Senate Bill 2636c1

    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 2636

    By the Committee on Education and Senators Clary, Grant,
    Cowin, Bronson, Childers and Laurent




    304-2189-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; authorizing

  3         district school boards to allow the use of an

  4         inspirational message at noncompulsory high

  5         school events; providing legislative intent;

  6         providing for severability; providing an

  7         effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  School boards are authorized, but not

12  required, to permit the use of a brief opening or closing

13  message including, but not limited to, a poem, a prayer, or an

14  inspirational thought, at any noncompulsory high school

15  activity, including student assemblies, sporting events,

16  graduation, and other school-related activities, if a majority

17  of the students participating request a message and select a

18  student representative to deliver the message.

19         Section 2.  It is the purpose of this act to provide

20  for the solemnization and memorialization of noncompulsory

21  high school events and ceremonies.

22         Section 3.  This act is not intended to prohibit the

23  school or school officials from disciplining students in

24  regard to unprotected speech or behavior that may be

25  inappropriate or disruptive.

26         Section 4.  If any provision of this act or the

27  application thereof to any person or circumstance is held

28  invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or

29  applications of the act which can be given effect without the

30  invalid provision or application, and to this end the

31  provisions of this act are declared severable.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                           CS for SB 2636
    304-2189-99




  1         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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  3          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  4                             SB 2636

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  6  The committee substitute differs from SB 2636 in the following
    ways:
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    1. The inspirational message is authorized for noncompulsory
  8  high school events, rather than secondary school assemblies.

  9  2. The school board, its officers and employees and the school
    principal are not authorized to monitor or review the message.
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    3. If a majority of the student body chooses to have a message
11  they must select a student to present the message; the student
    is not required to prepare the message.
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    4. The purpose of the bill is to solemnize and memorialize
13  noncompulsory high school events and ceremonies.

14  5. The bill dos not prevent school officials from disciplining
    students for inappropriate or disruptive speech.
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    6. The provisions of the act are severable.
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