Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 786
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       24-01517-24                                            2024786__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Youth Conflict Resolution and
    3         Peer Mediation Pilot Program; creating the Youth
    4         Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Pilot Program,
    5         subject to legislative appropriation; providing the
    6         purpose of the pilot program; providing for an
    7         application process for participation in the pilot
    8         program; requiring the Commissioner of Education to
    9         select a certain number of middle schools to
   10         participate in the pilot program; requiring the
   11         commissioner to select a nonprofit organization to
   12         implement the pilot program; providing participating
   13         middle schools and the nonprofit organization
   14         responsibilities; requiring the nonprofit organization
   15         to provide a report to the Governor, the Legislature,
   16         and the Department of Education; providing
   17         requirements for the report; authorizing the State
   18         Board of Education to adopt rules to administer the
   19         pilot program; providing an effective date.
   20          
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22  
   23         Section 1. Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation
   24  Pilot Program.—Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and
   25  subject to legislative appropriation, the Youth Conflict
   26  Resolution and Peer Mediation Pilot Program is created for a
   27  period of 1 school year. The purpose of the program is to reduce
   28  juvenile violence by equipping students with essential skills
   29  for peaceful conflict resolution through the use of the
   30  International Research and Exchange Board’s (IREX) Conflict
   31  Resolution and Peer Mediation Toolkit.
   32         (1)(a) Middle schools within the state shall apply to the
   33  Department of Education, in a format and by a date prescribed by
   34  the department, to participate in the program.
   35         (b) The Commissioner of Education shall select five middle
   36  schools to participate in the program. To the extent possible,
   37  the commissioner shall select schools with a high rate of
   38  juvenile violence.
   39         (c) The commissioner shall select a nonprofit organization
   40  capable of working with the department and participating schools
   41  to oversee the pilot program’s implementation and analyze the
   42  data resulting from the pilot program.
   43         (2) A participating middle school shall:
   44         (a) Implement IREX’s Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation
   45  Toolkit into the school’s existing curriculum, focusing on
   46  skill-building without undermining the school’s existing
   47  disciplinary framework to provide students with conflict
   48  resolution skills pertinent to their daily interactions and
   49  overall community health.
   50         (b) Provide data and information requested by the nonprofit
   51  organization selected pursuant to paragraph (1)(c).
   52         (3) The selected nonprofit organization shall:
   53         (a) Oversee the implementation of the pilot program.
   54         (b) Provide guidance to participating middle schools on
   55  implementing IREX’s Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation
   56  Toolkit into the school’s existing curriculum.
   57         (c) Collect relevant data and information relating to the
   58  rates of juvenile violence in selected schools before the pilot
   59  program and the rates of such violence after implementation of
   60  the pilot program.
   61         (d) Provide periodic updates to the department on the
   62  implementation of the pilot program.
   63         (4) Upon completion of the pilot program, the nonprofit
   64  organization shall provide a report to the Governor, the
   65  President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
   66  Representatives, and the department. The report must include:
   67         (a) The number of students enrolled at the participating
   68  schools.
   69         (b) The rates of juvenile violence in selected schools
   70  before implementation of the pilot program.
   71         (c) The rates of juvenile violence in selected schools
   72  after implementation of the pilot program.
   73         (d) Recommendations for the inclusion of IREX’s Conflict
   74  Resolution and Peer Mediation Toolkit into the curriculum of
   75  middle schools across the state.
   76         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   77  administer the pilot program.
   78         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.