THE BILL ITSELF
SB 1300
Education and Workforce Development for Current and Former Inmates
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1300 By Senator Calatayud 38-00607A-26 20261300__
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to education and workforce development
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for current and former inmates; amending s. 334.044,
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F.S.; authorizing the Department of Transportation to
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expend certain funds for all workforce development
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programs, rather than only construction workforce
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development programs; revising the entities to which
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and the purposes for which the department may provide
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certain grants; amending s. 334.62, F.S.; requiring
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that certification and training opportunities include
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training for specified commercial driver licenses for
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certain inmates; authorizing the department to use
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workforce development funds for certain certification
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and training opportunities; creating s. 446.55, F.S.;
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defining the term “employer”; authorizing employers to
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apply to the Department of Financial Services for
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reimbursement of the cost of certain workers’
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compensation and automobile liability premiums,
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subject to appropriation; providing requirements for
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the reimbursement application; providing requirements
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and restrictions for reimbursement; requiring the
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department to process an application and notify the
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applicant within a specified timeframe; requiring the
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department to coordinate with the employer for a
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certain purpose; providing reimbursement limits;
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amending s. 944.801, F.S.; requiring the Correctional
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Education Program under the Department of Corrections
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to include specified information in a report annually
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submitted to the Secretary of Corrections; authorizing
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the Correctional Education Program to develop and
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implement a vocational curriculum in which certain
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inmates can earn specified commercial driver licenses;
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amending s. 945.091, F.S.; conforming a provision to
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changes made by the act; amending s. 945.0913, F.S.;
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authorizing inmates to drive a state-owned vehicle
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under certain circumstances; providing an effective
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date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (35) of section 334.044, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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334.044 Powers and duties of the department.—The department
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shall have the following general powers and duties:
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(35) To expend funds for a construction workforce
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development program, in consultation with affected stakeholders,
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for delivery of projects designated in the department’s work
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program. The department may annually expend up to $5 million
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from the State Transportation Trust Fund for fiscal years 2025
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2026 through 2029-2030 in grants to state colleges , and school
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districts, and private educational providers, with priority
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given to state colleges and school districts in counties that
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are rural communities as defined in s. 288.0656(2), for
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certification and training opportunities within the Florida
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Transportation Academy, for the purchase of equipment simulators
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with authentic original equipment manufacturer controls and a
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companion curriculum, for the purchase of instructional aids for
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use in conjunction with the equipment simulators, and to support
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offering an elective course in heavy civil construction which
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must, at a minimum, provide the student with an Occupational
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Safety and Health Administration 10-hour certification and a
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fill equipment simulator certification.
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Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 334.62, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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334.62 Florida Transportation Academy.—The Legislature
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finds that the growth and sustainability of the transportation
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industry workforce is vital to the continued success and
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efficiency of the state’s supply chain and economic
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competitiveness. In order to prioritize the continued need for
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transportation industry workforce development programs, the
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Florida Transportation Academy is established within the
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department. In order to support, promote, and sustain workforce
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development efforts in the transportation sector, the department
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may do all of the following:
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(1) Coordinate with the Department of Corrections to
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identify and create certification and training opportunities for
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nonviolent, scheduled-release inmates and inmates who have 2
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years or less remaining on their sentence and create a
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notification process between the Department of Corrections and
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the department for nonviolent inmates with imminent scheduled
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release dates who are expected to seek employment upon release.
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Such certification and training opportunities must include
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programs within the state correctional institutions or
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correctional facilities to train and license nonviolent,
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scheduled-release inmates and inmates who have 2 years or less
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remaining on their sentence to operate a commercial motor
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vehicle. The curriculum for such programs must include training
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for Class A and Class B commercial driver licenses. The
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department’s workforce development funds as described in s.
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334.044(35) may be used to fund such certification and training
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opportunities.
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Section 3. Section 446.55, Florida Statutes, is created to
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read:
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446.55 Reimbursement for insurance premiums.—
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(1) For purposes of this section, the term “employer” means
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an employer principally headquartered in this state which
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employed 100 or fewer employees as of the end of the calendar
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year immediately preceding the year in which reimbursement is
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sought.
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(2) Subject to appropriation, employers may apply to the
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Department of Financial Services, in a format prescribed by the
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department, for reimbursement of the proportionate cost of
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workers’ compensation and automobile liability premiums paid
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during the fiscal year for former inmates who have less than 2
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years of commercial driving experience and who were hired during
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the previous fiscal year.
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(a) An application for reimbursement must include all of
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the following information:
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1. The number of employees for whom reimbursement is
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sought.
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2. Each employee’s name, the date he or she was hired, the
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date on which he or she was issued a commercial driver license,
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the criminal offense for which the employee was convicted, and
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the final disposition of the employee’s case.
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3. The total amount of reimbursement requested and the
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method used by the employer to determine the proportionate share
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of the cost of premiums attributable to each employee.
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4. The employer’s name, point of contact, and contact
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information.
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5. An attestation by the employer agreeing to maintain all
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documentation supporting the information provided in the
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application for at least 5 years.
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6. Any other information requested by the department.
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(b) The employee for whom reimbursement is sought must be a
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United States citizen or qualified noncitizen authorized to work
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in the United States who is proficient in English.
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(c) An employer may not request reimbursement for an
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employee who was convicted of any of the offenses in s.
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945.091(5).
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(3) Within 45 days after receipt of a completed
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application, the department must process the application and
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notify the applicant of approval or denial of the application.
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Before making its determination, the department must coordinate
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with the employer to verify the information on the application
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relating to the employer and the employees for whom
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reimbursement is sought.
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(4) Reimbursements provided under this section are limited
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to $5,000 per employee and $20,000 per employer.
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Section 4. Paragraph (h) of subsection (3) and subsections
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(5) and (6) of section 944.801, Florida Statutes, are amended to
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read:
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944.801 Education for state prisoners.—
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(3) The responsibilities of the Correctional Education
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Program shall be to:
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(h) Develop a written procedure for selecting programs to
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add to or delete from the vocational curriculum. The procedure
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shall include labor market analyses that demonstrate the
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projected demand for certain occupations and the projected
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supply of potential employees. In conducting these analyses, the
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department shall evaluate the feasibility of adding vocational
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education programs that have been identified by the Department
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of Commerce, the Department of Education, or a regional
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coordinating council as being in undersupply in this state. The
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department shall periodically reevaluate the vocational
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education programs in major institutions to determine which of
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the programs support and provide relevant skills to inmates who
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could be assigned to a correctional work program that is
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operated as a Prison Industry Enhancement Program. The annual
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report of correctional education activities required under
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paragraph (f) must include all of the following information:
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1. The number of inmates who completed vocational training
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through the Correctional Education Program.
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2. The number of inmates who completed vocational training
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through the Correctional Education Program and were employed
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within 6 months after being released from prison.
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3. Statistics on whether the employed former inmates who
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completed training through the Correctional Education Program
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are employed in an occupation aligned with their education and
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training received through the Correctional Education Program.
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(5) The Correctional Education Program may :
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(a) Establish a prison entrepreneurship program and adopt
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procedures for admitting student inmates. If the department
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elects to develop the program, it must include at least 180 days
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of in-prison education. The program curriculum must include a
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component on developing a business plan, procedures for
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graduation and certification of successful student inmates, and
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at least 90 days of transitional and postrelease continuing
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educational services. Transitional and postrelease continuing
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educational services may be offered to graduate student inmates
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on a voluntary basis and are not a requirement for completion of
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the program. The department shall enter into agreements with
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public or private colleges or universities, other nonprofit
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entities, or other authorized providers under s. 1002.45(1)(a)1.
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to implement the program. The program must be funded with
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existing resources.
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(b) (6) The Correctional Education Program may Work in
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cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
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Services, Florida Forestry Service Division, and the Florida
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Department of Financial Services, Division of State Fire Marshal
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to develop a program for implementation within state
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correctional institutions or correctional facilities to train
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and certify inmates as firefighters. The program should include,
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but not be limited to, certification of inmates as state forest
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staff trained to help protect homes, forestland, and natural
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resources from the effects of wildfires throughout the state.
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(c) Develop and implement a vocational curriculum for
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implementation within the state correctional institutions or
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correctional facilities to train and license inmates to operate
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a commercial motor vehicle. The vocational curriculum must
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include training for Class A and Class B driver licenses, and
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participation in such curriculum is limited to prerelease
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inmates and inmates who have 2 years or less remaining to serve
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on their sentence.
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Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
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945.091, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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945.091 Extension of the limits of confinement; restitution
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by employed inmates.—
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(1) The department may adopt rules permitting the extension
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of the limits of the place of confinement of an inmate as to
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whom there is reasonable cause to believe that the inmate will
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honor his or her trust by authorizing the inmate, under
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prescribed conditions and following investigation and approval
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by the secretary, or the secretary’s designee, who shall
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maintain a written record of such action, to leave the confines
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of that place unaccompanied by a custodial agent for a
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prescribed period of time to:
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(b) Work at paid employment, participate in an education or
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a training program, or voluntarily serve a public or nonprofit
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agency or faith-based service group in the community, while
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continuing as an inmate of the institution or facility in which
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the inmate is confined, except during the hours of his or her
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employment, education, training, or service and traveling
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thereto and therefrom. An inmate may travel to and from his or
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her place of employment, education, or training only by means of
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walking, bicycling, or using public transportation or
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transportation that is provided by a family member or employer.
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Contingent upon specific appropriations or as authorized in s.
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945.0913(2) , the department may transport an inmate in a state
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owned vehicle if the inmate is unable to obtain other means of
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travel to his or her place of employment, education, or
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training.
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1. An inmate may participate in paid employment only during
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the last 36 months of his or her confinement, unless sooner
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requested by the Florida Commission on Offender Review or the
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Control Release Authority.
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2. While working at paid employment and residing in the
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facility, an inmate may apply for placement at a contracted
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substance abuse transition housing program. The transition
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assistance specialist shall inform the inmate of program
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availability and assess the inmate’s need and suitability for
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transition housing assistance. If an inmate is approved for
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placement, the specialist shall assist the inmate. If an inmate
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requests and is approved for placement in a contracted faith
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based substance abuse transition housing program, the specialist
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must consult with the chaplain before such placement. The
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department shall ensure that an inmate’s faith orientation, or
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lack thereof, will not be considered in determining admission to
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a faith-based program and that the program does not attempt to
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convert an inmate toward a particular faith or religious
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preference.
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Section 6. Section 945.0913, Florida Statutes, is amended
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to read:
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945.0913 Inmates prohibited from driving state-owned
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vehicles to transport inmates in a work-release program ;
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exception .—
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(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), an inmate may not
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drive a state-owned vehicle for the purpose of transporting
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inmates who are participating in a work-release program
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authorized in s. 945.091(1)(b).
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(2) An inmate may drive a state-owned vehicle if he or she
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is participating in, or a graduate of, a department career and
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technical education program or a contracted commercial driver
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license training program. An inmate may only operate a state
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owned vehicle on department property or other state-owned
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property that is specifically designated for career and
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technical education purposes.
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Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.