Florida Senate - 2012 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 554
Barcode 652984
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/10/2012 .
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The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (Latvala)
recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 1003.4205, Florida Statutes, is amended
6 to read:
7 1003.4205 Disability history and awareness instruction.—
8 (1) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, each district
9 school board shall may provide disability history and awareness
10 instruction in all K-12 public schools in the district during
11 the first 2 weeks in October each year. The district school
12 board shall designate these 2 weeks as “Disability History and
13 Awareness Weeks.” The Department of Education shall assist in
14 creating the curriculum for the disability history and awareness
15 instruction that will be used in each school district.
16 (2)(a) During this 2-week period, students shall may be
17 provided intensive instruction to expand their knowledge,
18 understanding, and awareness of individuals who have with
19 disabilities, the history of disability, and the disability
20 rights movement. Disability history must may include the events
21 and timelines of the development and evolution of services to,
22 and the civil rights of, individuals who have with disabilities.
23 Disability history must may also include the contributions of
24 specific individuals who have with disabilities, including the
25 contributions of acknowledged national leaders.
26 (b) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the
27 instruction shall may be integrated into the existing school
28 curriculum in ways including, but not limited to, supplementing
29 lesson plans, holding school assemblies, or providing other
30 school-related activities. The instruction shall may be
31 augmented by presentations from individuals who have
32 disabilities, who have been approved by the school or school
33 district as presenters, and who the school or school district
34 has ensured meet appropriate background screening requirements
35 of s. 1012.465 to enter schools and interact with children
36 delivered by qualified school personnel or by knowledgeable
37 guest speakers, with a particular focus on including individuals
38 with disabilities.
39 (c)1. There is created within the Department of Education
40 the Disability History and Awareness Advisory Council. The
41 council shall consist of the following 15 members:
42 a. The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee.
43 b. A member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
44 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or his or her
45 designee.
46 c. A member of the Senate, appointed by the President of
47 the Senate, or his or her designee.
48 d. Four members of the Florida Youth Council who are
49 selected by the Department of Education.
50 e. A member from Yes! of America United, Inc., who is
51 selected by the Department of Education.
52 f. A member of the public who is deaf/blind who is selected
53 by the Department of Education.
54 g. A member of the public who has mental disabilities and
55 is selected by the Department of Education.
56 h. A member of the public who has developmental
57 disabilities and is selected by the Department of Education.
58 i. Four persons from disability groups that are not
59 represented on the council who are selected by the Department of
60 Education.
61 2.a. Six members of the council must be younger than 30
62 years of age and six members of the council must be at least 30
63 years of age or older.
64 b. The Commissioner of Education, the member of the Senate,
65 and the member of the House of Representatives, or their
66 designees, are ex officio, nonvoting members of the council.
67 3. The department shall provide a liaison to assist the
68 council in its operation. The department shall act as the fiscal
69 agent for all financial transactions required by the council.
70 4. The responsibilities of the council shall be, but are
71 not limited to:
72 a. Providing to the Department of Education input regarding
73 the curriculum for disability history and awareness;
74 b. Assisting, upon request, schools or school districts in
75 locating individuals who have disabilities to make presentations
76 at schools; and
77 c. Submitting an annual report to the Governor, the
78 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
79 Representatives, and the superintendent of each school district
80 in this state by August 1, 2013, and each year thereafter. The
81 annual report must include, but is not limited to,
82 recommendations and policy alternatives regarding the state of
83 disability awareness in this state.
84 5. The council shall meet at least four times a year and
85 more often as needed.
86 (3) The goals of disability history and awareness
87 instruction include:
88 (a) Better treatment for individuals who have with
89 disabilities, especially for youth in school, and increased
90 attention to preventing the bullying or harassment of students
91 who have with disabilities.
92 (b) Encouragement to individuals who have with disabilities
93 to develop increased self-esteem, resulting in more individuals
94 who have with disabilities gaining pride in being an individual
95 with a disability, obtaining postsecondary education, entering
96 the workforce, and contributing to their communities.
97 (c) Reaffirmation of the local, state, and federal
98 commitment to the full inclusion in society of, and the equal
99 opportunity for, all individuals who have with disabilities.
100 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
101
102 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
103 And the title is amended as follows:
104 Delete everything before the enacting clause
105 and insert:
106 A bill to be entitled
107 An act relating to disability awareness; amending s.
108 1003.4205, F.S.; requiring that each district school
109 board provide disability history and awareness
110 instruction in all K-12 public schools; requiring that
111 the Department of Education assist in creating the
112 curriculum for the disability history and awareness
113 instruction; providing for individual presenters who
114 have disabilities to augment the disability history
115 and awareness instruction; creating the Disability
116 History and Awareness Advisory Council within the
117 Department of Education; requiring that the Department
118 of Education select the membership of the council;
119 providing that the Commissioner of Education, the
120 member of the Senate, and the member of the House of
121 Representatives are ex officio, nonvoting members of
122 the council; requiring that the department provide a
123 liaison to assist the council; requiring that the
124 department act as the fiscal agent for all financial
125 transactions required by the council; providing
126 responsibilities of the council; providing meeting
127 times for the council; providing an effective date.