Florida Senate - 2024 SB 460
By Senator Simon
3-00872-24 2024460__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to career and technical education;
3 amending s. 450.061, F.S.; providing an exemption for
4 minors to work in specified conditions; repealing s.
5 489.5335, F.S., relating to journeyman reciprocity;
6 amending s. 489.537, F.S.; conforming provisions to
7 changes made by the act; amending s. 1001.43, F.S.;
8 revising the requirements for an annual career fair to
9 include allowing certain employers to meet with
10 students regarding career and technical education;
11 amending s. 1003.41, F.S.; revising the mathematics
12 standards within the state academic standards;
13 revising a list of individuals who are required to
14 review and comment on certain revisions to the state
15 academic standards; amending s. 1003.4203, F.S.;
16 revising the requirements for certain courses to
17 receive the same rate as honors courses for purposes
18 of student grade point averages; amending s.
19 1003.4282, F.S.; revising the requirements for certain
20 credits and certifications to meet specified
21 graduation requirements; amending s. 1003.491, F.S.;
22 revising the requirements for a specified 3-year
23 strategic plan relating to career and professional
24 education; requiring the curriculum review committee
25 to review the Applied Construction Mathematics course
26 for inclusion in the course code directory; revising
27 the requirements for an annual review of K-12 and
28 postsecondary career and technical education
29 offerings; amending s. 1003.493, F.S.; requiring the
30 Department of Education and the Board of Governors to
31 annually post specified information to their
32 respective websites; revising the amount of career
33 themed courses school districts must offer for
34 specified grades; revising duties of the Department of
35 Education relating to the award of specified
36 postsecondary credits; amending s. 1003.4935, F.S.;
37 conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
38 amending s. 1012.39, F.S.; revising the qualifications
39 for specified teachers of career programs; creating
40 the Career and Technical Education Task Force adjunct
41 to the Department of Education; providing the purpose
42 of the task force; providing the membership and duties
43 of the task force; requiring the task force to submit
44 a report to certain officials by a specified date;
45 providing for expiration of the task force; providing
46 an effective date.
47
48 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
49
50 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 450.061, Florida
51 Statutes, is amended to read:
52 450.061 Hazardous occupations prohibited; exemptions.—
53 (2) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a no minor under
54 18 years of age, whether such person’s disabilities of nonage
55 have been removed, may not shall be employed or permitted or
56 suffered to work in any of the following places of employment or
57 in any of the following occupations, provided that the
58 provisions of paragraphs (b), (e), (g), (h), (j), (m), (o), and
59 (q) shall not apply to the employment of student learners under
60 the conditions prescribed in s. 450.161:
61 (a) In or around explosive or radioactive materials.
62 (b) On any scaffolding, roof, superstructure, residential
63 or nonresidential building construction, or ladder above 6 feet.
64 A minor aged 16 or 17 may be employed on any scaffolding roof,
65 superstructure, or residential or nonresidential building
66 construction if he or she has earned his or her Occupational
67 Safety and Health Administration 10 certification and is under
68 the direct supervision of a person who:
69 1. Has earned his or her Occupational Safety and Health
70 Administration 10 certification.
71 2. Is 21 years of age or older.
72 3. Has at least 2 years of work experience related to the
73 work he or she is supervising.
74 (c) In or around toxic substances or corrosives, including
75 pesticides or herbicides, unless proper field entry time
76 allowances have been followed.
77 (d) Any mining occupation.
78 (e) In the operation of power-driven woodworking machines.
79 (f) In the operation of power-driven hoisting apparatus.
80 (g) In the operation of power-driven metal forming,
81 punching, or shearing machines.
82 (h) Slaughtering, meat packing, processing, or rendering,
83 except as provided in 29 C.F.R. s. 570.61(c).
84 (i) In the operation of power-driven bakery machinery.
85 (j) In the operation of power-driven paper products and
86 printing machines.
87 (k) Manufacturing brick, tile, and like products.
88 (l) Wrecking or demolition.
89 (m) Excavation operations.
90 (n) Logging or sawmilling.
91 (o) Working on electric apparatus or wiring.
92 (p) Firefighting.
93 (q) Operating or assisting to operate, including starting,
94 stopping, connecting or disconnecting, feeding, or any other
95 activity involving physical contact associated with operating, a
96 tractor over 20 PTO horsepower, any trencher or earthmoving
97 equipment, fork lift, or any harvesting, planting, or plowing
98 machinery, or any moving machinery.
99 Section 2. Section 489.5335, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
100 Section 3. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of section
101 489.537, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
102 489.537 Application of this part.—
103 (3) Nothing in this act limits the power of a municipality
104 or county:
105 (f) To require that one electrical journeyman, who is a
106 graduate of the Institute of Applied Technology in Construction
107 Excellence or licensed pursuant to s. 489.5335, be present on an
108 industrial or commercial new construction site with a facility
109 of 50,000 gross square feet or more when electrical work in
110 excess of 77 volts is being performed in order to supervise or
111 perform such work, except as provided in s. 489.503.
112 Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (14) of section
113 1001.43, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
114 1001.43 Supplemental powers and duties of district school
115 board.—The district school board may exercise the following
116 supplemental powers and duties as authorized by this code or
117 State Board of Education rule.
118 (14) RECOGNITION OF ACADEMIC AND CAREER ACHIEVEMENT.—
119 (c) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each district
120 school board shall require each high school within its
121 jurisdiction to host an annual career fair and industry
122 recruitment day during the school year and establish a process
123 to provide students in grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to meet
124 or interview with potential employers during the career fair
125 and, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, allow employers
126 from industries listed on the CAPE Industry Certification
127 Funding List, including employers from the agricultural,
128 construction, culinary, and nursing industries, to meet with
129 other students to explain how career and technical education can
130 result in a high-wage career in a high-demand industry. The
131 career fair must be held on the campus of the high school,
132 except that a group of high schools in the district or a group
133 of districts may hold a joint career fair at an alternative
134 location to satisfy the requirement in this paragraph. A joint
135 career fair must be held at a location located within reasonable
136 driving distance for students at all participating schools. The
137 career fair must be held during the school day and may use
138 Florida’s online career planning and work-based learning system
139 as part of the career fair activities.
140
141 District school board policies and procedures may include
142 conducting assemblies or other appropriate public events in
143 which students sign actual or ceremonial documents accepting
144 scholarships or enrollment. The district school board may
145 encourage holding such events in an assembly or gathering of the
146 entire student body as a means of making academic and career
147 success and recognition visible to all students.
148 Section 5. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) and subsection
149 (3) of section 1003.41, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
150 1003.41 State academic standards.—
151 (2) The state academic standards must meet the following
152 requirements:
153 (c) Mathematics standards must establish specific
154 curricular content for, at a minimum, algebra, geometry,
155 statistics and probability, number and quantity, functions, and
156 modeling and ensure the integration of real-life opportunities
157 to use such curricular content.
158 (3) The Commissioner of Education, as needed, shall develop
159 and submit proposed revisions to the standards for review and
160 comment by Florida educators, school administrators,
161 representatives of the Florida College System institutions and
162 state universities who have expertise in the content knowledge
163 and skills necessary to prepare a student for postsecondary
164 education and careers, a representative from the Department of
165 Commerce, business and industry leaders for in-demand careers,
166 and the public. The commissioner, after considering reviews and
167 comments, shall submit the proposed revisions to the State Board
168 of Education for adoption.
169 Section 6. Subsection (5) of section 1003.4203, Florida
170 Statutes, is amended to read:
171 1003.4203 Digital materials, CAPE Digital Tool
172 certificates, and technical assistance.—
173 (5) GRADE POINT AVERAGE CALCULATION.—For purposes of
174 calculating grade point average, a grade in a course that is
175 directly related to a CAPE Digital Tool Certificate or CAPE
176 level 3 or above and leads to an industry certification must be
177 weighted the same as a grade in an honors course.
178 Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section
179 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
180 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
181 (7) CAREER EDUCATION COURSES THAT SATISFY HIGH SCHOOL
182 CREDIT REQUIREMENTS.—
183 (a) Participation in career education courses engages
184 students in their high school education, increases academic
185 achievement, enhances employability, and increases postsecondary
186 success. The department shall develop, for approval by the State
187 Board of Education, multiple, additional career education
188 courses or a series of courses that meet the requirements set
189 forth in s. 1003.493(2), (4), and (5) and this subsection and
190 allow students to earn credit in both the career education
191 course and courses required for high school graduation under
192 this section and s. 1003.4281.
193 1. The state board must determine at least biennially if
194 sufficient academic standards are covered to warrant the award
195 of academic credit, including satisfaction of graduation,
196 assessment, and state university admissions requirements under
197 this section.
198 2. Career education courses must:
199 a. Include workforce and digital literacy skills.
200 b. Integrate required course content with practical
201 applications and designated rigorous coursework that results in
202 one or more industry certifications or clearly articulated
203 credit or advanced standing in a 2-year or 4-year certificate or
204 degree program, which may include high school junior and senior
205 year work-related internships or apprenticeships. The department
206 shall negotiate state licenses for material and testing for
207 industry certifications.
208
209 The instructional methodology used in these courses must
210 comprise authentic projects, problems, and activities for
211 contextual academic learning and emphasize workplace skills
212 identified under s. 445.06.
213 3. A student who earns credit upon completion of 1 year of
214 regulated technical instruction for an apprenticeship program
215 registered with the Department of Education under chapter 446 or
216 preapprenticeship program registered with the Department of
217 Education under chapter 446 and the Occupational Safety and
218 Health Administration 10 certification may use such credit to
219 satisfy the high school graduation credit requirements in
220 paragraph (3)(e) or paragraph (3)(g). The state board shall
221 approve and identify in the Course Code Directory the
222 apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs from which earned
223 credit may be used pursuant to this subparagraph.
224 4. The State Board of Education shall, by rule, establish a
225 process that enables a student to receive work-based learning
226 credit or credit in electives for completing a threshold level
227 of demonstrable participation in extracurricular activities
228 associated with career and technical student organizations.
229 Work-based learning credit or credit in electives for
230 extracurricular activities or supervised agricultural
231 experiences may not be limited by grade level.
232 Section 8. Paragraph (p) of subsection (3), paragraph (b)
233 of subsection (4), and paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of
234 section 1003.491, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
235 1003.491 Florida Career and Professional Education Act.—The
236 Florida Career and Professional Education Act is created to
237 provide a statewide planning partnership between the business
238 and education communities in order to attract, expand, and
239 retain targeted, high-value industry and to sustain a strong,
240 knowledge-based economy.
241 (3) The strategic 3-year plan developed jointly by the
242 local school district, local workforce development boards,
243 economic development agencies, and state-approved postsecondary
244 institutions must be constructed and based on:
245 (p) Strategies to provide professional development for
246 secondary certified school counselors on the benefits of career
247 and professional academies and career-themed courses that lead
248 to industry certification, including providing information on
249 the employment demands and opportunities within the industries
250 listed on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List; and
251 (4) The State Board of Education shall establish a process
252 for the continual and uninterrupted review of newly proposed
253 core secondary courses and existing courses requested to be
254 considered as core courses to ensure that sufficient rigor and
255 relevance is provided for workforce skills and postsecondary
256 education and aligned to state curriculum standards.
257 (b) The curriculum review committee shall review newly
258 proposed core courses electronically. Each proposed core course
259 shall be approved or denied within 30 days after submission by a
260 district school board or local workforce development board. All
261 courses approved as core courses for purposes of middle school
262 promotion and high school graduation shall be immediately added
263 to the Course Code Directory. Approved core courses shall also
264 be reviewed and considered for approval for dual enrollment
265 credit. The curriculum review committee must review the Applied
266 Construction Mathematics course for inclusion in the course code
267 directory. The Board of Governors and the Commissioner of
268 Education shall jointly recommend an annual deadline for
269 approval of new core courses to be included for purposes of
270 postsecondary admissions and dual enrollment credit the
271 following academic year. The State Board of Education shall
272 establish an appeals process in the event that a proposed course
273 is denied which shall require a consensus ruling by the
274 Department of Economic Opportunity and the Commissioner of
275 Education within 15 days.
276 (5)(a) The Commissioner of Education shall conduct an
277 annual review of K-12 and postsecondary career and technical
278 education offerings that, at a minimum, must examine:
279 1. Alignment of offerings with the framework of quality
280 under s. 445.004(4).
281 2. Alignment of offerings at the K-12 and postsecondary
282 levels with credentials or degree programs identified on the
283 Master Credentials List under s. 445.004(4).
284 3. Program utilization and unwarranted duplication across
285 institutions serving the same students in a geographical or
286 service area.
287 4. Institutional performance measured by student outcomes
288 such as academic achievement, college readiness, postsecondary
289 enrollment, credential and certification attainment, job
290 placement, and wages.
291 5. The efforts of each school district to fulfill the
292 requirements of paragraph (3)(p) and the number of students and
293 parents each school district informs about career and technical
294 education offerings and the number of representatives from
295 various industries who speak with students about career and
296 technical education.
297 Section 9. Subsections (1) and (4) of section 1003.493,
298 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
299 1003.493 Career and professional academies and career
300 themed courses.—
301 (1)(a) A “career and professional academy” is a research
302 based program that integrates a rigorous academic curriculum
303 with an industry-specific curriculum aligned directly to
304 priority workforce needs established by the local workforce
305 development board or the Department of Economic Opportunity.
306 Career and professional academies shall be offered by public
307 schools and school districts. Career and professional academies
308 may be offered by charter schools. The Florida Virtual School is
309 encouraged to develop and offer rigorous career and professional
310 courses as appropriate. Students completing career and
311 professional academy programs must receive a standard high
312 school diploma, the highest available industry certification,
313 and opportunities to earn postsecondary credit if the academy
314 partners with a postsecondary institution approved to operate in
315 the state. The Department of Education and the Board of
316 Governors shall annually publish on their respective websites
317 the number of postsecondary credits available to a student who
318 completes a career and professional program through a career and
319 professional academy. Such information must be published as
320 workforce education information.
321 (b) A “career-themed course” is a course, or a course in a
322 series of courses, that leads to an industry certification
323 identified in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List
324 pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
325 Career-themed courses have industry-specific curriculum aligned
326 directly to priority workforce needs established by the local
327 workforce development board or the Department of Economic
328 Opportunity. School districts shall offer at least two career
329 themed courses in every high school and middle school in the
330 district, and each secondary school is encouraged to offer at
331 least one career-themed course. The Florida Virtual School is
332 encouraged to develop and offer rigorous career-themed courses
333 as appropriate. The Department of Education and the Board of
334 Governors shall annually publish on their respective websites
335 the number of postsecondary credits available to students who
336 complete a career-themed course or series of courses that lead
337 to an industry certification listed on the CAPE Industry
338 Certification Funding List. Students completing a career-themed
339 course must be provided opportunities to earn postsecondary
340 credit if the credit for the career-themed course can be
341 articulated to a postsecondary institution approved to operate
342 in the state.
343 (4) Each career and professional academy and secondary
344 school providing a career-themed courses course must:
345 (a) Provide a rigorous standards-based academic curriculum
346 integrated with a career curriculum; consider multiple styles of
347 student learning; promote learning by doing through application
348 and adaptation; maximize relevance of the subject matter;
349 enhance each student’s capacity to excel; and include an
350 emphasis on work habits and work ethics.
351 (b)1. Include one or more partnerships with postsecondary
352 institutions, businesses, industry, employers, economic
353 development organizations, or other appropriate partners from
354 the local community. Such partnerships with postsecondary
355 institutions shall be delineated in articulation agreements and
356 include any career and professional academy courses or career
357 themed courses that earn postsecondary credit. Such agreements
358 may include articulation between the secondary school and public
359 or private 2-year and 4-year postsecondary institutions and
360 technical centers. The Department of Education, in consultation
361 with the Board of Governors, shall establish a mechanism to
362 ensure articulation and transfer of credits to postsecondary
363 institutions in this state. Such partnerships must provide
364 opportunities for:
365 a.1. Instruction from highly skilled professionals who
366 possess industry-certification credentials for courses they are
367 teaching.
368 b.2. Internships, externships, and on-the-job training.
369 c.3. A postsecondary degree, diploma, or certificate.
370 d.4. The highest available level of industry certification.
371 e.5. Maximum articulation of credits pursuant to s. 1007.23
372 upon program completion.
373 2. The Department of Education, in consultation with the
374 Board of Governors, shall:
375 a. Establish a list of postsecondary credits that must be
376 awarded based on the student’s completion of certain career
377 themed courses in grades 9 through 12.
378 b. Establish a list of postsecondary credits that must be
379 awarded based on the student receiving a CAPE industry
380 certification under s. 1003.4203.
381 c. Establish a mechanism to ensure articulation and
382 transfer of such credits to postsecondary institutions in the
383 state.
384 (c) Promote and provide opportunities for students enrolled
385 in a career and professional academy or a career-themed course
386 to attain, at minimum, the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
387 award pursuant to s. 1009.536.
388 (d) Provide instruction in careers designated as high
389 skill, high-wage, and high-demand by the local workforce
390 development board, the chamber of commerce, economic development
391 agencies, or the Department of Economic Opportunity.
392 (e) Deliver academic content through instruction relevant
393 to the career, including intensive reading and mathematics
394 intervention required by s. 1003.4282, with an emphasis on
395 strengthening reading for information skills.
396 (f) Offer applied courses that combine academic content
397 with technical skills.
398 (g) Provide instruction resulting in competency,
399 certification, or credentials in workplace skills, including,
400 but not limited to, communication skills, interpersonal skills,
401 decisionmaking skills, the importance of attendance and
402 timeliness in the work environment, and work ethics.
403 Section 10. Subsection (1) of section 1003.4935, Florida
404 Statutes, is amended to read:
405 1003.4935 Middle grades career and professional academy
406 courses and career-themed courses.—
407 (1) Beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, Each district
408 school board, in collaboration with local workforce development
409 boards, economic development agencies, and state-approved
410 postsecondary institutions, shall include plans to implement a
411 career and professional academy or at least two a career-themed
412 courses course, as defined in s. 1003.493(1)(b), in each at
413 least one middle school in the district as part of the strategic
414 3-year plan pursuant to s. 1003.491(2). The strategic plan must
415 provide students the opportunity to transfer from a middle
416 school career and professional academy or a career-themed course
417 to a high school career and professional academy or a career
418 themed course currently operating within the school district.
419 Students who complete a middle school career and professional
420 academy or a career-themed course must have the opportunity to
421 earn an industry certificate and high school credit and
422 participate in career planning, job shadowing, and business
423 leadership development activities.
424 Section 11. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
425 1012.39, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
426 1012.39 Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of
427 adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and
428 career specialists; students performing clinical field
429 experience.—
430 (1) Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and
431 1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary,
432 each district school board shall establish the minimal
433 qualifications for:
434 (c) Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career
435 programs. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed
436 teachers of career and technical education courses for program
437 clusters that are recognized in the state and are based
438 primarily on successful occupational experience rather than
439 academic training. The qualifications for such teachers must
440 require:
441 1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same
442 manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to
443 conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this
444 requirement.
445 2. Documentation of education and successful occupational
446 experience including documentation of:
447 a. A high school diploma or the equivalent.
448 b. Completion of 1 year 3 years of full-time successful
449 occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time
450 experience in the teaching specialization area. The district
451 school board may establish alternative qualifications for
452 teachers with an industry certification in the career area in
453 which they teach.
454 c. For full-time teachers, completion of professional
455 education training in teaching methods, course construction,
456 lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs
457 students. This training may be completed through coursework from
458 an accredited or approved institution or an approved district
459 teacher education program, or the local school district
460 inservice master plan.
461 d. Documentation of industry certification when state or
462 national industry certifications are available and applicable.
463 Section 12. (1) The Career and Technical Education Task
464 Force, a task force as defined in s. 20.03(5), Florida Statutes,
465 is created adjunct to the Department of Education to study the
466 status of career and technical education in each school district
467 within the state. Except as otherwise provided in this section,
468 the task force shall operate in a manner consistent with s.
469 20.052, Florida Statutes. The department shall provide
470 administrative and staff support relating to the functions of
471 the task force.
472 (2) The Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker
473 of the House of Representatives, the Commissioner of Education,
474 and the Secretary of the Department of Commerce shall each
475 appoint two members to the task force by September 1, 2024. The
476 commissioner shall appoint a chair of the task force.
477 (3) The task force shall:
478 (a) Compile a list of career and technical education
479 courses offered within each school district. Such data must be
480 broken down by industry, grade level, location, the number of
481 students enrolled in such courses, the number of students who
482 complete such courses, and the total number of students per
483 district enrolled in such courses.
484 (b) Identify the total funding provided for the career and
485 technical education courses offered by school districts and
486 analyze whether such funding is uniform across the state or if
487 such funding varies by course or industry.
488 (c) Compare funding and reimbursement rates and timelines
489 for career and technical education courses to funding and
490 reimbursement rates and timelines for traditional K-12 education
491 courses.
492 (d) Identify any additional funding available for
493 additional career and technical education courses, including
494 federal funding, industry funding, or additional state funding.
495 (e) Identify how career and technical education courses are
496 advertised to parents and students.
497 (f) Identify the needs of school districts to expand career
498 and technical education, including what needs could be met by
499 the Legislature.
500 (g) Identify the number of students who earn an industry
501 certification through career and technical education courses who
502 also find employment in relevant industries.
503 (h) Provide recommendations for changes and expansions to
504 career and technical education course offerings beginning in the
505 2026-2027 school year.
506 (4) The task force shall submit a report of its findings
507 and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the
508 Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
509 Commissioner of Education by June 1, 2025. This section shall
510 expire upon submission of the report.
511 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.