Florida HB 325: Education and Workforce Development for Inmates

Bill Text

ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 325 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb325 -02-er
Page 1 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

1
An act relating to education and workforce development 2
for inmates; amending s. 334.044, F.S.; authorizing 3
the Department of Transportation to expend certain 4
funds for all workforce development programs, rather 5
than only construction workforce development programs; 6
authorizing the department to provide grants to 7
private educational providers to use for certain 8
certification and training opportunities; amending s. 9
334.62, F.S.; requiring certification and training 10
opportunities to include training for specified 11
commercial driver licenses to certain inmates; 12
providing eligibility; authorizing the department to 13
use workforce development funds for certain 14
certification and training opportunities; amending s. 15
944.801, F.S.; requiring the Correctional Education 16
Program under the Department of Corrections to 17
annually submit a report to the Secretary of 18
Corrections with specified information; authorizing 19
the Correctional Education Program to implement a 20
career and technical education program in which 21
certain inmates can earn specified commercial driver 22
licenses; providing eligibility; amending s. 945.091, 23
F.S.; authorizing an inmate to be transported in or to 24
operate a state-owned vehicle under certain 25

ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 325 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb325 -02-er
Page 2 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

circumstances; requiring a certified correctional 26
officer to be present during such transport or 27
operation; amending s. 945.0913, F.S.; authorizing 28
inmates to drive a state-owned vehicle under certain 29
circumstances; requiring a certified correctional 30
officer to be present during such transport or 31
operation; providing an effective date. 32
33
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 34
35
Section 1. Subsection (35) of section 334.044, Florida 36
Statutes, is amended to read: 37
334.044 Powers and duties of the department.—The 38
department shall have the following general powers and duties: 39
(35) To expend funds for a construction workforce 40
development program, in consultation with affected stakeholders, 41
for delivery of projects designated in the department's work 42
program. The department may annually expend up to $5 million 43
from the State Transportation Trust Fund for fiscal years 2025-44
2026 through 2029-2030 in grants to state colleges, and school 45
districts, and private educational providers, with priority 46
given to state colleges and school districts in counties that 47
are rural communities as defined in s. 288.0656(2), for 48
certification and training opportunities within the Florida 49
Transportation Academy, for the purchase of equipment simulators 50

ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 325 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb325 -02-er
Page 3 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

with authentic original equipment manufacturer controls and a 51
companion curriculum, for the purchase of instructional aids for 52
use in conjunction with the equipment simulators, and to support 53
offering an elective course in heavy civil construction which 54
must, at a minimum, provide the student with an Occupational 55
Safety and Health Administration 10-hour certification and a 56
fill equipment simulator certification. 57
Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 334.62, Florida 58
Statutes, is amended to read: 59
334.62 Florida Transportation Academy.—The Legislature 60
finds that the growth and sustainability of the transportation 61
industry workforce is vital to the continued success and 62
efficiency of the state's supply chain and economic 63
competitiveness. In order to prioritize the continued need for 64
transportation industry workforce development programs, the 65
Florida Transportation Academy is established within the 66
department. In order to support, promote, and sustain workforce 67
development efforts in the transportation sector, the department 68
may do all of the following: 69
(1) Coordinate with the Department of Corrections to 70
identify and create certification and training opportunities for 71
nonviolent, scheduled-release inmates and nonviolent inmates who 72
have 2 years or less remaining on their sentence and create a 73
notification process between the Department of Corrections and 74
the department for nonviolent inmates with imminent scheduled-75

ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 325 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb325 -02-er
Page 4 of 13
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

release dates who are expected to seek employment upon release. 76
Such certification and trai