Text of the Bill and a Brief Summary
HB 1471 (full text)/SB 1746 (full text) pick up where last year’s anti-union attacks left off. These bills now require anyone who wants to be a member of public employee union to sign a government mandated membership form that contains anti-union slogans and propaganda. Public unions risk decertification if 60% of their members do not sign the state created anti-union form.
What’s Next
- HB 1471 has passed each of its committee stops and is ready for the House floor.
- SB 1746 has passed both its committee stops and has been placed on the special order calendar for Wednesday, Feb. 21.
Talking Points
- No matter what school or grade level they work in, every educator in Florida deserves to have a voice in their workplace, be supported and have the resources they need to provide meaningful lessons and be paid a professional salary that allows them to live in the community where they work. More than 120,000 teachers, staff and professors in Florida have found their voice by joining their local, state and national unions.
- FEA and the overwhelming majority of Florida’s parents remain focused on ensuring that all children — regardless of race, background, gender identity, sexual orientation, ZIP code or ability — get the education they deserve and need at fully resourced and staffed public schools.
- Florida continues to face a critical shortage of teachers and support staff, with hundreds of thousands of students in classrooms without a professionally trained teacher. Instead of improving under Gov. DeSantis, the problem has accelerated. In January 2018, there were 1,492 teaching vacancies advertised on school district websites throughout Florida. As of January 2024, that number stands at 4,096.
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SB 7002 (full text) is one of three bills proposed by the Senate PreK-12 Education Committee that focuses on deregulation of public schools. The focus for SB 7002 is on regulations regarding finance, facilities and oversight.
- For districts who are out of compliance with class size laws, this bill removes the requirement for school districts to develop a plan listing the specific actions they will take to get into compliance. (Line 647)
- Allowing school districts to decide if it is necessary to make up days lost to hurricanes or other emergencies. Currently, that power rests with the State Board of Education. (Line 913)
- Revises the requirements allowing students to carry essential medical supplies at school with simpler prescription and parent approval processes. (Line 445, Line 455, Line 505, Line 542)
- 8-0: Senate PreK-12 Education Committee, 11-15-23 (Senators Osgood and Yarborough both had excused absences from the meeting.)
SB 7002 has been referred to the Fiscal Policy Committee for what will likely be its final committee stop before heading for a vote in the full Senate.
The bill could be heard in the Fiscal Policy Committee as soon as Dec. 5. We’ll know by Nov. 28 if the bill is placed on the agenda for the Dec. 5 meeting.
Coming soon.
