Florida SB 574: In-store Servicing of Alcoholic Beverages

Bill Text

574 
Recruitment and Retention of Speech-language Pathologists 
2025-11-19T03:15:53Z 
Requiring the Department of Education to develop and maintain a statewide strategic plan for the recruitment and retention of speech-language pathologists and the provision of quality services; providing school district and charter school requirements relating to submitting specified data for the plan, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 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 
 21 retention of speech-language pathologists and the provision of 
 22 quality services.— 
 23 (1) The Department of Education shall develop and maintain 
 24 a statewide strategic plan for recruiting and retaining speech 
 25 language pathologists and assuring that quality services are 
 26 provided to students with speech-language disabilities. At a 
 27 minimum, the plan must include, but is not limited to, all of 
 28 the following: 
 29 (a) The analysis of relevant data to determine the specific 
 30 staffing needs of school districts and charter schools. Such 
 31 analysis must be ongoing throughout the school year and must 
 32 include: 
 33 1. The total number of public schools, disaggregated by 
 34 school district and charter school. 
 35 2. The number of speech-language pathologists employed at 
 36 each school and school district, including speech-language 
 37 pathologists who are contracted personnel. 
 38 3. The number of employees and contracted personnel per 
 39 school district or charter school who are: 
 40 a. Doctoral-level speech-language pathologists. 
 41 b. Master-level speech-language pathologists. 
 42 c. Bachelor-level speech-language therapists. 
 43 d. Speech-language pathology assistants. 
 44 4. An examination of the caseloads and compensation of such 
 45 employees and contracted personnel and a comparison of such 
 46 caseloads and compensation between school districts and charter 
 47 schools and in contiguous states. 
 48 (b) Tracking the changes in the number of employees and 
 49 contracted personnel listed in subparagraph (a)3. from year to 
 50 year, including resignations and retirements. 
 51 (c) An examination of strategies for addressing challenges 
 52 school districts and charter schools face in the recruitment and 
 53 retention of the employees and contracted personnel listed in 
 54 subparagraph (a)3., including, but not limited to: 
 55 1. Tuition assistance programs. 
 56 2. Continuing education opportunities. 
 57 3. Expanding opportunities for such employees and 
 58 contracted personnel to work full-time, part-time, or on another 
 59 hybrid schedule with continued benefits. 
 60 4. Establishing hybrid work environments. 
 61 5. Establishing differentiated pay for speech-language 
 62 pathologists. 
 63 6. Expanding mentorships for speech-language pathologists 
 64 for newly employed speech-language pathologists. 
 65 (d) An estimation of the costs to implement the strategies 
 66 outlined in paragraph (c), including the extent to which 
 67 federal, state, and local funds could be used to support such 
 68 implementation. 
 69 (e) The development and implementation of a weighted 
 70 calculation methodology for determining a caseload and workload 
 71 plan for speech-language pathologists. The plan must be based on 
 72 an analysis of the activities and populations for which the 
 73 speech-language pathologists are responsible and, at a minimum, 
 74 must include sufficient time for all of the following: 
 75 1. Individualized therapeutic instruction and interventions 
 76 for students. 
 77 2. Diagnostic and evaluation-specific speech, language, and 
 78 literacy. 
 79 3. Consultation services and collaboration among staff 
 80 members. 
 81 4. Attendance at individual education plan meetings and 
 82 other staff conferences, as appropriate. 
 83 5. Required documentation and reporting. 
 84 6. Medicaid billing and related activities. 
 85 7. Response to student interventions.