Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1376
       
       
        
       By Senator Rodriguez
       
       
       
       
       
       39-01436-22                                           20221376__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Teachers Classroom
    3         Supply Assistance Program; amending s. 1012.71, F.S.;
    4         authorizing Florida Teachers Classroom Supply
    5         Assistance Program funds to be used to purchase
    6         certain classroom equipment and personal protective
    7         equipment; conforming provisions to changes made by
    8         the act; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsections (2) and (5) of section 1012.71,
   13  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   14         1012.71 The Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance
   15  Program.—
   16         (2) The Legislature, in the General Appropriations Act,
   17  shall determine funding for the Florida Teachers Classroom
   18  Supply Assistance Program. The funds appropriated are for
   19  classroom teachers to purchase, on behalf of the school district
   20  or charter school, classroom materials and supplies for the
   21  public school students assigned to them and may not be used to
   22  purchase classroom equipment to supplement the learning
   23  experience of students or supplies of personal protective
   24  equipment as defined in s. 817.418. The funds appropriated shall
   25  be used to supplement the materials, and supplies, including
   26  personal protective equipment, and classroom equipment otherwise
   27  available to classroom teachers. From the funds appropriated for
   28  the Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program, the
   29  Commissioner of Education shall calculate an amount for each
   30  school district based upon each school district’s proportionate
   31  share of the state’s total unweighted FTE student enrollment and
   32  shall disburse the funds to the school districts by July 15.
   33         (5) The statement must be signed and dated by each
   34  classroom teacher before receipt of the Florida Teachers
   35  Classroom Supply Assistance Program funds and shall include the
   36  wording: “I, ...(name of teacher)..., am employed by the
   37  ....County District School Board or by the ....Charter School as
   38  a full-time classroom teacher. I acknowledge that Florida
   39  Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program funds are
   40  appropriated by the Legislature for the sole purpose of
   41  purchasing classroom materials, and supplies, including personal
   42  protective equipment, and classroom equipment to be used in the
   43  instruction of students assigned to me. In accepting custody of
   44  these funds, I agree to keep the receipts for all expenditures
   45  for no less than 4 years. I understand that if I do not keep the
   46  receipts, it will be my personal responsibility to pay any
   47  federal taxes due on these funds. I also agree to return any
   48  unexpended funds to the district school board at the end of the
   49  regular school year for deposit into the school advisory council
   50  account of the school where I was employed at the time I
   51  received the funds or for deposit into the Florida Teachers
   52  Classroom Supply Assistance Program account of the school
   53  district in which the charter school is sponsored, as
   54  applicable.”
   55         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.