Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1334
       
       
        
       By Senator Osgood
       
       
       
       
       
       32-01883A-25                                          20251334__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to disqualification from educator
    3         certification and employment; amending s. 1012.315,
    4         F.S.; prohibiting a person from being automatically
    5         found ineligible for educator certification and
    6         specified employment if certain offenses meet
    7         specified criteria; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Section 1012.315, Florida Statutes, is amended
   12  to read:
   13         1012.315 Screening standards.—A person is ineligible for
   14  educator certification or employment in any position that
   15  requires direct contact with students in a district school
   16  system, a charter school, or a private school that participates
   17  in a state scholarship program under chapter 1002 if the person:
   18         (1) Is on the disqualification list maintained by the
   19  department under s. 1001.10(4)(b);
   20         (2) Is registered as a sex offender as described in 42
   21  U.S.C. s. 9858f(c)(1)(C);
   22         (3) Is ineligible based on a security background
   23  investigation under s. 435.04(2). Beginning January 1, 2025, or
   24  a later date as determined by the Agency for Health Care
   25  Administration, the Agency for Health Care Administration shall
   26  determine the eligibility of employees in any position that
   27  requires direct contact with students in a district school
   28  system, a charter school, or a private school that participates
   29  in a state scholarship program under chapter 1002;
   30         (4) Would be ineligible for an exemption under s.
   31  435.07(4)(c); or
   32         (5) Has been convicted or found guilty of, has had
   33  adjudication withheld for, or has pled guilty or nolo contendere
   34  to:
   35         (a) Any criminal act committed in another state or under
   36  federal law which, if committed in this state, constitutes a
   37  disqualifying offense under s. 435.04(2).
   38         (b) Any delinquent act committed in this state or any
   39  delinquent or criminal act committed in another state or under
   40  federal law which, if committed in this state, qualifies an
   41  individual for inclusion on the Registered Juvenile Sex Offender
   42  List under s. 943.0435(1)(h)1.d.
   43  
   44  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a
   45  person may not be automatically found ineligible for educator
   46  certification or employment in any position that requires direct
   47  contact with students if the disqualifying offense occurred at
   48  least 20 years ago and the person pled no contest to, or had
   49  adjudication withheld for, such offense.
   50         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.