House Bill hb0409e1

                                        CS/HB 409, First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to educator professional

  3         liability insurance; creating s. 231.800, F.S.;

  4         providing legislative intent; requiring

  5         educator professional liability insurance

  6         coverage for all full-time instructional

  7         personnel; providing for specific

  8         appropriations in the General Appropriations

  9         Act; extending educator professional liability

10         insurance coverage at cost to all part-time

11         instructional personnel and administrative

12         personnel; requiring competitive procurement of

13         any insurance carrier that provides

14         state-funded liability coverage; providing for

15         the reversion of certain funds; providing an

16         effective date.

17

18         WHEREAS, Article IX, section 1, of the State

19  Constitution states that "The education of children is a

20  fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida," and

21         WHEREAS, effective teachers directing orderly

22  classrooms provide the key to the best public education the

23  State of Florida can offer, NOW, THEREFORE,

24

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

26

27         Section 1.  Section 231.800, Florida Statutes, is

28  created to read:

29         231.800  Florida educators professional liability

30  insurance protection.--

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






                                        CS/HB 409, First Engrossed



  1         (1)  The Legislature intends that all the teachers in

  2  this state be protected from liability for monetary damages

  3  and the cost of defense of actions resulting from claims made

  4  against them arising out of occurrences in the course of

  5  activities in their professional capacity.

  6         (2)(a)  Beginning July 1, 2001, educator professional

  7  liability coverage for all instructional personnel, as defined

  8  by s. 228.041(9), who are full-time personnel, as defined by

  9  the district school board policy, shall be provided by

10  specific appropriations under the General Appropriations Act.

11         (b)  Beginning July 1, 2001, educator professional

12  liability coverage shall be extended at cost to all

13  instructional personnel, as defined by s. 228.041(9), who are

14  part-time personnel, as defined by the district school board

15  policy, and choose to participate in the state-provided

16  program.

17         (c)  Beginning July 1, 2001, educator professional

18  liability coverage shall be extended at cost to all

19  administrative personnel, as defined by s. 228.041(10), who

20  choose to participate in the state-provided program.

21         (3)  In implementing line item 138A of the 2001-2002

22  General Appropriations Act, the Department of Education shall

23  administer the educator liability program. The insurance

24  carrier providing any portion of educator professional

25  liability coverage under the program which is procured with

26  state funds must be selected by a competitive process. The

27  amount of the appropriation for purchase of liability

28  insurance remaining after liability insurance is provided

29  shall revert to General Revenue unallocated.

30         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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