Florida Senate - 2014 SB 902
By Senator Detert
28-00705B-14 2014902__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the expansion of school counseling
3 resources; establishing the Blue Ribbon Panel Task
4 Force within the Department of Education; providing
5 the purpose, membership, and initial meeting time of
6 the task force; providing for the election of a chair
7 and vice chair of the task force; providing the method
8 for filling a vacancy in the position of chair or vice
9 chair; providing specified duties of the task force;
10 requiring the department to provide staff and
11 administrative support to the task force; providing
12 meeting times for the task force; providing a quorum;
13 providing that members of the task force serve without
14 compensation; providing that members are entitled to
15 per diem and travel expenses; requiring the task force
16 to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature
17 by a specified date; providing for termination of the
18 task force; providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. The Blue Ribbon Panel Task Force.—
23 (1) To ensure that public school students in this state
24 have access to high-quality, evidence-based school counseling
25 programs and to support the funding of additional school
26 counselor positions in the public schools where the positions
27 are needed, the Blue Ribbon Panel Task Force is established
28 within the Department of Education. The purpose of the task
29 force is to study whether there is a demonstrable relationship
30 between expanding counseling resources in public schools and
31 early detection of mental health issues in students, improved
32 academic performance and student attendance, higher graduation
33 rates, and decreased behavioral disruptions on the part of
34 students. The task force shall comply with the requirements of
35 s. 20.052, Florida Statutes, except as otherwise provided in
36 this section.
37 (2) The task force is comprised of the following eight
38 members:
39 (a) A member from one of the regional workforce boards from
40 Workforce Florida, Inc., appointed by the Governor.
41 (b) A principal, or the principal’s designee, of a public
42 school that received the Recognized-ASCA-Model-Program (RAMP)
43 designation from the American School Counselor Association
44 (ASCA), appointed by the Commissioner of Education.
45 (c) A member of a parent-teacher organization or parent
46 teacher association in this state, appointed by the Commissioner
47 of Education.
48 (d) The chair of the board of directors of the Florida
49 School Counselor Association, or his or her designee.
50 (e) The chair of the board of directors of the American
51 School Counselor Association, or his or her designee.
52 (f) A school administrator in this state, appointed by the
53 Commissioner of Education.
54 (g) A member of the Senate, appointed by the President of
55 the Senate.
56 (h) A member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
57 the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
58 (3) The appointments to the task force must be completed by
59 August 1, 2014. The task force shall hold its initial meeting by
60 October 1, 2014, and elect a chair and a vice chair. A vacancy
61 in the office of chair or vice chair shall be filled by a vote
62 of the remaining members.
63 (4) The task force shall:
64 (a) Study whether increasing the number of certified school
65 counselors in the public schools is demonstrably beneficial to
66 students and recommend a methodology for assessing the impact of
67 such increased staffing.
68 (b) Review and recommend updates to the Florida’s School
69 Counseling and Guidance Framework for the enhancement of
70 district-level leadership and support.
71 (c) Recommend a grant process to assist in the funding of
72 additional school counselor positions where the positions are
73 needed.
74 (5) The Department of Education shall provide staff and
75 administrative support to the task force.
76 (6) The task force shall meet quarterly and at other times
77 at the call of the chair or as determined by a majority of task
78 force members.
79 (7) Five members of the task force constitute a quorum, and
80 an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present is
81 required for final action.
82 (8) Members of the task force shall serve without
83 compensation. Members are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
84 and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
85 (9)(a) By December 15, 2016, the task force shall submit a
86 report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
87 Speaker of the House of Representatives which states the task
88 force’s:
89 1. Findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding the
90 study described in paragraph (4)(a);
91 2. Recommended updates for the Florida’s School Counseling
92 and Guidance Framework as provided in paragraph (4)(b); and
93 3. Recommendations for implementation of the grant process
94 specified in paragraph (4)(c).
95 (b) The task force terminates upon submission of the
96 report.
97 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.