The bill amends various sections of Florida Statutes to enhance career education and promote the Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award. It mandates the inclusion of work-related internships in high school counseling materials and requires the Department of Education to develop additional career education courses that meet state academic standards. The bill also revises local school districts' strategic plans to focus on recruiting students into career-themed courses, particularly those at risk of dropping out. Furthermore, it prohibits transportation access fees from being included in the calculation of Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars awards and updates eligibility requirements for scholarship programs, ensuring that volunteer service or paid work can be documented through relevant experiences.

Additionally, the bill modifies the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program by removing the requirement for high school students graduating in the 2022-2023 academic year to complete 100 hours of paid work, allowing for a combination of volunteer service and paid work totaling 30 hours instead. It also emphasizes the importance of career dual enrollment programs for secondary students seeking industry certifications, requiring annual agreements between career centers and high schools to outline costs and transportation arrangements. New provisions are added to ensure these agreements address scheduling changes to improve access to dual enrollment programs. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 1688 Filed: 1003.493, 1009.22, 1009.23, 1009.534, 1009.535, 1007.271