| 15 | | - | An act relating to a K -12 school route optimization 2 |
|---|
| 16 | | - | pilot program; amending s. 1006.23, F.S.; creating a 3 |
|---|
| 17 | | - | K-12 school route optimization pilot program in 4 |
|---|
| 18 | | - | specified county school districts; providing program 5 |
|---|
| 19 | | - | requirements; providing reporting requirements; 6 |
|---|
| 20 | | - | requiring the Department of Education to assist school 7 |
|---|
| 21 | | - | districts with the implementation of the pilot 8 |
|---|
| 22 | | - | program; providing for the expiration of the program; 9 |
|---|
| 23 | | - | providing an effective date. 10 |
|---|
| 24 | | - | 11 |
|---|
| 25 | | - | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 |
|---|
| 26 | | - | 13 |
|---|
| 27 | | - | Section 1. Subsection (7) is added to section 1006.23, 14 |
|---|
| 28 | | - | Florida Statutes, to read: 15 |
|---|
| 29 | | - | 1006.23 Hazardous walking conditions. — 16 |
|---|
| 30 | | - | (7) ROUTE OPTIMIZATION PILOT PROG RAM.—There is created a 17 |
|---|
| 31 | | - | K-12 school route optimization pilot program in Duval, 18 |
|---|
| 32 | | - | Highlands, Hillsborough, Okeechobee, and Pasco County school 19 |
|---|
| 33 | | - | districts to model and evaluate the efficiencies and financial 20 |
|---|
| 34 | | - | impacts of different routing scenarios. 21 |
|---|
| 35 | | - | (a) Each school district must use its existing 22 |
|---|
| 36 | | - | transportation management system in conjunction with a student 23 |
|---|
| 37 | | - | transportation intelligence platform with artificial 24 |
|---|
| 38 | | - | intelligence, if available, to evaluate diverse routing 25 |
|---|
| 15 | + | An act relating to K -12 school transportation; 2 |
|---|
| 16 | + | amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; requiring school districts 3 |
|---|
| 17 | + | to provide transportation to students in kindergarten 4 |
|---|
| 18 | + | through grade 12 under certain circumstances; 5 |
|---|
| 19 | + | requiring parents to provide written consent for all 6 |
|---|
| 20 | + | school district transportation; amending s. 1006.21, 7 |
|---|
| 21 | + | F.S.; requiring district school boards to provide 8 |
|---|
| 22 | + | transportation to students in kindergarten through 9 |
|---|
| 23 | + | grade 12 who live more than 1 mile from the nearest 10 |
|---|
| 24 | + | appropriate school; providing requirements for schoo l 11 |
|---|
| 25 | + | bus stops and transportation routes; requiring the use 12 |
|---|
| 26 | + | of artificial intelligence programs for specified 13 |
|---|
| 27 | + | purposes within a certain timeframe of such programs 14 |
|---|
| 28 | + | being made available; providing penalties for district 15 |
|---|
| 29 | + | school boards that fail meet such require ments; 16 |
|---|
| 30 | + | defining the term "artificial intelligence programs"; 17 |
|---|
| 31 | + | amending s. 1006.23, F.S.; revising the criteria for 18 |
|---|
| 32 | + | walkways parallel and perpendicular to the road to be 19 |
|---|
| 33 | + | considered a hazardous walking condition; requiring 20 |
|---|
| 34 | + | governmental entities to provide a s pecified 21 |
|---|
| 35 | + | inspection within a certain timeframe relating to 22 |
|---|
| 36 | + | hazardous walking conditions; providing that certain 23 |
|---|
| 37 | + | students may continue to receive school district 24 |
|---|
| 38 | + | transportation for a certain time period; providing an 25 |
|---|
| 51 | | - | scenarios and optimize student transportation ef ficiency while 26 |
|---|
| 52 | | - | maintaining student safety. The routing scenario evaluations 27 |
|---|
| 53 | | - | must include: 28 |
|---|
| 54 | | - | 1. Expanding school transportation to students in grades 29 |
|---|
| 55 | | - | 7-12, if such students are subject to current hazardous walking 30 |
|---|
| 56 | | - | conditions as provided in s. 1006.23 while en route to or from 31 |
|---|
| 57 | | - | school. 32 |
|---|
| 58 | | - | 2. Expanding school transportation to students in 33 |
|---|
| 59 | | - | kindergarten through grade 12 whose homes are more than 1 mile 34 |
|---|
| 60 | | - | from the nearest appropriate school. 35 |
|---|
| 61 | | - | 3. Reducing hazardous walking conditions that require 36 |
|---|
| 62 | | - | students to walk: 37 |
|---|
| 63 | | - | a. Along a roadway within 4 feet of lanes of traffic; 38 |
|---|
| 64 | | - | b. Along a roadway that is 30 miles per hour or greater; 39 |
|---|
| 65 | | - | c. In the dark; or 40 |
|---|
| 66 | | - | d. Along a path on which there is no sidewalk adjacent to 41 |
|---|
| 67 | | - | the road. 42 |
|---|
| 68 | | - | 4. Dynamically changing routes if a student's rout e is 43 |
|---|
| 69 | | - | within 3 miles of the residence of a person registered as a 44 |
|---|
| 70 | | - | sexual predator under s. 775.21 or as a sexual offender under s. 45 |
|---|
| 71 | | - | 943.0435. 46 |
|---|
| 72 | | - | (b) Each school district shall report the costs to 47 |
|---|
| 73 | | - | implement each of the requirements and the cost savings, if any, 48 |
|---|
| 74 | | - | associated with the use of artificial intelligence, including 49 |
|---|
| 75 | | - | reduction in fuel use, accidents, injuries, the number of buses 50 |
|---|
| 51 | + | effective date. 26 |
|---|
| 52 | + | 27 |
|---|
| 53 | + | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 28 |
|---|
| 54 | + | 29 |
|---|
| 55 | + | Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (22) of 30 |
|---|
| 56 | + | section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 31 |
|---|
| 57 | + | 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights. —Parents of public 32 |
|---|
| 58 | + | school students must receive accurate an d timely information 33 |
|---|
| 59 | + | regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed 34 |
|---|
| 60 | + | of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K -12 35 |
|---|
| 61 | + | students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory 36 |
|---|
| 62 | + | rights including, but not limited to, the following: 37 |
|---|
| 63 | + | (22) TRANSPORTATION. — 38 |
|---|
| 64 | + | (b) Hazardous walking conditions. —K-12 K-6 public school 39 |
|---|
| 65 | + | students shall be provided transportation if they are subjected 40 |
|---|
| 66 | + | to hazardous walking conditions, in accordance with the 41 |
|---|
| 67 | + | provisions of ss. 1006.21(3)(b) and 1006.23. 42 |
|---|
| 68 | + | (c) Parental consent.—Each parent of a public school 43 |
|---|
| 69 | + | student must be notified in writing and give written consent 44 |
|---|
| 70 | + | before the school district may provide transportation for a 45 |
|---|
| 71 | + | student, including being may be transported in a privately owned 46 |
|---|
| 72 | + | motor vehicle to school or a school function. 47 |
|---|
| 73 | + | Section 2. Paragraphs (c) through (h) of subsection (3) of 48 |
|---|
| 74 | + | section 1006.21, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 49 |
|---|
| 75 | + | paragraphs (f) through (k), respectively, paragraphs (a) and (b) 50 |
|---|
| 88 | | - | required to provide transportation, the number or length of 51 |
|---|
| 89 | | - | routes, and any changes to existing routes based on the use of 52 |
|---|
| 90 | | - | artificial intelligence or routing scenarios. 53 |
|---|
| 91 | | - | (c) The department shall assist school districts with the 54 |
|---|
| 92 | | - | implementation of the pilot program and submit a summary report 55 |
|---|
| 93 | | - | of the evaluations submitted by each school district to the 56 |
|---|
| 94 | | - | Legislature by September 1, 2026. 57 |
|---|
| 95 | | - | (d) This subsection is repealed July 1, 2027. 58 |
|---|
| 96 | | - | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 59 |
|---|
| 88 | + | of subsection (3) are amended, and new paragraphs (c) through 51 |
|---|
| 89 | + | (e) are added to that subsection, to read: 52 |
|---|
| 90 | + | 1006.21 Duties of district school superintendent and 53 |
|---|
| 91 | + | district school board regarding transportation. — 54 |
|---|
| 92 | + | (3) District school boards, after considering 55 |
|---|
| 93 | + | recommendations of the district school superinte ndent: 56 |
|---|
| 94 | + | (a) Shall provide transportation for each student in 57 |
|---|
| 95 | + | prekindergarten disability programs and in kindergarten through 58 |
|---|
| 96 | + | grade 12 membership in a public school when, and only when, 59 |
|---|
| 97 | + | transportation is necessary to provide adequate educational 60 |
|---|
| 98 | + | facilities and opportunities which otherwise would not be 61 |
|---|
| 99 | + | available and to transport students whose homes are more than 1 62 |
|---|
| 100 | + | mile a reasonable walking distance, as defined by rules of the 63 |
|---|
| 101 | + | State Board of Education, from the nearest appropriate school. 64 |
|---|
| 102 | + | (b) Shall provide transportation for public elementary 65 |
|---|
| 103 | + | school students in kindergarten through grade 12 membership 66 |
|---|
| 104 | + | whose grade level does not exceed grade 6, and may provide 67 |
|---|
| 105 | + | transportation for public school students in membership in 68 |
|---|
| 106 | + | grades 7 through 12, if such students a re subjected to hazardous 69 |
|---|
| 107 | + | walking conditions as provided in s. 1006.23 while en route to 70 |
|---|
| 108 | + | or from school. 71 |
|---|
| 109 | + | (c) Shall ensure that each student's school bus stop is 72 |
|---|
| 110 | + | not more than 1,000 feet from the home of the student. 73 |
|---|
| 111 | + | (d) Shall ensure that transportation routes are the 74 |
|---|
| 112 | + | fastest and most efficient routes possible for the 75 |
|---|
| 113 | + | |
|---|
| 114 | + | HB 1213 2025 |
|---|
| 115 | + | |
|---|
| 116 | + | |
|---|
| 117 | + | |
|---|
| 118 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 119 | + | hb1213-00 |
|---|
| 120 | + | Page 4 of 9 |
|---|
| 121 | + | 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 |
|---|
| 122 | + | |
|---|
| 123 | + | |
|---|
| 124 | + | |
|---|
| 125 | + | transportation of students to and from school. For purposes of 76 |
|---|
| 126 | + | this paragraph, the term "fastest and most efficient" means the 77 |
|---|
| 127 | + | least amount of time on a bus and the least amount of stops fo r 78 |
|---|
| 128 | + | a student while preventing the most backup of traffic on the 79 |
|---|
| 129 | + | street. 80 |
|---|
| 130 | + | (e) If available, shall use artificial intelligence 81 |
|---|
| 131 | + | programs to help determine safe, efficient, and the fastest 82 |
|---|
| 132 | + | transportation routes. District school boards must implement the 83 |
|---|
| 133 | + | use of such programs within 3 years after such programs becoming 84 |
|---|
| 134 | + | available. If a district school board fails to use such 85 |
|---|
| 135 | + | programs, the district shall receive a 15 percent reduction in 86 |
|---|
| 136 | + | state funds for the transportation of students under s. 1011.68 87 |
|---|
| 137 | + | each year until the district school board is in compliance with 88 |
|---|
| 138 | + | the requirements of this paragraph. For purposes of this 89 |
|---|
| 139 | + | paragraph, the term "artificial intelligence programs" means 90 |
|---|
| 140 | + | software that uses machine learning and predictive analytics to 91 |
|---|
| 141 | + | evaluate diverse routing scenarios and optimize student 92 |
|---|
| 142 | + | transportation efficiency. 93 |
|---|
| 143 | + | Section 3. Subsections (1) through (3) of section 1006.23, 94 |
|---|
| 144 | + | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 95 |
|---|
| 145 | + | 1006.23 Hazardous walking conditions. — 96 |
|---|
| 146 | + | (1) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term 97 |
|---|
| 147 | + | "student" means any public elementary school student whose grade 98 |
|---|
| 148 | + | level does not exceed grade 12 6. 99 |
|---|
| 149 | + | (2) HAZARDOUS WALKING CONDITIONS. — 100 |
|---|
| 150 | + | |
|---|
| 151 | + | HB 1213 2025 |
|---|
| 152 | + | |
|---|
| 153 | + | |
|---|
| 154 | + | |
|---|
| 155 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 156 | + | hb1213-00 |
|---|
| 157 | + | Page 5 of 9 |
|---|
| 158 | + | 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 |
|---|
| 159 | + | |
|---|
| 160 | + | |
|---|
| 161 | + | |
|---|
| 162 | + | (a) Walkways parallel to the road. — 101 |
|---|
| 163 | + | 1. It shall be considered a hazardous walking condition 102 |
|---|
| 164 | + | with respect to any road a long which students must walk in order 103 |
|---|
| 165 | + | to walk to and from school if : 104 |
|---|
| 166 | + | a. There is not a sidewalk adjacent to the road. 105 |
|---|
| 167 | + | b. an area at least 4 feet wide adjacent to the road, not 106 |
|---|
| 168 | + | including drainage ditches, sluiceways, swales, or channels, 107 |
|---|
| 169 | + | having a surface upon which students may walk without being 108 |
|---|
| 170 | + | required to walk on the road surface. In addition, whenever The 109 |
|---|
| 171 | + | road along which students must walk is uncurbed and has a posted 110 |
|---|
| 172 | + | speed limit of 50 miles per hour or greater, the area as 111 |
|---|
| 173 | + | described above for stud ents to walk upon shall be set off the 112 |
|---|
| 174 | + | road by no less than 3 feet from the edge of the road . 113 |
|---|
| 175 | + | c. The student must walk along a roadway within 4 feet of 114 |
|---|
| 176 | + | lanes of traffic. 115 |
|---|
| 177 | + | d. The student must at any point walk in the dark. 116 |
|---|
| 178 | + | e. The student must travel al ong a roadway that is 30 117 |
|---|
| 179 | + | miles per hour or greater. 118 |
|---|
| 180 | + | f. A student must walk within 3 miles of a sexual offender 119 |
|---|
| 181 | + | or sexual predator. 120 |
|---|
| 182 | + | 2. Subparagraph 1. does not apply when the road along 121 |
|---|
| 183 | + | which students must walk: 122 |
|---|
| 184 | + | a. Is a road on which the volume of tr affic is less than 123 |
|---|
| 185 | + | 180 vehicles per hour, per direction, during the time students 124 |
|---|
| 186 | + | walk to and from school; or 125 |
|---|
| 187 | + | |
|---|
| 188 | + | HB 1213 2025 |
|---|
| 189 | + | |
|---|
| 190 | + | |
|---|
| 191 | + | |
|---|
| 192 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 193 | + | hb1213-00 |
|---|
| 194 | + | Page 6 of 9 |
|---|
| 195 | + | 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 |
|---|
| 196 | + | |
|---|
| 197 | + | |
|---|
| 198 | + | |
|---|
| 199 | + | b. Is located in a residential area and has a posted speed 126 |
|---|
| 200 | + | limit of 30 miles per hour or less. 127 |
|---|
| 201 | + | (b) Walkways perpendicular to the road. —It shall be 128 |
|---|
| 202 | + | considered a hazardous walking condition with respect to any 129 |
|---|
| 203 | + | road across which students must walk in order to walk to and 130 |
|---|
| 204 | + | from school if: 131 |
|---|
| 205 | + | 1. The traffic volume on the road exceeds the rate of 360 132 |
|---|
| 206 | + | vehicles per hour, per direction (including all lanes ), during 133 |
|---|
| 207 | + | the time students walk to and from school and if The crossing 134 |
|---|
| 208 | + | site is uncontrolled. For purposes of this subsection, an 135 |
|---|
| 209 | + | "uncontrolled crossing site" is an intersection or other 136 |
|---|
| 210 | + | designated crossing site where no crossing guard, traffic 137 |
|---|
| 211 | + | enforcement officer, or stop sign or other traffic control 138 |
|---|
| 212 | + | signal is present during the times students walk to and from 139 |
|---|
| 213 | + | school. 140 |
|---|
| 214 | + | 2. The total traffic volume on the road exceeds 4,000 141 |
|---|
| 215 | + | vehicles per hour through an intersection or other crossing site 142 |
|---|
| 216 | + | controlled by a stop sign or other traffic control signal, 143 |
|---|
| 217 | + | unless crossing guards or other traffic enforcement officers are 144 |
|---|
| 218 | + | also present during the times students walk to and from school. 145 |
|---|
| 219 | + | 146 |
|---|
| 220 | + | Traffic volume shall be determined by the most current traffic 147 |
|---|
| 221 | + | engineering study cond ucted by a state or local governmental 148 |
|---|
| 222 | + | agency. 149 |
|---|
| 223 | + | (c) Crossings over the road. —It shall be considered a 150 |
|---|
| 224 | + | |
|---|
| 225 | + | HB 1213 2025 |
|---|
| 226 | + | |
|---|
| 227 | + | |
|---|
| 228 | + | |
|---|
| 229 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 230 | + | hb1213-00 |
|---|
| 231 | + | Page 7 of 9 |
|---|
| 232 | + | 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 |
|---|
| 233 | + | |
|---|
| 234 | + | |
|---|
| 235 | + | |
|---|
| 236 | + | hazardous walking condition with respect to any road at any 151 |
|---|
| 237 | + | uncontrolled crossing site which students must walk in order to 152 |
|---|
| 238 | + | walk to and from school if: 153 |
|---|
| 239 | + | 1. The road has a posted speed limit of 50 miles per hour 154 |
|---|
| 240 | + | or greater; or 155 |
|---|
| 241 | + | 2. The road has six lanes or more, not including turn 156 |
|---|
| 242 | + | lanes, regardless of the speed limit. 157 |
|---|
| 243 | + | (3) IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. — 158 |
|---|
| 244 | + | (a) When a request for review is made b y the district 159 |
|---|
| 245 | + | school superintendent with respect to a road over which a state 160 |
|---|
| 246 | + | or local governmental entity has jurisdiction concerning a 161 |
|---|
| 247 | + | condition perceived to be hazardous to students in that district 162 |
|---|
| 248 | + | who live within the 1-mile 2-mile limit and who walk to school, 163 |
|---|
| 249 | + | such condition shall be inspected within 72 hours after the 164 |
|---|
| 250 | + | request jointly by a representative of the school district, a 165 |
|---|
| 251 | + | representative of the state or local governmental entity with 166 |
|---|
| 252 | + | jurisdiction over the perceived hazardous location, and a 167 |
|---|
| 253 | + | representative of the municipal police department for a 168 |
|---|
| 254 | + | municipal road, a representative of the sheriff's office for a 169 |
|---|
| 255 | + | county road, or a representative of the Department of 170 |
|---|
| 256 | + | Transportation for a state road. If the jurisdiction is within 171 |
|---|
| 257 | + | an area for which there is a metropolitan planning organization, 172 |
|---|
| 258 | + | a representative of that organization shall also be included. 173 |
|---|
| 259 | + | The governmental representatives shall determine whether the 174 |
|---|
| 260 | + | condition constitutes a hazardous walking condition as provided 175 |
|---|
| 261 | + | |
|---|
| 262 | + | HB 1213 2025 |
|---|
| 263 | + | |
|---|
| 264 | + | |
|---|
| 265 | + | |
|---|
| 266 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 267 | + | hb1213-00 |
|---|
| 268 | + | Page 8 of 9 |
|---|
| 269 | + | 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 |
|---|
| 270 | + | |
|---|
| 271 | + | |
|---|
| 272 | + | |
|---|
| 273 | + | in subsection (2). If the g overnmental representatives concur 176 |
|---|
| 274 | + | that a condition constitutes a hazardous walking condition as 177 |
|---|
| 275 | + | provided in subsection (2), the governmental entity with 178 |
|---|
| 276 | + | jurisdiction shall report that determination in writing to the 179 |
|---|
| 277 | + | district school superintendent, who sha ll initiate a formal 180 |
|---|
| 278 | + | request for correction as provided in subsection (4). A student 181 |
|---|
| 279 | + | who is subjected to the hazardous walking condition is eligible 182 |
|---|
| 280 | + | for school district transportation for as long as the student 183 |
|---|
| 281 | + | resides at the address and is enrolled at a s chool in the school 184 |
|---|
| 282 | + | district. 185 |
|---|
| 283 | + | (b) If the governmental representatives are unable to 186 |
|---|
| 284 | + | reach a consensus, the reasons for lack of consensus shall be 187 |
|---|
| 285 | + | reported to the district school superintendent, who shall 188 |
|---|
| 286 | + | provide a report and recommendation to the distric t school 189 |
|---|
| 287 | + | board. The district school board may initiate a proceeding under 190 |
|---|
| 288 | + | chapter 86 seeking a determination as to whether the condition 191 |
|---|
| 289 | + | constitutes a hazardous walking condition as provided in 192 |
|---|
| 290 | + | subsection (2) after providing at least 30 days' notice in 193 |
|---|
| 291 | + | writing to the state or local governmental entity having 194 |
|---|
| 292 | + | jurisdiction over the road of its intent to do so unless, within 195 |
|---|
| 293 | + | 30 days after such notice is provided, the state or local 196 |
|---|
| 294 | + | governmental entity concurs in writing that the condition is a 197 |
|---|
| 295 | + | hazardous walking condition as provided in subsection (2) and 198 |
|---|
| 296 | + | provides the position statement pursuant to subsection (4). If a 199 |
|---|
| 297 | + | proceeding is initiated under this paragraph, the district 200 |
|---|
| 298 | + | |
|---|
| 299 | + | HB 1213 2025 |
|---|
| 300 | + | |
|---|
| 301 | + | |
|---|
| 302 | + | |
|---|
| 303 | + | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 304 | + | hb1213-00 |
|---|
| 305 | + | Page 9 of 9 |
|---|
| 306 | + | 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 |
|---|
| 307 | + | |
|---|
| 308 | + | |
|---|
| 309 | + | |
|---|
| 310 | + | school board has the burden of proving such condition by the 201 |
|---|
| 311 | + | greater weight of evidenc e. If the district school board 202 |
|---|
| 312 | + | prevails, the district school superintendent shall report the 203 |
|---|
| 313 | + | outcome to the Department of Education and initiate a formal 204 |
|---|
| 314 | + | request for correction of the hazardous walking condition as 205 |
|---|
| 315 | + | provided in subsection (4). 206 |
|---|
| 316 | + | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 207 |
|---|