Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 816
       
       
        
       By Senator Arrington
       
       
       
       
       
       25-01564-25                                            2025816__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to required life skills instruction;
    3         amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; revising the required
    4         instruction in specified life skills to include career
    5         readiness, financial literacy, and home economics;
    6         providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Paragraph (o) of subsection (2) of section
   11  1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   12         1003.42 Required instruction.—
   13         (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
   14  schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
   15  and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
   16  faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
   17  highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy,
   18  following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
   19  approved methods of instruction, the following:
   20         (o) Comprehensive age-appropriate and developmentally
   21  appropriate K-12 instruction on:
   22         1. Health education that addresses concepts of community
   23  health, consumer health, environmental health, and family life,
   24  including:
   25         a. Injury prevention and safety.
   26         b. Internet safety.
   27         c. Nutrition.
   28         d. Personal health.
   29         e. Prevention and control of disease.
   30         f. Substance use and abuse.
   31         g. Prevention of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and
   32  human trafficking.
   33         2. For students in grades 7 through 12, teen dating
   34  violence and abuse. This component must include, but not be
   35  limited to, the definition of dating violence and abuse, the
   36  warning signs of dating violence and abusive behavior, the
   37  characteristics of healthy relationships, measures to prevent
   38  and stop dating violence and abuse, and community resources
   39  available to victims of dating violence and abuse.
   40         3. For students in grades 6 through 12, awareness of the
   41  benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the
   42  consequences of teenage pregnancy.
   43         4. Life skills that build confidence, support mental and
   44  emotional health, and enable students to overcome challenges,
   45  including:
   46         a. Self-awareness and self-management.
   47         b. Responsible decisionmaking.
   48         c. Resiliency.
   49         d. Relationship skills and conflict resolution.
   50         e. Understanding and respecting other viewpoints and
   51  backgrounds.
   52         f. For grades 9 through 12, developing leadership skills,
   53  interpersonal skills, organization skills, and research skills;
   54  career readiness; creating a résumé, including a digital résumé;
   55  exploring career pathways; using state career planning
   56  resources; developing and practicing the skills necessary for
   57  employment interviews; workplace ethics and workplace law;
   58  managing stress and expectations; and self-motivation.
   59         g. Financial literacy.
   60         h. Home economics.
   61         5.a. For students in grades 6 through 12, the social,
   62  emotional, and physical effects of social media. This component
   63  must include, but need not be limited to, the negative effects
   64  of social media on mental health, including addiction; the
   65  distribution of misinformation on social media; how social media
   66  manipulates behavior; the permanency of sharing materials
   67  online; how to maintain personal security and identify
   68  cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and human trafficking on the
   69  Internet; and how to report suspicious behavior encountered on
   70  the Internet.
   71         b. The Department of Education shall make available online
   72  the instructional material being used pursuant to this
   73  subparagraph, and each district school board shall notify
   74  parents of its availability.
   75  
   76  Health education and life skills instruction and materials may
   77  not contradict the principles enumerated in subsection (3).
   78  
   79  The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
   80  and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection.
   81  Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the
   82  recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is
   83  offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or
   84  other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness
   85  initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u).
   86         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.