Florida Senate - 2019                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1224
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì552164$Î552164                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/26/2019           .                                
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       The Committee on Education (Farmer) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 1001.241, Florida Statutes, is created
    6  to read:
    7         1001.241 Third-party credentialing entities.—
    8         (1) The department shall approve one or more third-party
    9  credentialing entities for the purposes of developing and
   10  administering a credentialing program for charter school
   11  principals, charter school governing board members, and charter
   12  school chief financial officers. The approved credentialing
   13  entity shall:
   14         (a) Establish position core competencies, certification
   15  requirements, testing instruments, and recertification
   16  requirements for charter school principals, charter school
   17  governing board members, and charter school chief financial
   18  officers.
   19         (b) Establish a process to administer the certification
   20  application, award, and maintenance processes.
   21         (c) Develop and administer:
   22         1. A code of ethics and disciplinary process.
   23         2. Biennial continuing education requirements and annual
   24  certification renewal requirements.
   25         3. An education provider program to approve training
   26  entities that are qualified to provide precertification training
   27  to applicants and continuing education opportunities to
   28  certified persons.
   29         (2) A credentialing entity shall establish a certification
   30  program that:
   31         (a) Is directly related to the core competencies.
   32         (b) Establishes minimum requirements in each of the
   33  following categories:
   34         1. Training.
   35         2. On-the-job work experience.
   36         3. Supervision.
   37         4. Testing.
   38         5. Biennial continuing education.
   39         (c) Requires adherence to a code of ethics and provides for
   40  a disciplinary process that applies to certified persons.
   41         (d) Approves qualified training entities that provide
   42  precertification training to applicants and continuing education
   43  to charter school principals, charter school governing board
   44  members, and charter school chief financial officers. To avoid a
   45  conflict of interest, a credentialing entity or its affiliate
   46  may not deliver training to an applicant or continuing education
   47  to a certificateholder.
   48         (3) A credentialing entity shall establish application,
   49  examination, and certification fees and an annual certification
   50  renewal fee. The application, examination, and certification fee
   51  may not exceed $225. The annual certification renewal fee may
   52  not exceed $100.
   53         (4) All applicants are subject to level 2 background
   54  screening as provided under chapter 435. An applicant is
   55  ineligible, and a credentialing entity shall deny the
   56  application, if the applicant has been found guilty of, or has
   57  entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of
   58  adjudication, any offense listed in s. 435.04(2) unless the
   59  department has issued an exemption under s. 397.4872. In
   60  accordance with s. 435.04, the Department of Law Enforcement
   61  shall notify the credentialing entity of the applicant’s
   62  eligibility based on the results of his or her background
   63  screening.
   64         (5) The credentialing entity shall issue a certificate of
   65  compliance upon approval of a person’s application. The
   66  certification shall automatically terminate 1 year after
   67  issuance if not renewed.
   68         (a) A credentialing entity may suspend or revoke the
   69  certificate of compliance of a charter school principal, a
   70  charter school governing board member, or a charter school chief
   71  financial officer if the charter school principal, the charter
   72  school governing board member, or the charter school chief
   73  financial officer fails to adhere to the continuing education
   74  requirements.
   75         (b) A credentialing entity shall revoke a certificate of
   76  compliance of a charter school principal, charter school
   77  governing board member, or charter school chief financial
   78  officer if the charter school principal, charter school
   79  governing board member, or charter school chief financial
   80  officer provides false or misleading information to the
   81  credentialing entity at any time.
   82         (c) If a charter school principal, charter school governing
   83  board member, or charter school chief financial officer is
   84  arrested for or found guilty of, or enters a plea of guilty or
   85  nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any offense
   86  listed in s. 435.04(2) while acting in that capacity, the
   87  charter school shall immediately remove the person from that
   88  position and shall notify the credentialing entity within 3
   89  business days after such removal.
   90         (6) Any decision by a department-recognized credentialing
   91  program to deny certification or otherwise impose sanctions on
   92  an individual who is certified is reviewable by the department.
   93  The individual aggrieved may request an administrative hearing
   94  conducted pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57(1) within 30 days
   95  after receiving an adverse determination after completing any
   96  appeals process offered by the credentialing program.
   97         Section 2. Present paragraphs (g), (h), and (i) of
   98  subsection (12) of section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, are
   99  redesignated as paragraphs (h), (i), and (j), respectively, and
  100  a new paragraph (g) is added to that subsection, paragraph (g)
  101  is added to subsection (8), and paragraph (b) of subsection (6)
  102  and paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of that section are amended,
  103  to read:
  104         1002.33 Charter schools.—
  105         (6) APPLICATION PROCESS AND REVIEW.—Charter school
  106  applications are subject to the following requirements:
  107         (b) A sponsor shall receive and review all applications for
  108  a charter school using the evaluation instrument developed by
  109  the Department of Education. A sponsor shall receive and
  110  consider charter school applications received on or before
  111  August 1 of each calendar year for charter schools to be opened
  112  at the beginning of the school district’s next school year, or
  113  to be opened at a time determined agreed to by the applicant and
  114  the sponsor. A sponsor may not refuse to receive a charter
  115  school application submitted before August 1 and may receive an
  116  application submitted later than August 1 if it chooses.
  117  Beginning in 2018 and thereafter, A sponsor shall also receive
  118  and consider charter school applications received on or before
  119  February 1 of each calendar year for charter schools to be
  120  opened 18 months later at the beginning of the school district’s
  121  school year, or to be opened at a time determined by the
  122  applicant. A sponsor may not refuse to receive a charter school
  123  application submitted before February 1 and may receive an
  124  application submitted later than February 1 if it chooses. A
  125  sponsor may not charge an applicant for a charter any fee for
  126  the processing or consideration of an application, and a sponsor
  127  may not base its consideration or approval of a final
  128  application upon the promise of future payment of any kind. If
  129  an applicant is ready to do so, it may open a charter school
  130  before the school district’s next school year after approval of
  131  the charter school application submitted by either application
  132  deadline. Before approving or denying any application, the
  133  sponsor shall allow the applicant, upon receipt of written
  134  notification, at least 7 calendar days to make technical or
  135  nonsubstantive corrections and clarifications, including, but
  136  not limited to, corrections of grammatical, typographical, and
  137  like errors or missing signatures, if such errors are identified
  138  by the sponsor as cause to deny the final application.
  139         1. In order to facilitate an accurate budget projection
  140  process, a sponsor shall be held harmless for FTE students who
  141  are not included in the FTE projection due to approval of
  142  charter school applications after the FTE projection deadline.
  143  In a further effort to facilitate an accurate budget projection,
  144  within 15 calendar days after receipt of a charter school
  145  application, a sponsor shall report to the Department of
  146  Education the name of the applicant entity, the proposed charter
  147  school location, and its projected FTE.
  148         2. In order to ensure fiscal responsibility, an application
  149  for a charter school shall include a full accounting of expected
  150  assets, a projection of expected sources and amounts of income,
  151  including income derived from projected student enrollments and
  152  from community support, and an expense projection that includes
  153  full accounting of the costs of operation, including start-up
  154  costs.
  155         3.a. A sponsor shall by a majority vote approve or deny an
  156  application no later than 90 calendar days after the application
  157  is received, unless the sponsor and the applicant mutually agree
  158  in writing to temporarily postpone the vote to a specific date,
  159  at which time the sponsor shall by a majority vote approve or
  160  deny the application. If the sponsor fails to act on the
  161  application, an applicant may appeal to the State Board of
  162  Education as provided in paragraph (c). If an application is
  163  denied, the sponsor shall, within 10 calendar days after such
  164  denial, articulate in writing the specific reasons, based upon
  165  good cause, supporting its denial of the application and shall
  166  provide the letter of denial and supporting documentation to the
  167  applicant and to the Department of Education.
  168         b. An application submitted by a high-performing charter
  169  school identified pursuant to s. 1002.331 or a high-performing
  170  charter school system identified pursuant to s. 1002.332 may be
  171  denied by the sponsor only if the sponsor demonstrates by clear
  172  and convincing evidence that:
  173         (I) The application of a high-performing charter school
  174  does not materially comply with the requirements in paragraph
  175  (a) or, for a high-performing charter school system, the
  176  application does not materially comply with s. 1002.332(2)(b);
  177         (II) The charter school proposed in the application does
  178  not materially comply with the requirements in paragraphs
  179  (9)(a)-(f);
  180         (III) The proposed charter school’s educational program
  181  does not substantially replicate that of the applicant or one of
  182  the applicant’s high-performing charter schools;
  183         (IV) The applicant has made a material misrepresentation or
  184  false statement or concealed an essential or material fact
  185  during the application process; or
  186         (V) The proposed charter school’s educational program and
  187  financial management practices do not materially comply with the
  188  requirements of this section.
  189  
  190  Material noncompliance is a failure to follow requirements or a
  191  violation of prohibitions applicable to charter school
  192  applications, which failure is quantitatively or qualitatively
  193  significant either individually or when aggregated with other
  194  noncompliance. An applicant is considered to be replicating a
  195  high-performing charter school if the proposed school is
  196  substantially similar to at least one of the applicant’s high
  197  performing charter schools and the organization or individuals
  198  involved in the establishment and operation of the proposed
  199  school are significantly involved in the operation of replicated
  200  schools.
  201         c. If the sponsor denies an application submitted by a
  202  high-performing charter school or a high-performing charter
  203  school system, the sponsor must, within 10 calendar days after
  204  such denial, state in writing the specific reasons, based upon
  205  the criteria in sub-subparagraph b., supporting its denial of
  206  the application and must provide the letter of denial and
  207  supporting documentation to the applicant and to the Department
  208  of Education. The applicant may appeal the sponsor’s denial of
  209  the application in accordance with paragraph (c).
  210         4. For budget projection purposes, the sponsor shall report
  211  to the Department of Education the approval or denial of an
  212  application within 10 calendar days after such approval or
  213  denial. In the event of approval, the report to the Department
  214  of Education shall include the final projected FTE for the
  215  approved charter school.
  216         5. Upon approval of an application, the initial startup
  217  shall commence with the beginning of the public school calendar
  218  for the district in which the charter is granted. A charter
  219  school may defer the opening of the school’s operations for up
  220  to 3 years to provide time for adequate facility planning. The
  221  charter school must provide written notice of such intent to the
  222  sponsor and the parents of enrolled students at least 30
  223  calendar days before the first day of school.
  224         (7) CHARTER.—The terms and conditions for the operation of
  225  a charter school shall be set forth by the sponsor and the
  226  applicant in a written contractual agreement, called a charter.
  227  The sponsor and the governing board of the charter school shall
  228  use the standard charter contract pursuant to subsection (21),
  229  which shall incorporate the approved application and any addenda
  230  approved with the application. Any term or condition of a
  231  proposed charter contract that differs from the standard charter
  232  contract adopted by rule of the State Board of Education shall
  233  be presumed a limitation on charter school flexibility. The
  234  sponsor may not impose unreasonable rules or regulations that
  235  violate the intent of giving charter schools greater flexibility
  236  to meet educational goals. The charter shall be signed by the
  237  governing board of the charter school and the sponsor, following
  238  a public hearing to ensure community input.
  239         (a) The charter shall address and criteria for approval of
  240  the charter shall be based on:
  241         1. The school’s mission, the students to be served, and the
  242  ages and grades to be included.
  243         2. The focus of the curriculum, the instructional methods
  244  to be used, any distinctive instructional techniques to be
  245  employed, and identification and acquisition of appropriate
  246  technologies needed to improve educational and administrative
  247  performance which include a means for promoting safe, ethical,
  248  and appropriate uses of technology which comply with legal and
  249  professional standards.
  250         a. The charter shall ensure that reading is a primary focus
  251  of the curriculum and that resources are provided to identify
  252  and provide specialized instruction for students who are reading
  253  below grade level. The curriculum and instructional strategies
  254  for reading must be consistent with the Next Generation Sunshine
  255  State Standards and grounded in scientifically based reading
  256  research.
  257         b. In order to provide students with access to diverse
  258  instructional delivery models, to facilitate the integration of
  259  technology within traditional classroom instruction, and to
  260  provide students with the skills they need to compete in the
  261  21st century economy, the Legislature encourages instructional
  262  methods for blended learning courses consisting of both
  263  traditional classroom and online instructional techniques.
  264  Charter schools may implement blended learning courses which
  265  combine traditional classroom instruction and virtual
  266  instruction. Students in a blended learning course must be full
  267  time students of the charter school pursuant to s.
  268  1011.61(1)(a)1. Instructional personnel certified pursuant to s.
  269  1012.55 who provide virtual instruction for blended learning
  270  courses may be employees of the charter school or may be under
  271  contract to provide instructional services to charter school
  272  students. At a minimum, such instructional personnel must hold
  273  an active state or school district adjunct certification under
  274  s. 1012.57 for the subject area of the blended learning course.
  275  The funding and performance accountability requirements for
  276  blended learning courses are the same as those for traditional
  277  courses.
  278         3. The current incoming baseline standard of student
  279  academic achievement, the outcomes to be achieved, and the
  280  method of measurement that will be used. The criteria listed in
  281  this subparagraph shall include a detailed description of:
  282         a. How the baseline student academic achievement levels and
  283  prior rates of academic progress will be established.
  284         b. How these baseline rates will be compared to rates of
  285  academic progress achieved by these same students while
  286  attending the charter school.
  287         c. To the extent possible, how these rates of progress will
  288  be evaluated and compared with rates of progress of other
  289  closely comparable student populations.
  290  
  291  The district school board is required to provide academic
  292  student performance data to charter schools for each of their
  293  students coming from the district school system, as well as
  294  rates of academic progress of comparable student populations in
  295  the district school system.
  296         4. The methods used to identify the educational strengths
  297  and needs of students and how well educational goals and
  298  performance standards are met by students attending the charter
  299  school. The methods shall provide a means for the charter school
  300  to ensure accountability to its constituents by analyzing
  301  student performance data and by evaluating the effectiveness and
  302  efficiency of its major educational programs. Students in
  303  charter schools shall, at a minimum, participate in the
  304  statewide assessment program created under s. 1008.22.
  305         5. In secondary charter schools, a method for determining
  306  that a student has satisfied the requirements for graduation in
  307  s. 1002.3105(5), s. 1003.4281, or s. 1003.4282.
  308         6. A method for resolving conflicts between the governing
  309  board of the charter school and the sponsor.
  310         7. The admissions procedures and dismissal procedures,
  311  including the school’s code of student conduct. Admission or
  312  dismissal must not be based on a student’s academic performance.
  313         8. The ways by which the school will achieve a
  314  racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or
  315  within the racial/ethnic range of other public schools in the
  316  same school district.
  317         9. The financial and administrative management of the
  318  school, including a reasonable demonstration of the professional
  319  experience or competence of those individuals or organizations
  320  applying to operate the charter school or those hired or
  321  retained to perform such professional services and the
  322  description of clearly delineated responsibilities and the
  323  policies and practices needed to effectively manage the charter
  324  school. A description of internal audit procedures and
  325  establishment of controls to ensure that financial resources are
  326  properly managed must be included. Both public sector and
  327  private sector professional experience shall be equally valid in
  328  such a consideration.
  329         10. The asset and liability projections required in the
  330  application which are incorporated into the charter and shall be
  331  compared with information provided in the annual report of the
  332  charter school.
  333         11. A description of procedures that identify various risks
  334  and provide for a comprehensive approach to reduce the impact of
  335  losses; plans to ensure the safety and security of students and
  336  staff; plans to identify, minimize, and protect others from
  337  violent or disruptive student behavior; and the manner in which
  338  the school will be insured, including whether or not the school
  339  will be required to have liability insurance, and, if so, the
  340  terms and conditions thereof and the amounts of coverage.
  341         12. The term of the charter which shall provide for
  342  cancellation of the charter if insufficient progress has been
  343  made in attaining the student achievement objectives of the
  344  charter and if it is not likely that such objectives can be
  345  achieved before expiration of the charter. The initial term of a
  346  charter shall be for 5 years, excluding 2 planning years. In
  347  order to facilitate access to long-term financial resources for
  348  charter school construction, charter schools that are operated
  349  by a municipality or other public entity as provided by law are
  350  eligible for up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the
  351  district school board. A charter lab school is eligible for a
  352  charter for a term of up to 15 years. In addition, to facilitate
  353  access to long-term financial resources for charter school
  354  construction, charter schools that are operated by a private,
  355  not-for-profit, s. 501(c)(3) status corporation are eligible for
  356  up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the district
  357  school board. Such long-term charters remain subject to annual
  358  review and may be terminated during the term of the charter, but
  359  only according to the provisions set forth in subsection (8).
  360         13. The facilities to be used and their location. The
  361  sponsor may not require a charter school to have a certificate
  362  of occupancy or a temporary certificate of occupancy for such a
  363  facility earlier than 15 calendar days before the first day of
  364  school.
  365         14. The qualifications to be required of the teachers and
  366  the potential strategies used to recruit, hire, train, and
  367  retain qualified staff to achieve best value.
  368         15. The governance structure of the school, including the
  369  status of the charter school as a public or private employer as
  370  required in paragraph (12)(j) (12)(i).
  371         16. A timetable for implementing the charter which
  372  addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the
  373  date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to meet this
  374  timetable.
  375         17. In the case of an existing public school that is being
  376  converted to charter status, alternative arrangements for
  377  current students who choose not to attend the charter school and
  378  for current teachers who choose not to teach in the charter
  379  school after conversion in accordance with the existing
  380  collective bargaining agreement or district school board rule in
  381  the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. However,
  382  alternative arrangements shall not be required for current
  383  teachers who choose not to teach in a charter lab school, except
  384  as authorized by the employment policies of the state university
  385  which grants the charter to the lab school.
  386         18. Full disclosure of the identity of all relatives
  387  employed by the charter school who are related to the charter
  388  school owner, president, chairperson of the governing board of
  389  directors, superintendent, governing board member, principal,
  390  assistant principal, or any other person employed by the charter
  391  school who has equivalent decisionmaking authority. For the
  392  purpose of this subparagraph, the term “relative” means father,
  393  mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first
  394  cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in
  395  law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
  396  stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother,
  397  stepsister, half brother, or half sister.
  398         19. Implementation of the activities authorized under s.
  399  1002.331 by the charter school when it satisfies the eligibility
  400  requirements for a high-performing charter school. A high
  401  performing charter school shall notify its sponsor in writing by
  402  March 1 if it intends to increase enrollment or expand grade
  403  levels the following school year. The written notice shall
  404  specify the amount of the enrollment increase and the grade
  405  levels that will be added, as applicable.
  406         (8) CAUSES FOR NONRENEWAL OR TERMINATION OF CHARTER.—
  407         (g)1. If a charter is terminated or a charter school closes
  408  before the end of a school year or within 3 years after
  409  beginning operations and, after a specific finding by the school
  410  district of material fraud, disregard of generally accepted
  411  accounting principles, or of intentional malfeasance by an
  412  applicant for the charter, the charter school owner, the charter
  413  school president, charter school governing board members, and
  414  the relatives of such owner, upon findings made by the school
  415  district, the applicant for the charter, the charter school
  416  owner, the charter school president, the charter school
  417  governing board members, and the relatives of such owner,
  418  president, or governing board member may not submit an
  419  application to open a charter school in this state pursuant to
  420  subsection (6) for a period of 5 years after the termination of
  421  the charter or closure of the charter school. The applicant for
  422  the charter, the charter school owner, the charter school
  423  president, the charter school governing board members, and the
  424  relatives of such owner, president, or governing board member,
  425  may appeal to the charter appeals commission the school
  426  district’s finding of material fraud, intentional malfeasance,
  427  or disregard of generally accepted accounting principles.
  428         2. If a charter school owner, a charter school president, a
  429  member of a charter school governing board, a charter management
  430  organization, or an education management organization is
  431  convicted of a crime, including, but not limited to, material
  432  fraud or serious financial theft offenses, misrepresentation,
  433  fraud, or misappropriation related to the operation of a charter
  434  school, that owner, president, or governing board member,
  435  including any relatives of such individuals, or the charter
  436  management organization or the education management
  437  organization, may not submit an application to open a charter
  438  school in this state pursuant to subsection (6) for a period of
  439  10 years after such conviction.
  440  
  441  For the purpose of this paragraph, the term “relative” has the
  442  same meaning as specified in subparagraph (24)(a)2.
  443         (12) EMPLOYEES OF CHARTER SCHOOLS.—
  444         (g) Each charter school principal, governing board member,
  445  chief financial officer, or equivalent position must hold a
  446  valid certification issued by a third-party credentialing entity
  447  that is recognized under s. 1001.241, at least 30 days before
  448  the school opens or within 30 days of the first date of
  449  employment, whichever comes first. The credentialing entity must
  450  certify the individual’s core competence in the administration
  451  of a charter school, including, but not limited to, developing
  452  and adjusting business plans; accurate financial planning and
  453  good business practices, including accounting for costs and
  454  income; state and federal grant and student performance
  455  accountability requirements; identification of, and application
  456  for, state and federal funding sources; and governance,
  457  including government in the sunshine, conflicts of interest,
  458  ethics, and financial responsibility. An individual certified
  459  under this paragraph meets the training requirements under
  460  subparagraph (h)3., paragraph (6)(f), and subparagraph (9)(j)4.
  461         Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
  462  1002.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  463         1002.45 Virtual instruction programs.—
  464         (1) PROGRAM.—
  465         (d) A virtual charter school may provide part-time and
  466  full-time virtual instruction for students in kindergarten
  467  through grade 12 if the virtual charter school has a charter
  468  approved pursuant to s. 1002.33 authorizing full-time virtual
  469  instruction. A virtual charter school may:
  470         1. Contract with the Florida Virtual School.
  471         2. Contract with or be an approved provider under
  472  subsection (2).
  473         3. Enter into an agreement with a school district to allow
  474  the participation of the virtual charter school’s students in
  475  the school district’s virtual instruction program. The agreement
  476  must indicate a process for reporting of student enrollment and
  477  the transfer of funds required by paragraph (7)(e).
  478         Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
  479  1012.32, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  480         1012.32 Qualifications of personnel.—
  481         (2)
  482         (b) Instructional and noninstructional personnel who are
  483  hired or contracted to fill positions in any charter school and
  484  members of the governing board of any charter school, in
  485  compliance with s. 1002.33(12)(h) s. 1002.33(12)(g), must, upon
  486  employment, engagement of services, or appointment, undergo
  487  background screening as required under s. 1012.465 or s.
  488  1012.56, whichever is applicable, by filing with any single the
  489  district school board for the school district in which one of
  490  the charter governing board’s charter schools the charter school
  491  is located a complete set of fingerprints taken by an authorized
  492  law enforcement agency or an employee of the school or school
  493  district who is trained to take fingerprints. Once such
  494  instructional and noninstructional personnel are fingerprinted
  495  and pass the appropriate background check in any single school
  496  district, such fingerprints and background check shall be valid
  497  for a period of 3 years and valid in all school districts
  498  throughout the state.
  499  
  500  Fingerprints shall be submitted to the Department of Law
  501  Enforcement for statewide criminal and juvenile records checks
  502  and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for federal criminal
  503  records checks. A person subject to this subsection who is found
  504  ineligible for employment under s. 1012.315, or otherwise found
  505  through background screening to have been convicted of any crime
  506  involving moral turpitude as defined by rule of the State Board
  507  of Education, shall not be employed, engaged to provide
  508  services, or serve in any position that requires direct contact
  509  with students. Probationary persons subject to this subsection
  510  terminated because of their criminal record have the right to
  511  appeal such decisions. The cost of the background screening may
  512  be borne by the district school board, the charter school, the
  513  employee, the contractor, or a person subject to this
  514  subsection. A district school board shall reimburse a charter
  515  school the cost of background screening if it does not notify
  516  the charter school of the eligibility of a governing board
  517  member or instructional or noninstructional personnel within the
  518  earlier of 14 days after receipt of the background screening
  519  results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or 30
  520  days of submission of fingerprints by the governing board member
  521  or instructional or noninstructional personnel.
  522         Section 5. This act shall take effect January 1, 2020.
  523  
  524  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  525  And the title is amended as follows:
  526         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  527  and insert:
  528                        A bill to be entitled                      
  529         An act relating to charter schools; creating s.
  530         1001.241, F.S.; requiring the Department of Education
  531         to approve credentialing entities for a specified
  532         purpose; requiring credentialing entities to
  533         establish, develop, and administer specified
  534         requirements and processes; requiring credentialing
  535         entities to establish a certification program;
  536         providing requirements for the certification program;
  537         requiring credentialing entities to establish certain
  538         fees; providing requirements for such fees; providing
  539         that applicants who submit applications to a
  540         credentialing entity are subject to a certain
  541         background screening; providing for the ineligibility
  542         of certain applicants; requiring the Department of Law
  543         Enforcement to notify the credentialing entity of an
  544         applicant’s background screening results; requiring
  545         credentialing entities to issue certificates of
  546         compliance upon approval of a person’s application;
  547         providing for termination of the certification after a
  548         specified time period if the certification is not
  549         renewed; authorizing credentialing entities to suspend
  550         or revoke a certificate of compliance under specified
  551         conditions; requiring charter schools to remove a
  552         charter school principal, charter school governing
  553         board member, or charter school chief financial
  554         officer from his or her position, as applicable, under
  555         specified conditions; requiring charter schools to
  556         notify the credentialing entity of such removal;
  557         providing that certain decisions by a department
  558         recognized credentialing program are reviewable by the
  559         Department of Education; providing that an aggrieved
  560         person may request an administrative hearing within a
  561         specified timeframe after receiving an adverse
  562         determination after completion of an appeals process
  563         offered by the credentialing program; amending s.
  564         1002.33, F.S.; deleting obsolete language; revising
  565         charter school application deadline requirements;
  566         authorizing certain charter school applicants to open
  567         charter schools before a specified timeframe and after
  568         approval; prohibiting specified individuals and
  569         entities from submitting an application to open a
  570         charter school for specified periods of time; defining
  571         the term “relative” for the purpose of applying the
  572         prohibition; requiring each charter school principal,
  573         governing board member, chief financial officer, or
  574         their equivalent, to meet certain certification
  575         requirements; amending s. 1002.45, F.S.; authorizing
  576         virtual charter schools to provide part-time virtual
  577         instruction for certain students; providing that a
  578         charter school may be an approved provider; amending
  579         s. 1012.32, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference;
  580         revising fingerprint filing requirements for charter
  581         school instructional and noninstructional personnel;
  582         providing that fingerprints and background checks of
  583         such personnel who meet certain requirements are valid
  584         for a specified period of time in all school
  585         districts; providing an effective date.