HB 1573CS

CHAMBER ACTION




1The Choice & Innovation Committee recommends the following:
2
3     Council/Committee Substitute
4     Remove the entire bill and insert:
5
House Joint Resolution
6A joint resolution proposing the creation of Section 8 of
7Article IX of the State Constitution relating to
8education.
9
10Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12     That the following creation of Section 8 of Article IX of
13the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
14the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
15general election or at an earlier special election specifically
16authorized by law for that purpose:
17
ARTICLE IX
18
EDUCATION
19     SECTION 8.  Equal opportunity to obtain a high quality
20education.--Every child deserves an equal opportunity to obtain
21a high quality education, regardless of his or her family's
22income, religion, or race.
23     (a)  Funding for a high quality public K-12 education
24through classroom instruction is fundamental. To make adequate
25provision for a high quality public K-12 education, at least
26sixty-five percent of school funding received by school
27districts shall be spent on classroom instruction, rather than
28administration. Classroom instruction and administration shall
29be defined by law.
30     (b)  Students in prekindergarten through college who have
31disabilities, are economically disadvantaged, or whose parents
32request alternatives to traditional public education programs
33may participate, as provided by law, in education programs that
34include non-public schools. The legislature may enact and
35publicly fund prekindergarten through college education
36programs, without regard to the religious nature of any
37participant or non-public provider, notwithstanding any other
38provision of this Article or Section 3 of Article I of this
39constitution.
40
41Nothing in this section establishes a right to an education
42program not provided by law.
43     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
44placed on the ballot:
45
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
46
ARTICLE IX, SECTION 8
47     EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN A HIGH QUALITY
48EDUCATION.--Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to
49provide that every child deserves an equal opportunity to obtain
50a high quality education, regardless of his or her family's
51income, religion, or race; to provide that funding for high
52quality public K-12 education through classroom instruction is
53fundamental; to provide that to make adequate provision for a
54high quality public K-12 education, at least sixty-five percent
55of school funding received by school districts shall be spent on
56classroom instruction rather than administration; to provide
57that classroom instruction and administration shall be defined
58by law; to provide that students in prekindergarten through
59college who have disabilities, are economically disadvantaged,
60or whose parents request alternatives to traditional public
61education programs may participate, as provided by law, in
62education programs that include non-public schools; to provide
63that the Legislature may enact and publicly fund prekindergarten
64through college education programs, without regard to the
65religious nature of any participant or non-public provider,
66notwithstanding any other provision of this Article or of
67Section 3 of Article I of the State Constitution; and to provide
68that nothing in this amendment to the State Constitution
69establishes a right to an education program that is not provided
70by law.


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