Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 574
By
Senator Jones
34-00331-26 2026574__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the recruitment and retention of
3 speech-language pathologists; creating s. 1012.02,
4 F.S.; requiring the Department of Education to develop
5 and maintain a statewide strategic plan for the
6 recruitment and retention of speech-language
7 pathologists and the provision of quality services;
8 providing requirements for such plan; providing
9 department requirements relating to completing and
10 publishing the plan; providing school district and
11 charter school requirements relating to submitting
12 specified data for the plan; requiring the department
13 to provide specified updates to certain committees of
14 the Legislature; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 1012.02, Florida Statutes, is created to
19 read:
20
1012.02
Statewide strategic plan for the recruitment and
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retention of speech-language pathologists and the provision of
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quality services.—
23
(1)
The Department of Education shall develop and maintain
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a statewide strategic plan for recruiting and retaining speech
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language pathologists and assuring that quality services are
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provided to students with speech-language disabilities. At a
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minimum, the plan must include, but is not limited to, all of
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the following:
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(a)
The analysis of relevant data to determine the specific
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staffing needs of school districts and charter schools. Such
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analysis must be ongoing throughout the school year and must
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include:
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1.
The total number of public schools, disaggregated by
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school district and charter school.
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2.
The number of speech-language pathologists employed at
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each school and school district, including speech-language
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pathologists who are contracted personnel.
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3.
The number of employees and contracted personnel per
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school district or charter school who are:
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a.
Doctoral-level speech-language pathologists.
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b.
Master-level speech-language pathologists.
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c.
Bachelor-level speech-language therapists.
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d.
Speech-language pathology assistants.
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4.
An examination of the caseloads and compensation of such
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employees and contracted personnel and a comparison of such
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caseloads and compensation between school districts and charter
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schools and in contiguous states.
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(b)
Tracking the changes in the number of employees and
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contracted personnel listed in subparagraph (a)3. from year to
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year, including resignations and retirements.
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(c)
An examination of strategies for addressing challenges
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school districts and charter schools face in the recruitment and
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retention of the employees and contracted personnel listed in
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subparagraph (a)3., including, but not limited to:
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1.
Tuition assistance programs.
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2.
Continuing education opportunities.
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3.
Expanding opportunities for such employees and
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contracted personnel to work full-time, part-time, or on another
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hybrid schedule with continued benefits.
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4.
Establishing hybrid work environments.
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5.
Establishing differentiated pay for speech-language
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pathologists.
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6.
Expanding mentorships for speech-language pathologists
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for newly employed speech-language pathologists.
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(d)
An estimation of the costs to implement the strategies
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outlined in paragraph (c), including the extent to which
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federal, state, and local funds could be used to support such
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implementation.
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(e)
The development and implementation of a weighted
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calculation methodology for determining a caseload and workload
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plan for speech-language pathologists. The plan must be based on
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an analysis of the activities and populations for which the
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speech-language pathologists are responsible and, at a minimum,
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must include sufficient time for all of the following:
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1.
Individualized therapeutic instruction and interventions
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for students.
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2.
Diagnostic and evaluation-specific speech, language, and
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literacy.
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3.
Consultation services and collaboration among staff
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members.
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4.
Attendance at individual education plan meetings and
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other staff conferences, as appropriate.
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5.
Required documentation and reporting.
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6.
Medicaid billing and related activities.
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7.
Response to student interventions.
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(f)
The amount of Medicaid revenue that is annually:
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1.
Generated by speech-language pathologist activities.
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2.
Obtained through speech-language pathologist activities
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and is transferred to the school district’s or charter school’s
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general revenue fund.
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3.
Used for speech-language pathologists’ pay supplements,
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stipends, continued professional training, and therapeutic
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materials.
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(2)(a)
The department shall create a survey for each school
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district and charter school to complete to gather the data
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required under subsection (1).
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(b)
Each school district and charter school must complete
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and submit such survey to the department no later than October
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31 of each year.
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(c)
No later than November 30 of each year, the department
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shall publish the statewide strategic plan on its website, which
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includes the integration of school district and charter school
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data and information, and provide an update on the department’s
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progress in developing and implementing the statewide strategic
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plan to the appropriate substantive committees of the Senate and
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House of Representatives.
107 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.