Florida Senate - 2012 SB 554
By Senator Ring
32-00108B-12 2012554__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to disability awareness; amending s.
3 1003.4205, F.S.; requiring each district school board
4 to provide disability history and awareness
5 instruction in all K-12 public schools; requiring the
6 Department of Education to assist in creating the
7 curriculum for the disability history and awareness
8 instruction; providing for individual presenters who
9 have disabilities to provide the disability history
10 and awareness instruction; requiring the Department of
11 Education to establish a disability history and
12 awareness advisory council; providing membership of
13 the council; requiring the department to provide a
14 liaison to assist the council; requiring the
15 department to act as the fiscal agent for all
16 financial transactions required by the council
17 providing responsibilities of the council; providing
18 meeting times for the council; providing an effective
19 date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Section 1003.4205, Florida Statutes, is amended
24 to read:
25 1003.4205 Disability history and awareness instruction.—
26 (1) Each district school board shall may provide disability
27 history and awareness instruction in all K-12 public schools in
28 the district during the first 2 weeks in October each year. The
29 district school board shall designate these 2 weeks as
30 “Disability History and Awareness Weeks.” The Department of
31 Education shall assist in creating the curriculum for the
32 disability history and awareness instruction that will be used
33 in each school district.
34 (2)(a) During this 2-week period, students shall may be
35 provided intensive instruction to expand their knowledge,
36 understanding, and awareness of individuals who have with
37 disabilities, the history of disability, and the disability
38 rights movement. Disability history must may include the events
39 and timelines of the development and evolution of services to,
40 and the civil rights of, individuals who have with disabilities.
41 Disability history must may also include the contributions of
42 specific individuals who have with disabilities, including the
43 contributions of acknowledged national leaders.
44 (b) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the
45 instruction shall may be integrated into the existing school
46 curriculum in ways including, but not limited to, supplementing
47 lesson plans, holding school assemblies, or providing other
48 school-related activities. The instruction shall may be
49 delivered by individual presenters who have disabilities and who
50 have been approved by the Department of Education as presenters
51 qualified school personnel or by knowledgeable guest speakers,
52 with a particular focus on including individuals with
53 disabilities.
54 (c)1. The Department of Education shall establish a
55 disability history and awareness advisory council. The council
56 shall consist of nine members as follows:
57 a. The commissioner of education or his or her designee.
58 b. A state resident who has a disability, appointed by the
59 commissioner of education, from each of the following regions:
60 (I) Region 1, composed of Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin,
61 Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty,
62 Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington Counties.
63 (II) Region 2, composed of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay,
64 Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette,
65 Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee,
66 Taylor, and Union Counties.
67 (III) Region 3, composed of Brevard, Indian River, Lake,
68 Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, St. Lucie, Seminole, Sumter, and
69 Volusia Counties.
70 (IV) Region 4, composed of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough,
71 Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties.
72 (V) Region 5, composed of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto,
73 Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Lee Counties.
74 (VI) Region 6, composed of Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade,
75 Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties.
76 c. A member from the House of Representatives, appointed by
77 the Governor, or his or her designee.
78 d. A member from the Senate, appointed by the Governor, or
79 his or her designee.
80 2. The department shall provide a liaison to assist the
81 council in its operation. The department shall act as the fiscal
82 agent for all financial transactions required by the council.
83 3. The responsibilities of the council shall be, but are
84 not limited to:
85 a. Ensuring that each presenter has first-hand knowledge
86 and experience pertaining to the challenges facing individuals
87 who have disabilities;
88 b. Ensuring that each presenter meets the requirements of
89 s. 1012.465, the Jessica Lunsford Act, in the county in which
90 the presenter shall instruct; and
91 c. Submitting an annual report to the Governor, the
92 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
93 Representatives, and the superintendent of each school district
94 in this state.
95 4. The council shall meet at least twice a year and more
96 often as needed.
97 (3) The goals of disability history and awareness
98 instruction include:
99 (a) Better treatment for individuals who have with
100 disabilities, especially for youth in school, and increased
101 attention to preventing the bullying or harassment of students
102 who have with disabilities.
103 (b) Encouragement to individuals who have with disabilities
104 to develop increased self-esteem, resulting in more individuals
105 who have with disabilities gaining pride in being an individual
106 with a disability, obtaining postsecondary education, entering
107 the workforce, and contributing to their communities.
108 (c) Reaffirmation of the local, state, and federal
109 commitment to the full inclusion in society of, and the equal
110 opportunity for, all individuals who have with disabilities.
111 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.