| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to personnel discipline in public schools; |
| 3 | amending s. 1012.795, F.S.; authorizing the Education |
| 4 | Practices Commission to penalize any person who knowingly |
| 5 | obtained or knowingly attempted to obtain an educator |
| 6 | certificate by fraudulent means; providing an effective |
| 7 | date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section |
| 12 | 1012.795, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 1012.795 Education Practices Commission; authority to |
| 14 | discipline.-- |
| 15 | (1) The Education Practices Commission may suspend the |
| 16 | educator certificate of any person as defined in s. 1012.01(2) |
| 17 | or (3) for a period of time not to exceed 5 years, thereby |
| 18 | denying that person the right to teach or otherwise be employed |
| 19 | by a district school board or public school in any capacity |
| 20 | requiring direct contact with students for that period of time, |
| 21 | after which the holder may return to teaching as provided in |
| 22 | subsection (4); may revoke the educator certificate of any |
| 23 | person, thereby denying that person the right to teach or |
| 24 | otherwise be employed by a district school board or public |
| 25 | school in any capacity requiring direct contact with students |
| 26 | for a period of time not to exceed 10 years, with reinstatement |
| 27 | subject to the provisions of subsection (4); may revoke |
| 28 | permanently the educator certificate of any person thereby |
| 29 | denying that person the right to teach or otherwise be employed |
| 30 | by a district school board or public school in any capacity |
| 31 | requiring direct contact with students; may suspend the educator |
| 32 | certificate, upon order of the court, of any person found to |
| 33 | have a delinquent child support obligation; or may impose any |
| 34 | other penalty provided by law, provided it can be shown that the |
| 35 | person: |
| 36 | (a) Knowingly obtained or knowingly attempted to obtain an |
| 37 | educator certificate by fraudulent means. |
| 38 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |