Florida Senate - 2026                             CS for SB 1694
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education Postsecondary; and Senator Avila
       
       
       
       
       
       589-02490-26                                          20261694c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to technology education; amending s.
    3         1007.25, F.S.; providing requirements for general
    4         education core courses with a technology component;
    5         amending s. 1007.2616, F.S.; requiring high school
    6         computer science courses to include instruction on
    7         artificial intelligence; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Present paragraphs (e) through (h) of subsection
   12  (3) of section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   13  paragraphs (f) through (i), respectively, and a new paragraph
   14  (e) is added to that subsection, to read:
   15         1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
   16  other degree requirements.—
   17         (3) The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair
   18  of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall jointly
   19  appoint faculty committees to review and recommend to the
   20  Articulation Coordinating Committee for approval by the State
   21  Board of Education and the Board of Governors statewide general
   22  education core course options for inclusion in the statewide
   23  course numbering system established under s. 1007.24. Faculty
   24  committees shall, by July 1, 2024, and by July 1 every 4 years
   25  thereafter, review and submit recommendations to the
   26  Articulation Coordinating Committee and the commissioner for the
   27  removal, alignment, realignment, or addition of general
   28  education core courses that satisfy the requirements of this
   29  subsection.
   30         (e) General education core courses that integrate the use
   31  of technology must provide students with opportunities to
   32  improve digital literacy and competency, instruction on the
   33  application of artificial intelligence tools to the course, and
   34  related instruction on software engineering, computer networks,
   35  database systems, and cybersecurity, as applicable to the
   36  course.
   37         Section 2. Subsection (6) of section 1007.2616, Florida
   38  Statutes, is amended to read:
   39         1007.2616 Computer science and technology instruction.—
   40         (6) High school students must be provided opportunities to
   41  take computer science courses and earn technology-related
   42  industry certifications to satisfy high school graduation
   43  requirements as provided in s. 1003.4282(3). Computer science
   44  courses and technology-related industry certifications that are
   45  identified as eligible for meeting mathematics or science
   46  requirements for high school graduation must be included in the
   47  Course Code Directory. Computer science courses that include
   48  instruction in artificial intelligence should provide students
   49  with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence to
   50  critically evaluate how artificial intelligence systems use data
   51  to present information; recognize the benefits, limitations, and
   52  potential risks of artificial intelligence; and apply ethical
   53  reasoning to the responsible use of artificial intelligence in
   54  academic and personal contexts.
   55         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.