CS/HB 61 Summary

• Amends Florida Statutes sections 1001.25 and 1001.26 to expand support for educational television and radio broadcasting systems

• Allows the Department of Education to provide equipment, funds, and services to television stations owned and operated by district school boards that were licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as full-power educational broadcast stations as of January 1, 2012

• Requires funds provided to district school board-operated television stations be used for educational programming including curriculum-based instruction, citizen participation programming, music and fine arts programs, and public interest programming

• Prohibits funding for television stations that provide programming specifically designed to further the principles of a particular religion

• Takes effect July 1, 2012