Bill Text: FL S0554 | 2012 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Disability Awareness
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Budget Subcommittee on Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations [S0554 Detail]
Download: Florida-2012-S0554-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2012 CS for CS for SB 554 By the Committees on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and Education Pre-K - 12; and Senators Ring and Fasano 586-03222-12 2012554c2 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to disability awareness; amending s. 3 1003.4205, F.S.; requiring that each district school 4 board provide disability history and awareness 5 instruction in all K-12 public schools; requiring that 6 the Department of Education assist in creating the 7 curriculum for the disability history and awareness 8 instruction; providing for individual presenters who 9 have disabilities to augment the disability history 10 and awareness instruction; creating the Disability 11 History and Awareness Advisory Council within the 12 Department of Education; providing for certain 13 individuals to apply to the department for membership 14 on the council; providing that the Commissioner of 15 Education, the member of the Senate, and the member of 16 the House of Representatives are ex officio, nonvoting 17 members of the council; requiring that the department 18 provide a liaison to assist the council; requiring 19 that the department act as the fiscal agent for all 20 financial transactions required by the council; 21 providing responsibilities of the council; providing 22 meeting times for the council; providing an effective 23 date. 24 25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 26 27 Section 1. Section 1003.4205, Florida Statutes, is amended 28 to read: 29 1003.4205 Disability history and awareness instruction.— 30 (1) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, each district 31 school board shallmayprovide disability history and awareness 32 instruction in all K-12 public schools in the district during 33 the first 2 weeks in October each year. The district school 34 board shall designate these 2 weeks as “Disability History and 35 Awareness Weeks.” The Department of Education shall assist in 36 creating the curriculum for the disability history and awareness 37 instruction that will be used in each school district. 38 (2)(a) During this 2-week period, students shallmaybe 39 provided intensive instruction to expand their knowledge, 40 understanding, and awareness of individuals who havewith41 disabilities, the history of disability, and the disability 42 rights movement. Disability history mustmayinclude the events 43 and timelines of the development and evolution of services to, 44 and the civil rights of, individuals who havewithdisabilities. 45 Disability history mustmayalso include the contributions of 46 specific individuals who havewithdisabilities, including the 47 contributions of acknowledged national leaders. 48 (b) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the 49 instruction shallmaybe integrated into the existing school 50 curriculum in ways including, but not limited to, supplementing 51 lesson plans, holding school assemblies, or providing other 52 school-related activities. The instruction shallmaybe 53 augmented by presentations from individuals who have 54 disabilities, who have been approved by the school or school 55 district as presenters, and who the school or school district 56 has ensured meet appropriate background screening requirements 57 of s. 1012.465 to enter schools and interact with children 58deliveredbyqualified school personnel or by knowledgeable59guest speakers, with a particular focus on including individuals60with disabilities. 61 (c)1. There is created within the Department of Education 62 the Disability History and Awareness Advisory Council. The 63 council shall consist of the following 15 members: 64 a. The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee. 65 b. A member of the House of Representatives, appointed by 66 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or his or her 67 designee. 68 c. A member of the Senate, appointed by the President of 69 the Senate, or his or her designee. 70 d. Six individuals who are younger than 30 years of age and 71 who must apply to the Department of Education to become members 72 of the council. 73 e. Six individuals who are 30 years of age or older and who 74 must apply to the Department of Education to become members of 75 the council. 76 2. The Commissioner of Education, the member of the Senate, 77 and the member of the House of Representatives, or their 78 designees, are ex officio, nonvoting members of the council. 79 3. The department shall provide a liaison to assist the 80 council in its operation. The department shall act as the fiscal 81 agent for all financial transactions required by the council. 82 4. The responsibilities of the council shall be, but are 83 not limited to: 84 a. Providing to the Department of Education input regarding 85 the curriculum for disability history and awareness; 86 b. Assisting, upon request, schools or school districts in 87 locating individuals who have disabilities to make presentations 88 at schools; and 89 c. Submitting an annual report to the Governor, the 90 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 91 Representatives, and the superintendent of each school district 92 in this state by August 1, 2013, and each year thereafter. The 93 annual report must include, but is not limited to, 94 recommendations and policy alternatives regarding the state of 95 disability awareness in this state. 96 5. The council shall meet at least four times a year and 97 more often as needed. 98 (3) The goals of disability history and awareness 99 instruction include: 100 (a) Better treatment for individuals who havewith101 disabilities, especially for youth in school, and increased 102 attention to preventing the bullying or harassment of students 103 who havewithdisabilities. 104 (b) Encouragement to individuals who havewithdisabilities 105 to develop increased self-esteem, resulting in more individuals 106 who havewithdisabilities gaining pride in being an individual 107 with a disability, obtaining postsecondary education, entering 108 the workforce, and contributing to their communities. 109 (c) Reaffirmation of the local, state, and federal 110 commitment to the full inclusion in society of, and the equal 111 opportunity for, all individuals who havewithdisabilities. 112 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.