HB 445 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to certificates of completion; 2
amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; prohibiting the award of 3
certificates of completion after a specified date; 4
amending ss. 1002.394, 1003.433, and 1007.263, F.S.; 5
conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 6
providing an effective date. 7
8
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9
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Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) and paragraphs 11
(a) and (d) of subsection (9) of section 1003.4282, Florida 12
Statutes, are amended to read: 13
1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school 14
diploma.— 15
(6) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. — 16
(c)1. A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the 17
required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the 18
assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA 19
before July 1, 2023, shall be awarded a certificate of 20
completion in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. 21
However, a student who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of 22
completion may elect to remain in high school either as a full -23
time student or a part -time student for up to 1 additional year 24
and receive special instruction designed to remedy his or her 25
HB 445 2023
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identified deficiencies. This subparagraph expires on July 1, 26
2023. 27
2. Beginning July 1, 2023, a student who earns the 28
required 24 credits, or the required 18 credits under s. 29
1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the statewide assessments 30
required under s. 1008.22(3) or a chieve a 2.0 GPA may elect to 31
remain in high school either as a full -time student or a part -32
time student for up to 1 additional year and receive special 33
instruction designed to remedy his or her identified 34
deficiencies. 35
(9) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. —Beginning with students 36
entering grade 9 in the 2014 -2015 school year, this subsection 37
applies to a student with a disability. 38
(a) A parent of the student with a disability shall, in 39
collaboration with the individual education plan (IEP) team 40
during the transition planning process pursuant to s. 1003.5716, 41
declare an intent for the student to graduate from high school 42
with either a standard high school diploma or a certificate of 43
completion. A student with a disability who does not satisfy the 44
standard high school diploma requirements pursuant to this 45
section shall be awarded a certificate of completion . 46
(d) A student with a disability who received receives a 47
certificate of completion before July 1, 2023, and has an 48
individual education plan that prescribe s special education, 49
transition planning, transition services, or related services 50
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through 21 years of age may continue to receive the specified 51
instruction and services. 52
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The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under ss. 54
120.536(1) and 120.54 to im plement this subsection, including 55
rules that establish the minimum requirements for students 56
described in this subsection to earn a standard high school 57
diploma. The State Board of Education shall adopt emergency 58
rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.5 4. 59
Section 2. Subsection (16) of section 1002.394, Florida 60
Statutes, is amended to read: 61
1002.394 The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. — 62
(16) TRANSITION-TO-WORK PROGRAM.—A student with a 63
disability who is determined eligible pursuant to parag raph 64
(3)(b) who is at least 17 years, but not older than 22 years of 65
age and who has not received a high school diploma or 66
certificate of completion is eligible for enrollment in his or 67
her private school's transition -to-work program. A transition -68
to-work program shall consist of academic instruction, work 69
skills training, and a volunteer or paid work experience. 70
(a) To offer a transition -to-work program, a participating 71
private school must: 72
1. Develop a transition -to-work program plan, which must 73
include a written description of the academic instruction and 74
work skills training students will receive and the goals for 75
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students in the program. 76
2. Submit the transition -to-work program plan to the 77
Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice. 78
3. Develop a personalized transition -to-work program plan 79
for each student enrolled in the program. The student's parent, 80
the student, and the school principal must sign the personalized 81
plan. The personalized plan must be submitted to the Office of 82
Independent Education and Parental Choice upon request by the 83
office. 84
4. Provide a release of liability form that must be signed 85
by the student's parent, the student, and a representative of 86
the business offering the volunteer or paid work experience. 87
5. Assign a case manager or job coach to visit the 88
student's job site on a weekly basis to observe the student and, 89
if necessary, provide support and guidance to the student. 90
6. Provide to the parent and student a quarterly report 91
that documents and explains the student's progress and 92
performance in the program. 93
7. Maintain accurate attendance and performance records 94
for the student. 95
(b) A student enrolled in a transition -to-work program 96
must, at a minimum: 97
1. Receive 15 instructional hours at the private school's 98
physical facility, which must include academic instruction and 99
work skills training. 100
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2. Participate in 10 hours of work at the student's 101
volunteer or paid work experience. 102
(c) To participate in a transition -to-work program, a 103
business must: 104
1. Maintain an accurate record of the student's 105
performance and hours worked and provide the information to the 106
private school. 107
2. Comply with all state and federal child labor laws. 108
Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 109
1003.433, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 110
1003.433 Learning opportunities for out -of-state and out-111
of-country transfer students and students needing additional 112
instruction to meet high school graduati on requirements.— 113
(2) Students who earn the required 24 credits for the 114
standard high school diploma except for passage of any must -pass 115
assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an alternate 116
assessment by the end of grade 12 must be provided the fo llowing 117
learning opportunities: 118
(b) For students who earned Upon receipt of a certificate 119
of completion before July 1, 2023, be allowed to take the 120
College Placement Test and be admitted to developmental 121
education or credit courses at a Florida College S ystem 122
institution, as appropriate. 123
Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 1007.263, Florida 124
Statutes, is amended to read: 125
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1007.263 Florida College System institutions; admissions 126
of students.—Each Florida College System institution board of 127
trustees is authorized to adopt rules governing admissions of 128
students subject to this section and rules of the State Board of 129
Education. These rules shall include the following: 130
(4) A student who has been awarded a certificate of 131
completion under s. 1003.4282 before July 1, 2023, is eligible 132
to enroll in certificate career education programs. 133
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Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify 135
students about developmental education options for improving 136
their communication or computation skills that are es sential to 137
performing college-level work, including tutoring, extended time 138
in gateway courses, free online courses, adult basic education, 139
adult secondary education, or private provider instruction. 140
Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 141