CS/CS/HB 1391 - Student Safety Summary

• Creates section 800.101 making it a second-degree felony for authority figures (employees, volunteers, or contractors at schools) to solicit or engage in sexual or lewd conduct with students.

• Requires district school boards to adopt ethical conduct standards for instructional personnel and administrators, including mandatory reporting of misconduct affecting student health, safety, or welfare to law enforcement agencies.

• Expands disqualification from educator employment to apply to all persons with direct student contact who are convicted of specified offenses, adding section 800.101 violations to the disqualifying offenses list.

• Mandates reporting of legally sufficient misconduct complaints to the Department of Education within 30 days, even if the accused employee is no longer employed, with alerts placed on certification files when employees resign or are terminated before investigation conclusion.

• Prohibits teachers from receiving CAPE industry certification bonuses if they fail to maintain examination security, and requires certified educators on probation to immediately notify the Department of Education upon separation from employment.

• Effective date: July 1, 2018.