Florida Senate - 2025                              CS for SB 102
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Gaetz
       
       
       
       
       
       581-01991-25                                           2025102c1
    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 or students on a modified
    7         curriculum; providing the purpose of the program;
    8         providing requirements for the program; requiring the
    9         department to produce an annual report during a
   10         specified timeframe; providing requirements for the
   11         report; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 1003.5717, Florida Statutes, is created
   16  to read:
   17         1003.5717 Workforce credential program for students with
   18  autism spectrum disorder or students on a modified curriculum.
   19  The Department of Education shall develop and implement by
   20  January 31, 2026, a workforce credential program for students
   21  with an autism spectrum disorder or students on a modified
   22  curriculum. The department shall work with the Florida Center
   23  for Students with Unique Abilities established under s.
   24  1004.6495 for the development and implementation of the program.
   25  The purpose of the program is to assist such students in
   26  securing employment upon graduation. The program must allow for
   27  such students to earn badges that designate that the students
   28  have acquired specific skills that meet employer needs.
   29         (1)(a) Each badge must require the student to demonstrate
   30  five discrete skills or behaviors, including, but not limited
   31  to, workplace safety.
   32         (b) The department shall collaborate with the Occupational
   33  Safety and Health Administration to develop a workplace safety
   34  badge.
   35         (2) The badge must be validated by two members of
   36  instructional staff who specialize in exceptional student
   37  education.
   38         (3) Beginning with the 2026 calendar year through the 2030
   39  calendar year, the department shall prepare an annual report by
   40  January 31 of the following year detailing the operations of the
   41  program. At a minimum, the report must include the badges
   42  offered by the program, data on postgraduation student
   43  employment, data on student participation rates in the program,
   44  and any other outcome data deemed necessary by the department to
   45  be included.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.