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. The bill also revises the strategic 3-year plan requirements 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 criteria for scholarship programs, ensuring that students can reflect on their experiences through evaluations or presentations.

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 clarifies that students can create plans to address social or civic issues or explore professional interests through their volunteer or paid work. The bill also introduces provisions for dual enrollment programs, emphasizing career dual enrollment for students seeking industry certifications, and requires annual agreements between career centers and high schools to detail costs and transportation arrangements. 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