HISTORY OF ADVOCACY AND STATE LEGISLATION |
The Mission of FSCA is in part dedicated to advocacy and collaboration. To this end, FSCA has a dedicated history of advocating and government relations for over a decade. What follows is the history of FSCA and Government Relations. |
2011-2015Lobbyist hired to assist and advise FSCA for filing educational bills. The years employed were 2012 Year 1, through 2015. 2012Focus: Reduce ratios of School Counselors. Senator Detert sponsored and filed 23-01145A to reduce ratios of school counselors. No House Co-sponsor secured. No Result. 2013Focus: Reduce ratios of School Counselors. Senator Detert sponsored and filed SB 154 to reduce ratios of school counselors. No House Co-sponsor secured. No Result. HB 801 bill passed and embedded as an amendment in the bill was the name, “guidance” counselor.This bill renamed to read “certified school counselor. The bill also states: “requiring that counselors in elementary, middle, and high schools be certified school counselors” 2014Focus: Provide a grant program (modeled from the Colorado grant program) that would provide funds to schools to increase the number of school counselors in a school. Senator Detert filed and sponsored SB 902. No House Co-sponsor secured. No Result. 2015Focus: Legislators questioned the status of school counseling in Florida. As a result, the President of the Senate commissioned The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), to conduct a study on Florida school counseling. Findings of the OPPAGA Report directed the 2016 efforts. 2016Focus: Provide for (1) a minimum of one FL certified full-time school counselor in every school, every level, and (2) that school counselors would spend 80% of time on direct/indirect services to students and 20% on non-counseling duties as aligned with the ASCA Model. Filed and sponsored HB 1045 (Fullwood) and SB 1162 (Detert). No Result. Bill never made it to committee |
2017
Focus: Educate the role and function of school counselors. All 120 seats in the House and 40 seats in the Senate were reelected this year.
2018
Focus: Secure a sponsor for the previous bill language - SB 1162 and HB 1045. No Result
2019
Focus: Secure a sponsor for the previous bill language - SB 1162 and HB 1045. No Result
2020 and 2021
No focus COVID
2022
Focus: Define direct and non-counseling duties.
Two bills were filed for school counseling, HB 941 sponsored and filed by Representative Silvers. No committee hearing. No Result.
SB 1404 sponsored by Senator Jones and filed. The bill passed through the Education Committee and Appropriations but was not heard beyond. No Result.
2023
Focus: Define direct and non-counseling duties A Senate bill was filed for school counseling. No House Co-sponsor secured. No Result.
2024
FSCA did not pursue sponsorship of a bill.
2025
The Advocacy and Government Relations committee is working toward a draft bill and sponsorship for the 2025 Legislative Session.
Data for the Number of Bills Sponsored, Filed, and Passed in Recent Years2017 Session: 1,900 bills filed. 234 bills passed (12 % passed) 2018 Session: 1747 bills were filed and 196 passed (11% passed) 2019 Session: 1861 bills filed and 195 passed (10%) passed) 2020 Session: 3,578 bills and 210 passed (6% passed) 2021 Session: 3140 bills filed, and 275 passed (9% passed) 2022 Session: 3,685 bills filed, and 285 passed (7% passed) 2023 Session: 1828 bills filed, and about 356 passed (approx. 19% passed) 2024 Session: 1902 bills filed, 325 passed (17% passed)
Day On Hill (DOH)From 2012 to 2022, FSCA scheduled a Day on the Hill for Board and Advocacy Committee to meet with legislators. Years that a FSCA team did not hold a DOH: COVID-2020, 2021, then 2023, 2024. |