The Florida Legislature sent four education bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk Thursday, part of a batch of 16 measures he received.
One bill (HB 453) allows for two years of marching band to satisfy physical education and performing arts requirements for a high school diploma, and allows students with disabilities who participate in Special Olympics to also satisfy the physical education requirement for a diploma.
The second measure (HB 1073) creates the District School Board Members’ Bill of Rights, which gives members the ability to publicly comment on district school board business, except for matters prohibited by law.
A third bill (HB 1201) revises educational programs concerning epilepsy and revises requirements for a student's individualized seizure action plan.
The fourth measure (HB 1279) makes several changes to Pre-K through college-level education rules. Notably, it allows public postsecondary institutions to seek accreditation from accreditors beyond “regional” accreditors, and strikes references to the American Bar Association in statutes relating to the Florida A&M University College of Law and the Florida International University College of Law.