hope Scholarship Program; revising program eligibility; providing for the use of funds under the program; revising school district, Department of Education, parent, and nonprofit scholarship-funding organization obligations under the program; authorizing payment of scholarship funds by organizations to be made by deposit into the student’s account instead of by individual warrant made payable to the student’s parent, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/506/BillText/Filed/PDF
Link to Latest Bill Analysis:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/506/Analyses/2022s00506.ed.PDF
- SB 616 – Compulsory School Attendance
General Bill by Jones
Compulsory School Attendance; Revising the required age for compulsory school attendance from 16 to 18 years of age; deleting a requirement that a student’s parent sign a declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment; deleting a requirement that the school district notify a student’s parent upon receipt of such declaration, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/616/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 618 – School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program
General Bill by Jones
School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program; Establishing the School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program within the Department of Education; requiring the department to provide funds to school districts to place teachers who meet specified qualifications as mentors for certain other teachers, subject to appropriation; providing for the provision of stipends for classroom teacher mentorship, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/618/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 622 – Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation [HB 609]
General Bill by Diaz
Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation; Requiring the Department of Education to collaborate with the Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation in developing a sponsor evaluation framework for charter schools; establishing the institute at Miami Dade College; authorizing the institute to apply for and receive certain grants; requiring the District Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College to establish policies regarding the institute, etc. APPROPRIATION: $1,000,000 Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/622/BillText/Filed/PDF
Link to Latest Bill Analysis:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/622/Analyses/2022s00622.ed.PDF
- SB 658 – Persons Authorized to Visit Charter Schools
General Bill by Cruz
Persons Authorized to Visit Charter Schools; Authorizing the Governor, all Cabinet members, and all members of the Legislature to visit any charter school in this state; authorizing such visitors to visit a charter school on any day at any time; providing that no prior notice is required for the visit; prohibiting any person from limiting the scope or duration of the visit; authorizing a charter school to require a visitor to sign in and out at the charter school’s main office and to wear an identification badge at all times while on the premises, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/658/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 672 – School Safety Funding
General Bill by Cruz
School Safety Funding; Revising certain allocations to school districts; specifying uses and distribution requirements for certain safe schools allocation funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year; requiring each district school superintendent to remit specified unused funds from the 2021-2022 fiscal year to the Department of Education by a specified date; authorizing the department, upon request, to redistribute such funds to certain school districts for a specified purpose, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/672/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 676 – Drinking Water in Public Schools
General Bill by Cruz
Drinking Water in Public Schools; Subject to legislative appropriation, requiring district boards to coordinate with district school boards to identify certain schools and to provide funding to those schools by a specified date; requiring school districts, as applicable, to install filters that meet certain specifications on drinking water sources; requiring school districts, as applicable, to post signage on certain water sources and requiring school districts to publish specified information on school district websites, etc. APPROPRIATION: $3,000,000 Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/676/?Tab=BillText
- SB 680 – Public School Transportation
General Bill by Cruz
Public School Transportation; Revising the requirement that district school boards provide transportation for certain students; requiring a district school superintendent to request a review of a hazardous walking condition upon receipt of a written request from a parent of a student; requiring, rather than authorizing, a district school board to initiate a specified proceeding relating to hazardous walking conditions, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2022
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/680/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 698 – Standard High School Diploma Award Requirements
General Bill by Cruz
Standard High School Diploma Award Requirements; Adding a new requirement for the award of a standard high school diploma to Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning students; requiring students, beginning with those entering grade 9 in a specified school year, to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid in order to be awarded a standard high school diploma; providing an exemption, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/698/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 708 – Native Language Assessments in Public Schools [HB 834]
General Bill by Rodriguez (A)
Native Language Assessments in Public Schools; Requiring that a high school equivalency examination administered in any language other than English be given the same weight as a high school equivalency examination administered in English; requiring written portions of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program through grade 3 to be in specified native languages; revising requirements of the statewide, standardized assessment program to include native language versions of related assessments, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/708/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 758 – Education [HB 865]
General Bill by Diaz
Education; Establishing the Charter School Review Commission within the Department of Education; requiring the Commissioner of Education to appoint members; authorizing the commission to solicit and review charter school applications; requiring that the district school board that oversees the school district where a charter school approved by the commission will be located shall serve as the charter school’s sponsor; providing that certain additional tax millage is part of school districts’ operating discretionary millage levy, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/758/BillText/Filed/PDF
Link to Latest Bill Analysis:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/758/Analyses/2022s00758.ed.PDF
- SB 802 – School Safety
General Bill by Gruters
School Safety; Requiring the FortifyFL reporting tool to notify reporting parties that submitting false information may subject them to criminal penalties; requiring the Commissioner of Education to oversee and enforce compliance with requirements relating to school safety and security; requiring certain law enforcement officers to be physically present and directly involved in active assailant emergency drills; authorizing school safety officers to make arrests on property owned or leased by a charter school under a charter contract, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/802/BillText/Filed/PDF
Link to Latest Bill Analysis:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/802/Analyses/2022s00802.pre.ed.PDF
- SB 892 – Charter School Charters [HB 225]
General Bill by Burgess
Charter School Charters; Requiring a request for a consolidation of multiple charters to be approved or denied within a specified timeframe; requiring a charter school sponsor to provide to the charter school specified information relating to a denial of a request for consolidation within a certain timeframe; providing for the automatic renewal of a charter under certain circumstances, etc. NOTE: The first line lists House (HB) or Senate (SB) bill number, the title of the bill, and the companion bill number. The Legislator who sponsored the bill is listed as “General Bill by…” followed by a brief description of the bill and links to the proposed bill.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/892/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 980 – Virtual Instruction Programs
General Bill by Diaz
Virtual Instruction Programs; Removing a requirement that a virtual instruction program provider document that it locates an administrative office or offices in this state, requires its administrative staff to be state residents, and requires all instructional staff to be Florida-certified teachers, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/980/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 1048 – Student Assessments
General Bill by Diaz
Student Assessments; Revising the grade levels for which the coordinated screening and monitoring program measures student progress in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; revising requirements for the statewide, standardized comprehensive assessments program, beginning with a specified school year; requiring that progress monitoring include both a web-based and mobile device-compatible option; requiring 2022-2023 school and school district grades to serve as an informal baseline for schools and school districts; providing that school improvement ratings will not be calculated for a certain school year, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1048/BillText/Filed/PDF
Link to Latest Bill Analysis:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1048/Analyses/2022s01048.ed.PDF
- SB 1226 – Virtual Learning
General Bill by Brandes
Virtual Learning; Revising the purpose of the Florida Virtual School to provide for the development and delivery of blended learning; requiring the Florida Virtual School to give priority to students enrolled in certain Department of Corrections education programs; specifying conditions under which the Florida Virtual School may be funded through the Florida Education Finance Program; requiring students enrolled in the Florida Virtual School Justice Education Program to take specified examinations and assessments at institutions or facilities operated by, or under the supervision of, the Department of Corrections; requiring the Florida Virtual School to establish the Florida Virtual School Justice Education Program, beginning with a specified school year, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1226/BillText/Filed/PDF
- SB 1240 – Mental Health of Students [HB 899]
General Bill by Harrell
Mental Health of Students: Revising data the Department of Children and Families is required to analyze when creating its annual report on the initiation of certain involuntary examinations; requiring charter schools to be in compliance with laws relating to reporting involuntary examinations; requiring the Department of Education, by a specified date, to share with the Department of Children and Families data received from school districts relating to involuntary examinations; revising requirements for plans relating to mental health assistance allocations, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=75636&SessionId=93
- SB 1294 Individual Education Plan Meetings
General Bill by Gruters
Individual Education Plan Meetings; Authorizing a parent of a public school student to audio or video record any meeting with his or her child’s individual education plan (IEP) team; requiring the parent to notify the school district in writing a specified time in advance of his or her intent to record the meeting; providing that parents have the right to audio or video record meetings with their child’s IEP team, etc.
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1294/BillText/Filed/PDF
SB 1398 Required Instruction in the History of the Holocaust and the History of African Americans [HB 51]
General Bill by Berman
Required Instruction in the History of the Holocaust and the History of African Americans; Requiring the Department of Education to prepare and offer standards and curriculum related to the history of African Americans; requiring the department to annually verify that school districts, charter schools, and specified private schools implement certain instruction relating to the history of the Holocaust and the history of African Americans and providing requirements therefor; requiring district school superintendents, charter school principals, and private school directors or similar administrators to annually provide specified evidence to the department by a certain date; requiring certain statewide, standardized assessments to include curricula content from the history of the Holocaust and the history of African Americans, etc.
- SB 1690: Charter School Revolving Loan Program [HB1347]
General bill by Diaz
Charter School Revolving Loan Program; Establishing the program for a specified purpose; providing that funding for the program shall consist of specified funds; requiring the Department of Education to contract with a third-party administrator to administer the program; requiring all loan documents to include specified language and be expressly agreed to by the third-party administrator and loan recipients; requiring the third-party administrator to electronically provide copies of certain loan documents to the department; requiring all repayments of principal and interest to be returned to the loan fund and made available for loans to other applicants, etc. Appropriation: $10,000,000
HOUSE BILLS
NOTE: The first line lists the House (HB) bill number, the title of the bill, and the companion bill number. The Legislator who sponsored the bill is listed as “General Bill by…” followed by a brief description of the bill and links to the proposed bill and/or bill analysis drafted by legislative staff.
- HB 51 Required Instruction in the History of the Holocaust and the History of African Americans [SB 1398]
General Bill by Thompson (CO-SPONSORS) Eskamani
Required Instruction in the History of the Holocaust and the History of African Americans: Requires DOE to prepare standards & curriculum related to history of African Americans; provides for development of specified training & resources; provides requirements for specified entities relating to history of Holocaust & history of African Americans instruction; provides for inclusion of such content in certain statewide, standardized assessments.
Link to Bill
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h0051__.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0051&Session=2022
- HB 225 – Charter School Charters [SB 892]
General Bill by Hawkins
Charter School Charters: Revises provisions relating to consolidation of multiple charters into single charter, renewals, non-renewals, & terminations of charters.
Link to Bill https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/225/BillText/Filed/PDF
Link to Latest Bill Analysis:
HB 225 SUMMARY ANALYSIS:
Charter schools are public schools created through an agreement, or “charter,” with a sponsor. The charter provides the school flexibility relative to regulations created for traditional public schools in return for a commitment to higher standards of accountability. The term of a charter is five years, excluding two planning years, and a charter may be renewed for another five-year term or a 15-year term if certain conditions are met. The law allows for a charter to be modified, including consolidating two or more charter schools and provides procedures for terminating or nonrenewing a charter.
The bill revises these provisions to:
- specify that a charter may be modified at any time, during any term;
- require that a request for the consolidation of multiple charters be approved or denied within 60 days after submission of the request;
- require that any sponsor who denies a request for consolidation to provide the charter school’s governing board with the specific reasons for the denial within 10 days;
- specify that a sponsor provide notice to a charter school of a decision to renew, terminate, or not renew before a vote and at least 90 days before the end of the school year; and
- provide for the automatic renewal of a charter if notification does not occur at least 90 days before the end of the school year.
- HB 609 – Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation [SB 622]
General Bill by Borrero
Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation: Requires DOE to collaborate with Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation in developing sponsor evaluation framework for charter schools; establishes institute at Miami Dade College; provides purpose & duties of institute; authorizes institute to apply for & receive certain grants; requires District Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College to establish certain policies.
Link to Bill
- HB 899 – Mental Health of Students [SB 1240]
General Billby Hunschofsky
Mental Health of Students: Revises data DCF is required to analyze when creating its annual report on initiation of involuntary examinations; requires charter schools to be in compliance with involuntary reporting laws; requires DOE to share certain data with DCF; revises requirements for plans relating to mental health assistance allocations.
Link to Bill
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=75624&SessionId=93
- HB 1055 Video Cameras in Public School Classrooms
General Bill by Rommel (CO-SPONSORS) Beltran
Video Cameras in Public School Classrooms: Authorizes school districts to adopt policy to place video cameras in public school classrooms; provides requirements for such policy; provides for viewing video recordings; provides DOE, school district, school, & certain employee responsibilities.
Link to Bill
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=75860
- HB 1193 – K-12 Assessments and Accountability
General Bill by Plasencia
K-12 Assessments and Accountability: Renaming “Next Generation Sunshine State Standards” as “state academic standards”; revises provisions relating to statewide assessment program, DOE & school district requirements, & state accountability program; provides that certain end-of-year comprehensive progress monitoring assessments are statewide, standardized ELA & Mathematics assessments for certain students; & revises coordinated screening & progress monitoring program.
Link to Bill
- HB 1327 – Funds for Student Transportation [SB 270]
General Bill by Stevenson
Funds for Student Transportation: Modifying requirements for determining student membership in school district in order to determine annual allocation for funding for student transportation.
Link to Bill
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=76246&SessionId=93
- HB 1347 – Charter School Loans [SB 1690]
General Bill by Snyder
Charter School Loans: Establishes Charter School Revolving Loan Program; provides purpose & requirements for DOE, third-party administrator, participation in program, & loans through program.
Link to Bill
- HB 1421 – School Safety
General Bill by Hawkins
School Safety: Revises provisions relating to FortifyFL, Commissioner of Education oversight of enforcement of school safety and security requirements, Office of Safe Schools, certain emergency drills, family reunification plans, threat assessment teams, safe-school officers, DOE responsibilities, & Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool.
Link to Bill
- HB 1437 – The Hope Scholarship Program
General Bill by Giallombardo
The Hope Scholarship Program: Revises purpose of Hope Scholarship Program; revises program eligibility; provides for use of funds under program; revises term of program scholarship; revises school district, DOE, parent, & nonprofit scholarship-funding organization obligations under program; authorizes payment of scholarship funds by organizations to be made by deposit into student’s account; provides that accrued interest in student’s account is in addition to awarded funds; provides that program funds include both awarded funds & accrued interest; prohibits student’s scholarship award from being reduced for debit card or electronic payment fees.
Link to Bill
- HB 1533 – Virtual Learning
General Bill by Garrison
Virtual Learning: Revises purpose of FLVS to provide for development & delivery of blended learning; revises provisions relating to student priority, funding, reporting requirements, & examinations & assessments; provides for establishment of Florida Virtual School Justice Education Program; provides requirements for such program, including students participating in such program and FLVS, DOC, & DOE responsibilities; & revises definition of term “full-time equivalent student.”
Link to Bill
- SB 1690 – Charter School Revolving Loan Program
General Bill by Diaz
Charter School Revolving Loan Program; Establishing the program for a specified purpose; providing that funding for the program shall consist of specified funds; requiring the Department of Education to contract with a third-party administrator to administer the program; requiring all loan documents to include specified language and be expressly agreed to by the third-party administrator and loan recipients; requiring the third-party administrator to electronically provide copies of certain loan documents to the department; requiring all repayments of principal and interest to be returned to the loan fund and made available for loans to other applicants, etc. APPROPRIATION: $10,000,000
Link to Bill
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1690/BillText/Filed/PDF
- HB 6087 – Distribution of Harmful Materials to Minors
General Bill by Beltran
Distribution of Harmful Materials to Minors: Removes an exception for certain instructional materials.
Link to Bill
About the Florida Legislative process:
How an Idea Becomes a Law (www.MyFloridaHouse.gov)
Either house may originate any type of legislation; however, the processes differ slightly between houses.
A legislator sponsors a bill, which is referred to one or more committees related to the bill’s subject. The committee studies the bill and decides if it should be amended, pass, or fail. If passed, the bill moves to other committees of reference or to the full house. The full house then votes on the bill.
If it passes in one house, it is sent to the other house for review. A bill goes through the same process in the second house as it did in the first. A bill can go back and forth between houses until a consensus is reached. Of course, the measure could fail at any point in the process
Once the House and Senate pass an identical form of a bill, it is sent to the Governor for his signature. The Governor has 7 days to either sign or veto a bill.
If the Governor signs the bill, it becomes a law. A bill may also become a law if the Governor does not sign or veto it within 7 days after it has been presented (note: if the Legislature adjourns or takes a recess for more than 30 days during that 7 day period, the Governor has 15 consecutive days from the date of presentation to act on the bill). If the Governor vetoes the bill, it will require a 2/3 majority of both the House and Senate to override the veto.