Senate Bill sb2458c1
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2458
By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Crist
581-2381-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to high school work experience;
3 creating s. 1003.496, F.S.; authorizing each
4 district school board to adopt policies and
5 procedures for a High School to Business Career
6 Enhancement Program through which student
7 internships shall be offered in each school
8 district; providing internship requirements;
9 providing for the number of internships
10 employers may offer; requiring the screening of
11 the background of employees and contracted
12 personnel of employers participating in the
13 program; clarifying that the employment of a
14 student intern is not employment for purposes
15 of unemployment compensation; authorizing the
16 State Board of Education to adopt rules;
17 providing an effective date.
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19 WHEREAS, student learning outside of the classroom, as
20 well as student learning in the classroom, is critical to
21 success later in life, and
22 WHEREAS, high school student participation in an
23 internship may provide an experience that will cultivate a
24 student's interest or talent and may be used to supplement a
25 student's high school major, and
26 WHEREAS, participation in an internship can be a good
27 educational tool and provide employment opportunities after
28 high school or college graduation, and
29 WHEREAS, participation in an internship will increase
30 the connections of a high school student to business and the
31 community, and
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2458
581-2381-07
1 WHEREAS, participation in an internship may motivate a
2 student to pursue higher education in a particular field, and
3 WHEREAS, partnerships between schools and employers
4 that offer internships to high school students will help
5 employers find and train workers and help young people prepare
6 for success in college, careers, and life, and
7 WHEREAS, employers benefit by training student interns
8 in their business methods and form a connection between the
9 employer and the student that may keep talented students in
10 the state, NOW, THEREFORE,
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Section 1003.496, Florida Statutes, is
15 created to read:
16 1003.496 High School to Business Career Enhancement
17 Program.--
18 (1) This section may be cited as the "High School to
19 Business Career Enhancement Act."
20 (2)(a) Each district school board may adopt policies
21 and procedures for a High School to Business Career
22 Enhancement Program through which high school student
23 internships may be offered in each school district through
24 partnerships developed with employers within the communities
25 served by the district school board. Each internship shall
26 include a student evaluation by the employer at the end of the
27 internship to monitor the academic value of the internship
28 using criteria established by each district school board.
29 (b) A student who participates in the program may be
30 in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and must have a minimum
31 weighted grade point average of 2.0.
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2458
581-2381-07
1 (c) A student participant may not be required to work
2 more than 20 hours per week during the internship.
3 (d) An internship shall be consistent with the career
4 goals of each student participant.
5 (e) An internship shall be at least 8 weeks long and
6 may not last more than 20 consecutive weeks during any school
7 year.
8 (f) Each student may participate in only one
9 internship per school year.
10 (g) No more than 100 internships may be offered each
11 school year by a district school board.
12 (h) The number of internships that an employer may
13 provide under this program is limited by the number of
14 employees that the employer employs in the school district in
15 which the internship is offered.
16 1. An employer with 10 or fewer employees may provide
17 one internship per school year.
18 2. An employer with 11 to 20 employees may provide up
19 to two internships per school year.
20 3. An employer with 21 to 50 employees may provide up
21 to three internships per school year.
22 4. An employer with more than 50 employees may provide
23 up to four internships per school year.
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25 Employers may partner with more than one district school
26 board; however, the number of internships that may be provided
27 within each school district is subject to the limitations
28 provided in this paragraph.
29 (i) Any employees or contracted personnel of an
30 employer under this section who have direct contact with
31 student interns shall be subject to the level 2 background
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2458
581-2381-07
1 screening requirements as described in s. 1012.32. The cost of
2 the state and federal criminal history check required by level
3 2 background screening shall be borne by the employer.
4 (3) Employment under this section of a student intern
5 who meets the criteria of s. 443.1216(13)(q) is not employment
6 for purposes of unemployment compensation under chapter 443.
7 (4) The State Board of Education may adopt rules
8 necessary to administer this section.
9 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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11 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
12 Senate Bill 2458
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14 The committee substitute:
15 Authorizes district school board to adopt policies and
procedures for student internships with employers;
16
Limits eligibility to high school students who have at least a
17 weighted GPA of 2.0;
18 Provides for the minimum and maximum length of internships;
19 Establishes the number of internships an employer or school
district may have each year;
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Requires the business partner to provide for background
21 screening of employees or contracted staff members who have
direct contact with student interns; and
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Provides that internships do not constitute employment for
23 purposes of unemployment compensation.
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