Senate Education Committee Advances Three Key Bills

Parents' Bill of Rights
SB 582 (Rodrigues, R.) was passed by Senate Education (5-4). The bill ensures that the right of parents to review instructional materials and curriculum is transparent and forthcoming. It also establishes parental consent requirements for medical care provided to a minor child. Having access to information about their rights allows parents to make informed decisions and better direct their child's education and health care. Companion, HB 241 (Grall), remains on the House Calendar, on 2nd reading. A letter to the bill sponsor, highlights FCCB support.

TAKE ACTION: Send a message to your Florida state lawmakers and ask them to support SB 582 / HB 241.

Sex-specific Student Athletic Teams
SB 2012 (Stargel) was passed by Senate Education (6-4). The bill protects the rights of female athletes and promotes equality in women's sports by recognizing key biological differences between men and women and requiring separate sex-specific athletic teams or sports. A similar House measure, HB 1475 (Tuck), is in its final committee of reference. FCCB support for HB 1475 is outlined in a letter to bill sponsor.

Early Learning and Early Grade Success
SB 1282 (Harrell) was passed by Senate Education (9-0). The measure streamlines agency oversight of the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Program, reasonably and effectively increases accountability for VPK providers, and provides more useful and accurate assessments to monitor student progress. Companion, HB 419 (Grall), is now in House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee.