Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 102
       
       
        
       By Senator Gaetz
       
       
       
       
       
       1-00573-25                                             2025102__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to exceptional student education;
    3         creating s. 1003.5717, F.S.; requiring the Department
    4         of Education to develop and implement, by a specified
    5         date, a workforce credential program for students with
    6         an autism spectrum disorder; providing the purpose of
    7         the program; providing requirements for the program;
    8         requiring the department to produce an annual report
    9         during a specified timeframe; providing requirements
   10         for the report; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 1003.5717, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         1003.5717 Workforce credential program for students with
   17  autism spectrum disorder.—The Department of Education shall
   18  develop and implement by January 31, 2026, a workforce
   19  credential program for students with an autism spectrum
   20  disorder. The purpose of the program is to assist such students
   21  in securing employment upon graduation. The program must allow
   22  for such students to earn badges that designate that the
   23  students have acquired specific skills that meet employer needs.
   24         (1) Each badge must require the student to demonstrate five
   25  discrete skills or behaviors, including, but not limited to,
   26  workplace safety.
   27         (2) The badge must be validated by two members of
   28  instructional staff who specialize in exceptional student
   29  education.
   30         (3) Beginning with the 2026 calendar year through the 2030
   31  calendar year, the department shall prepare an annual report by
   32  January 31 of the following year detailing the operations of the
   33  program. At a minimum, the report must include the badges
   34  offered by the program, data on postgraduation student
   35  employment, data on student participation rates in the program,
   36  and any other outcome data deemed necessary by the department to
   37  be included.
   38         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.