Senate Bill sb2574

    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2574

    By Senator Deutch





    30-1219A-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to discrimination in the public

  3         education system; amending s. 1000.05, F.S.;

  4         prohibiting discrimination against a student or

  5         employee in the state system of public K-20

  6         education based on sexual orientation;

  7         prohibiting criteria for admission to a program

  8         based on sexual orientation; requiring that

  9         public K-20 education classes be available to

10         students regardless of sexual orientation;

11         providing for guidance, counseling, and

12         financial assistance services to all students

13         in the K-20 education system, regardless of

14         sexual orientation; providing an effective

15         date.

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

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19         Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 1000.05, Florida

20  Statutes, is amended to read:

21         1000.05  Discrimination against students and employees

22  in the Florida K-20 public education system prohibited;

23  equality of access required.--

24         (2)(a)  Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity,

25  national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or

26  marital status against a student or an employee in the state

27  system of public K-20 education is prohibited. No person in

28  this state shall, on the basis of race, ethnicity, national

29  origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital

30  status, be excluded from participation in, be denied the

31  benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any

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






    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2574
    30-1219A-07




 1  public K-20 education program or activity, or in any

 2  employment conditions or practices, conducted by a public

 3  educational institution that receives or benefits from federal

 4  or state financial assistance.

 5         (b)  The criteria for admission to a program or course

 6  shall not have the effect of restricting access by persons of

 7  a particular race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual

 8  orientation, disability, or marital status.

 9         (c)  All public K-20 education classes shall be

10  available to all students without regard to race, ethnicity,

11  national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or

12  marital status; however, this is not intended to eliminate the

13  provision of programs designed to meet the needs of students

14  with limited proficiency in English, gifted students, or

15  students with disabilities or programs tailored to students

16  with specialized talents or skills.

17         (d)  Students may be separated by gender for any

18  portion of a class that deals with human reproduction or

19  during participation in bodily contact sports.  For the

20  purpose of this section, bodily contact sports include

21  wrestling, boxing, rugby, ice hockey, football, basketball,

22  and other sports in which the purpose or major activity

23  involves bodily contact.

24         (e)  Guidance services, counseling services, and

25  financial assistance services in the state public K-20

26  education system shall be available to students equally.

27  Guidance and counseling services, materials, and promotional

28  events shall stress access to academic and career

29  opportunities for students without regard to race, ethnicity,

30  national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or

31  marital status.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2574
    30-1219A-07




 1         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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 4                          SENATE SUMMARY

 5    Prohibits discrimination against a student or employee in
      the state system of public K-20 education based on sexual
 6    orientation. Prohibits criteria for admission to a
      program based on sexual orientation. Requires that public
 7    K-20 education classes be available to students
      regardless of sexual orientation. Provides for guidance,
 8    counseling, and financial assistance services to all
      students in the K-20 education system, regardless of
 9    sexual orientation.

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