HB 127 2025
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hb127-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P RE S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to exceptional student education; 2
creating s. 1003.5717, F.S.; requiring the Department 3
of Education to develop and implement, by a specified 4
date, a workforce credential program for students with 5
an autism spectrum disorder; providing the purpose of 6
the program; providing requirements for the program; 7
requiring the department to produce an annual report 8
during a specified timeframe; providing r equirements 9
for the report; providing an effective date. 10
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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Section 1. Section 1003.5717, Florida Statutes, is created 14
to read: 15
1003.5717 Workforce credential program for students with 16
autism spectrum disorder. —The Department of Education shall 17
develop and implement by January 31, 2026, a workforce 18
credential program for students with an autism spectrum 19
disorder. The purpose of the program is to assist such students 20
in securing employment upon graduation. The program must allow 21
for such students to earn workforce certificates that designate 22
that the students have acquired specific skills that meet 23
employer needs. 24
(1) Each workforce certificate must require the student to 25
HB 127 2025
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hb127-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P RE S E N T A T I V E S
demonstrate five discrete skills or behaviors, including, but 26
not limited to, workplace safety. 27
(2) The workforce certificate must be validated by two 28
members of instructional staff who specialize in exceptional 29
student education. 30
(3) Beginning with the 2026 calendar y ear through the 2030 31
calendar year, the department shall prepare an annual report by 32
January 31 of the following year detailing the operations of the 33
program. At a minimum, the report must include the workforce 34
certificates offered by the program, data on postgraduation 35
student employment, data on student participation rates in the 36
program, and any other outcome data deemed necessary by the 37
department to be included. 38
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 39