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The Florida Senate

Cradle to Career Pathway to Economic Independence for People with Unique Abilities

The Florida Senate is committed to improving and expanding education and employment opportunities so people with disabilities can use their own unique abilities to contribute to Florida's workforce, have a pathway to economic independence, and a better quality of life. For more information on opportunities for children and adults with unique abilities, please visit Florida's Bright Expectations information clearinghouse.

2016 Legislation

Florida Unique Abilities Partner Program
SB 0388SB 0388
House Bill 7003, Persons with Disabilities, passed both the House and Senate during the first week of the 2016 Legislative Session. The legislation creates the Florida Unique Abilities Partner Program to recognize business entities that employ individuals who have a disability as well as entities that establish or contribute to organizations that support the independence of individuals who have a disability. The Senate version of the legislation, Senate Bill 388, was authored Senator Nancy Detert (R-Venice).
HB 7003 was signed in to law on January 21, 2016.
Financial Literacy Program
SB 0376SB 0376
House Bill 7003, Persons with Disabilities, passed both the House and Senate during the first week of the 2016 Legislative Session. The legislation creates a financial literacy program for individuals with developmental disabilities to provide education, outreach, and resources to include financial education, financial and health benefit programs and services, job training and employment opportunities, and information on the impact of earnings and assets on eligibility for federal and state programs to individuals with unique abilities and their families. The Senate version of the legislation, Senate Bill 376, was authored by Senator Dorothy Hukill (R-Port Orange).
HB 7003 was signed in to law on January 21, 2016.
State Employment Options for People with Unique Abilities
SB 7010SB 7010
House Bill 7003, Persons with Disabilities, passed both the House and Senate during the first week of the 2016 Legislative Session. The legislation creates the Employment First Act requiring an interagency cooperative agreement, among specified state agencies and organizations, to ensure a long-term commitment to improve employment for individuals who have a disability. The Senate version of the legislation, Senate Bill 7010, was authored by the Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability, chaired by Senator Jeremy Ring (D-Margate).
HB 7003 was signed in to law on January 21, 2016.
Early Steps/Early Intervention Services for Children with Unique Abilities
SB 7034HB 7053
Senate Bill 7053 by the Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs, chaired by Senator Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood), creates performance standards and accountability measures for the Early Steps Program. The legislation will also improve early identification, expand eligibility, implement statewide planning, provide for better coordination of available resources, and establish procedures for children to successfully transition to school district services when they age out of the Early Steps program.
The legislation passed the House and Senate as HB 1125 and became law on April 14, 2016.
PreK-12 and Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Unique Abilities
SB 0672SB 0672
Senate Bill 672, Education Options, by Senator Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) passed both the House and Senate during the first week of the 2016 Legislation Session. The legislation codifies educational choice programs for students with intellectual disabilities funded by the Florida Legislature in the 2015-16 General Appropriations Act (GAA). The Personal Learning Scholarship Account (PLSA) Program was created during the 2014 Legislative Session to provide K-12 students, who are Florida residents and who have a disability, the option to apply for scholarship funds that can be used for authorized instructional materials, curriculum, specialized services, enrollment and tuition, assessment fees, Florida Prepaid College Program contributions, and contracted services by a public school or school district. The program was expanded in the 2015-16 GAA, for one year only, to include additional students on the autism spectrum, students with muscular dystrophy, and three and four year old children who meet certain criteria. SB 672 codifies this expansion in state law, permanently expanding the pool of students eligible to apply for a PLSA. The legislation also establishes a process through which postsecondary institutions in Florida can voluntarily seek approval to offer a Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program (FPCTP) for students with intellectual disabilities. The bill creates a Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities for statewide coordination of information, and sets requirements for students to enroll in a FPCTP and receive state financial assistance in the form of a FPCTP Scholarship.
SB 672 was signed in to law on January 21, 2016.
Vocational Rehabilitation Performance Improvement Plan
SB 0962SB 0672
Senate Bill 962, Vocational Rehabilitation, by Senator Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) requires the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to develop and implement a performance improvement plan to achieve specified goals and annually submit a performance report to the Governor and presiding officers of the Florida Legislature. The legislation directs administrative efforts toward improving the state Vocational Rehabilitation program by establishing measurable metrics that focus on outcomes related to employment, independence, and other meaningful measures of success.
The legislation passed the House and Senate as HB 7029 and became law on April 14, 2016.

Legislative Progress

2015 Legislation

The Senate unanimously passed the legislation outlined below on April 1, 2015. Senate Bills 602, 7022, and 7030 died in the Florida House during the 2015 Regular Session. Funding related to several policy enhancements within Senate Bills 602, 7022, and 7030 was included in Senate Bill 2500-A, the 2015-16 General Appropriations Act, which passed the Senate and House on June 19, 2015, and was signed by the Governor on June 23, 2015. Within Senate Bill 2500-A, the Governor vetoed funding to create the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program for people with unique abilities (content of Senate Bill 7030) as well as funding to launch the Unique Abilities Partner Program in the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (a portion of SB 7022).

Senate Bill 7030 - Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities
SB 7030SB 7030
creates a process through which postsecondary institutions in Florida can voluntarily seek approval to offer a Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program for students with intellectual disabilities. The legislation creates the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities for statewide coordination of information regarding programs and services for students with disabilities and their parents. The legislation will also provide scholarship funds to assist eligible students with the cost of attendance.
Funding included in Senate Bill 2500-A was vetoed by the Governor.
Senate Bill 206 (Included in SB 7022)- Financial Literacy Program for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
SB 206SB 206
creates the Financial Literacy Program for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities within the Department of Financial Services. The program will provide resources related to financial education, financial and health benefit programs and services, job training and employment opportunities, and the impact of earnings and assets on federal and state programs.
Died in the House of Representatives.
Senate Bill 7022 – Individuals with Disabilities
SB 7022SB 7022
enhances state employment options for people with disabilities by requiring each agency to establish annual goals that ensure full utilization of underrepresented groups in the agency's workforce, including individuals who have a disability. The legislation also requires state agencies to annually report progress toward increasing employment of individuals who have a disability.
Died in the House of Representatives.
Senate Bill 602 - Students with Disabilities
SB 602SB 602
expands the pool of students eligible to apply for a Personal Learning Scholarship Account to include all students on the autism spectrum. The legislation also makes changes to allow parents the flexibility to plan ahead and receive the scholarship funds before the beginning of the school year.
Funding included in Senate Bill 2500-A was signed by the Governor.
Senate Bill 642 - Individuals with Disabilities
SB 642SB 642
creates the Florida Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, implementing the federal ABLE Act of 2014, which provides a mechanism for certain individuals with disabilities to save funds needed for future services and care without losing their eligibility for state and federal benefits. The Senate also passed Senate Bills 644 and 646, which were needed to implement Senate Bill 642.
Signed by the Governor.
Senate Bill 1246 (Included in SB 7022)- Individuals with Disabilities
SB 1246SB 1246
creates the Florida Unique Abilities Partner program to designate businesses that provide employment opportunities or other support for people with disabilities as Florida Unique Abilities Program Partners.
Funding included in Senate Bill 2500-A was vetoed by the Governor.

2015 Legislative Progress