Last-second bartering yielded two education omnibus bills
Two bills contained the bulk of education policy that passed through both legislative chambers, negotiated until the final hours of the scheduled regular session on Friday.
Lawmakers couldn't agree to lift the secrecy of university presidential searches, lift labor restrictions for minors, or to implement a full ban on cellphones in high schools, although they did find common ground on requiring parental consent for corporal punishment.
HB 1255 and HB 1105 served as the main vehicles for education policy, combining several shorter proposals from throughout the session.
Florida made headlines as the first state to ban cellphone use during instructional time in 2023. The Legislature extended that policy this session, banning cellphone use for elementary and middle school students from the beginning of the school day to the end. Lawmakers approved a state pilot study in six counties to evaluate a bell-to-bell ban in high schools.
Pending the governor's signature, students would no longer be allowed to earn certificates of completion. These state certificates are for students who earn the credits to graduate but too low a grade point average or fail required math and reading assessments. Lawmakers applauded junking these certificates through legislation filed by Rep. Susan Valdes for raising the bar for student achievement.
The certificate of completion is less prestigious than a diploma and can carry little, if any, weight in landing a student a job, lawmakers said.
Students with autism may have a better chance to secure work if the governor signs the bill, too.
HB 1105 would create a workforce credential for students with autism to prove to employers they are proficient in certain skills, particularly workplace safety.
'Persons with autism are on time, they have a great work ethic, and they can perform work requirements proficiently, especially repetitive skills,' Sen. Don Gaetz said in February. 'There's a place for employees with autism in the workforce in productive jobs, but a major stumbling block is safety.'
The program would task the Department of Education to create badges, which would be verified by special education staff, to document a student's abilities.
HB 1105, which passed the Senate 26-5 and the House 85-14, would also allow students who participate in two years of marching band to count them toward the one-credit physical education requirement. Existing law allows two full seasons of varsity or junior varsity sports to count toward the physical education requirement.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Lawmakers agreed to require parental consent for corporal punishment, a practice that some lawmakers said they were not aware still existed in Florida but, during the 2023-2024 school year, 17 school districts reported 516 instances of corporal punishment, according to Department of Education data.
Principals are responsible for developing corporal punishment policy. State law does require that more than one adult be present when corporal punishment is being inflicted.
HB 1255 would allow law enforcement officers to arrest someone for trespassing on a school bus, a measure aiming to protect not just students but bus drivers, too.
Democrats often pushed back against GOP bills addressing how charter schools function, leading to some of the most heated debates of the legislative session.
In the final packages were provisions lowering the threshold needed to turn a low-performing traditional public school into a 'job-engine' charter school — one meant to attract jobs to a community— and another that includes charter schools as recipients of local government infrastructure surtaxes.
Existing law requires more than 50% of teachers and parents both to vote to convert a traditional public school into a job-engine charter school. The Legislature voted, over Democrats' protests, to eliminate the need teacher approval and rely on parent approval instead.
The legislation renames Hillsborough Community College as Hillsborough College; requires high schoolers to learn about the costs of postsecondary education and how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, plus how to apply for scholarships, grants, and student loans; and makes charter school teachers eligible for teacher of the year awards, a proposal Gov. Ron DeSantis made.
HB 1225 would have lifted several state laws protecting minors in the workplace. That bill passed the House but died in the Senate after it received just one committee hearing.
SB 1692 would have revised the state definition of material that can be considered harmful to minors. Its companion HB 1539 passed the House but, like lifting labor restrictions, made little progress in the Senate.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
44 minutes ago
- UPI
DOE announces student loan forgiveness program rule change
1 of 2 | Student debt relief activists rallied outside the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023. Monday, the Department of Education announced a rules change in the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Education issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Monday that would prevent benefits under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program from being "improperly provided to borrowers whose employers are engaged in activities with a substantial illegal purpose." The notice allows open comments, though the agency isn't required to act based on those comments. It's an attempt at government transparency, required by the Administrative Procedures Act. "President [Donald] Trump has given the Department a historic mandate to restore the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to its original purpose -- supporting public servants who strengthen their communities and serve the public good, not benefiting businesses engaged in illegal activity that harm Americans," Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement. "The federal government has a vital interest in deterring unlawful conduct, and we're moving quickly to ensure employers don't benefit while breaking the law." The statement said the "unlawful conduct" includes "supporting terrorism, aiding or abetting discrimination or violations of immigration laws, or child abuse, would be excluded as qualifying PSLF employers under the proposed changes." The statement didn't offer examples, and the language about determining which organizations will be disqualified is vague. "Public Service Loan Forgiveness was enacted in a bipartisan way to help incentivize hardworking people to go into public service," Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, told NBC News. "The Trump administration is trying, through executive authority, to limit who can access this benefit based on a litmus test of who they like and who they don't like." Comments on the proposed rules can be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at The department will not accept comments submitted by fax or by e-mail or comments submitted after the comment period closes. The department must receive comments on or before Sept. 17. President George W. Bush signed the PSLF into law in 2007. It allows many not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 10 years of payments.
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Trump releases new rules to limit a major student-loan forgiveness program for public servants
President Donald Trump's administration published its new rules to narrow eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program on Monday. The public comment period — during which anyone can submit comments on the new regulations to the administration — is officially open through September 17. PSLF, which is intended to forgive student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments, has allowed for the discharge of over a billion dollars in student debt for public servants. Trump is seeking to alter the program — he signed an executive order in March asking the education secretary to redefine what "public service" means to remove PSLF eligibility for employers engaging in "anti-American" activities. The proposed rule to limit PSLF, published in the Federal Register, said that "in cases where an employer is deemed to have engaged in activities that breach federal or state law or established public policy, affected borrowers would no longer receive credit toward loan forgiveness for months worked after the effective date of ineligibility." "While this may delay or prevent forgiveness for a subset of borrowers, the overall design of the regulations—including advance notice, transparency around determinations, and employer recertification pathways—helps mitigate unexpected harm," the rule said. Compromising behavior by an employer, according to the rule, could include violation of the federal disabilities act; violation of federal immigration law; what the department characterizes as "chemical castration or mutilation," like the use of puberty blockers or hormones to help a transgender person transition; and acts of terrorism. The Department of Education held negotiation sessions with stakeholders in early July, and some members of the committee expressed concerns with the department's intent to limit the program. "The intent of Congress was not to narrow the eligibility," Betsy Mayotte, the president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors and arepresentative of student-loan borrowers, said during a session. "It was to make it as expansive as possible under the statute that they wrote." Representatives of the administration argued that the education secretary has the authority to interpret regulations and statutes and can legally refine PSLF. Student-loan borrowers enrolled in PSLF previously told Business Insider that Trump's plans to change a program they rely on for debt relief are a major concern. "I'm so close to the finish line," Jeff Hughes, a government employee with student debt, said. "I really hope that the program continues as is because we need some more good people out there doing good work." Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement that "the federal government has a vital interest in deterring unlawful conduct, and we're moving quickly to ensure employers don't benefit while breaking the law."
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
Trump releases new rules to limit a major student-loan forgiveness program for public servants
Student-loan forgiveness for public servants is on the line. President Donald Trump's administration published its new rules to narrow eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program on Monday. The public comment period — during which anyone can submit comments on the new regulations to the administration — is officially open through September 17. PSLF, which is intended to forgive student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments, has allowed for the discharge of over a billion dollars in student debt for public servants. Trump is seeking to alter the program — he signed an executive order in March asking the education secretary to redefine what "public service" means to remove PSLF eligibility for employers engaging in "anti-American" activities. The proposed rule to limit PSLF, published in the Federal Register, said that "in cases where an employer is deemed to have engaged in activities that breach federal or state law or established public policy, affected borrowers would no longer receive credit toward loan forgiveness for months worked after the effective date of ineligibility." "While this may delay or prevent forgiveness for a subset of borrowers, the overall design of the regulations—including advance notice, transparency around determinations, and employer recertification pathways—helps mitigate unexpected harm," the rule said. Compromising behavior by an employer, according to the rule, could include violation of the federal disabilities act; violation of federal immigration law; what the department characterizes as "chemical castration or mutilation," like the use of puberty blockers or hormones to help a transgender person transition; and acts of terrorism. The Department of Education held negotiation sessions with stakeholders in early July, and some members of the committee expressed concerns with the department's intent to limit the program. Please help BI improve our Business, Tech, and Innovation coverage by sharing a bit about your role — it will help us tailor content that matters most to people like you. What is your job title? (1 of 2) Entry level position Project manager Management Senior management Executive management Student Self-employed Retired Other Continue By providing this information, you agree that Business Insider may use this data to improve your site experience and for targeted advertising. By continuing you agree that you accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "The intent of Congress was not to narrow the eligibility," Betsy Mayotte, the president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors and a representative of student-loan borrowers, said during a session. "It was to make it as expansive as possible under the statute that they wrote." Representatives of the administration argued that the education secretary has the authority to interpret regulations and statutes and can legally refine PSLF. Student-loan borrowers enrolled in PSLF previously told Business Insider that Trump's plans to change a program they rely on for debt relief are a major concern. "I'm so close to the finish line," Jeff Hughes, a government employee with student debt, said. "I really hope that the program continues as is because we need some more good people out there doing good work." Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement that "the federal government has a vital interest in deterring unlawful conduct, and we're moving quickly to ensure employers don't benefit while breaking the law."
