PCS for HB 325 (2026): An act relating to education and workforce development for inmates
Summary
PCS for HB 325 (2026), a bill to be entitled “An act relating to education and workforce development for inmates.” The title lists authorizing the Department of Transportation to expend certain funds for all workforce development programs, rather than only construction workforce development programs, and requiring certification and training opportunities to include training for specified commercial driver licenses to certain inmates. It also lists requiring the Correctional Education Program under the Department of Corrections to annually submit a report to the Secretary of Corrections and authorizing inmates to drive a state-owned vehicle under certain circumstances. Section 6 states that the act takes effect July 1, 2026.
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“PCS for HB 325 (2026): An act relating to education and workforce development for inmates.”
Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2026-3291-careers-workforce-subcommittee-proposed-committee-bills-pcbs-5a717cd398/
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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
PCS for HB 325 2026
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education and workforce development
3 for inmates; amending s. 334.044, F.S.; authorizing
4 the Department of Transportation to expend certain
5 funds for all workforce development programs, rather
6 than only construction workforce development programs;
7 authorizing the department to provide grants to
8 private educational providers to use for certain
9 certification and training opportunities; amending s.
10 334.62, F.S.; requiring certification and training
11 opportunities to include training for specified
12 commercial driver licenses to certain inmates;
13 authorizing the department to use workforce
14 development funds for certain certification and
15 training opportunities; amending s. 944.801, F.S.;
16 requiring the Correctional Education Program under the
17 Department of Corrections to annually submit a report
18 to the Secretary of Corrections with specified
19 information; authorizing the Correctional Education
20 Program to implement a career and technical education
21 curriculum in which certain inmates can earn specified
22 commercial driver licenses; amending s. 945.091, F.S.;
23 conforming a provision to changes made by the act;
24 amending s. 945.0913, F.S.; authorizing inmates to
25 drive a state-owned vehicle under certain
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26 circumstances; providing an effective date.
27
28 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
29
30 Section 1. Subsection (35) of section 334.044, Florida
31 Statutes, is amended to read:
32 334.044 Powers and duties of the department.—The
33 department shall have the following general powers and duties:
34 (35) To expend funds for a construction workforce
35 development program, in consultation with affected stakeholders,
36 for delivery of projects designated in the department's work
37 program. The department may annually expend up to $5 million
38 from the State Transportation Trust Fund for fiscal years 2025-
39 2026 through 2029-2030 in grants to state colleges, and school
40 districts, and private educational providers, with priority
41 given to state colleges and school districts in counties that
42 are rural communities as defined in s. 288.0656(2), for
43 certification and training opportunities within the Florida
44 Transportation Academy, for the purchase of equipment simulators
45 with authentic original equipment manufacturer controls and a
46 companion curriculum, for the purchase of instructional aids for
47 use in conjunction with the equipment simulators, and to support
48 offering an elective course in heavy civil construction which
49 must, at a minimum, provide the student with an Occupational
50 Safety and Health Administration 10-hour certification and a
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51 fill equipment simulator certification.
52 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 334.62, Florida
53 Statutes, is amended to read:
54 334.62 Florida Transportation Academy.—The Legislature
55 finds that the growth and sustainability of the transportation
56 industry workforce is vital to the continued success and
57 efficiency of the state's supply chain and economic
58 competitiveness. In order to prioritize the continued need for
59 transportation industry workforce development programs, the
60 Florida Transportation Academy is established within the
61 department. In order to support, promote, and sustain workforce
62 development efforts in the transportation sector, the department
63 may do all of the following:
64 (1) Coordinate with the Department of Corrections to
65 identify and create certification and training opportunities for
66 nonviolent, scheduled-release inmates and inmates who have 2
67 years or less remaining on their sentence and create a
68 notification process between the Department of Corrections and
69 the department for nonviolent inmates with imminent scheduled-
70 release dates who are expected to seek employment upon release.
71 Such certification and training opportunities must be offered at
72 state correctional institutions and correctional facilities, and
73 at minimum, include training for Class A and Class B commercial
74 driver licenses. To be eligible to enroll in a Class A or Class
75 B commercial driver license training program offered in
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76 accordance with this subsection, an inmate must be proficient in
77 English. Such proficiency may be demonstrated in a manner
78 specified by the department or the department’s designee. The
79 department's workforce development funds as described in s.
80 334.044(35) may be used to fund such certification and training
81 opportunities.
82 Section 3. Subsections (7), (8), and (9) of section
83 944.801, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (6),
84 (7), and (8), respectively, and paragraphs (a), (e), and (g)
85 through (j) of subsection (3) and subsection (5) and present
86 subsections (6) and (7) of that section are amended, to read:
87 944.801 Education for state prisoners.—
88 (3) The responsibilities of the Correctional Education
89 Program shall be to:
90 (a) Develop guidelines for collecting education-related
91 information during the inmate reception process and for
92 disseminating such information to the classification staff of
93 the Department of Corrections. The information collected shall
94 include the inmate's areas of educational or career and
95 technical educational vocational interest, vocational skills,
96 and level of education.
97 (e) Enter into agreements with public or private school
98 districts, entities, state community colleges, junior colleges,
99 colleges, or universities as may be deemed appropriate for the
100 purpose of carrying out its duties and responsibilities and
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101 ensure that agreements require minimum performance standards and
102 standards for measurable objectives, in accordance with
103 established Department of Education standards.
104 (g) Develop and maintain complete and reliable statistics
105 on the number of high school equivalency diplomas and career and
106 technical education vocational certificates issued by each
107 institution in each skill area, the change in inmate literacy
108 levels, and the number of inmate admissions to and withdrawals
109 from education courses. The compiled statistics shall be
110 summarized and analyzed in the annual report of correctional
111 education activities required by paragraph (f).
112 (h) Develop a written procedure for selecting programs to
113 add to or delete from the career and technical education
114 vocational curriculum. The procedure shall include labor market
115 analyses that demonstrate the projected demand for certain
116 occupations and the projected supply of potential employees. In
117 conducting these analyses, the department shall evaluate the
118 feasibility of adding career and technical vocational education
119 programs that have been identified by the Department of
120 Commerce, the Department of Education, or a regional
121 coordinating council as being in undersupply in this state. The
122 department shall periodically reevaluate the career and
123 technical vocational education programs in major institutions to
124 determine which of the programs support and provide relevant
125 skills to inmates who could be assigned to a correctional work
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126 program that is operated as a Prison Industry Enhancement
127 Program. The annual report of correctional education activities
128 required under paragraph (f) must include all of the following
129 information:
130 1. The number of inmates who completed career and
131 technical education training, the type of training each inmate
132 completed, and the credential each inmate earned through the
133 Correctional Education Program.
134 2. The number of inmates who completed career and
135 technical education training through the Correctional Education
136 Program and were employed within 6 months after being released
137 from prison.
138 3. Statistics on whether the employed former inmates who
139 completed training through the Correctional Education Program
140 are employed in an occupation aligned with their education and
141 training received through the Correctional Education Program.
142 (i) Ensure that every inmate who has 2 years or more
143 remaining to serve on his or her sentence at the time that he or
144 she is received at an institution and who lacks basic and
145 functional literacy skills as defined in s. 1004.02 attends not
146 fewer than 150 hours of sequential instruction in a correctional
147 adult basic education program. The basic and functional literacy
148 level of an inmate shall be determined by the average composite
149 test score obtained on a test approved for this purpose by the
150 State Board of Education.
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151 1. Upon completion of the 150 hours of instruction, the
152 inmate shall be retested and, if a composite test score of
153 functional literacy is not attained, the department is
154 authorized to require the inmate to remain in the instructional
155 program.
156 2. Highest priority of inmate participation shall be
157 focused on youthful offenders and those inmates nearing release
158 from the correctional system.
159 3. An inmate shall be required to attend the 150 hours of
160 adult basic education instruction unless such inmate:
161 a. Is serving a life sentence or is under sentence of
162 death.
163 b. Is specifically exempted for security or health
164 reasons.
165 c. Is housed at a community correctional center, road
166 prison, work camp, or career and technical education vocational
167 center.
168 d. Attains a functional literacy level after attendance in
169 fewer than 150 hours of adult basic education instruction.
170 e. Is unable to enter such instruction because of
171 insufficient facilities, staff, or classroom capacity.
172 4. The Department of Corrections shall provide classes to
173 accommodate those inmates assigned to correctional or public
174 work programs after normal working hours. The department shall
175 develop a plan to provide academic and career and technical
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176 education vocational classes on a more frequent basis and at
177 times that accommodate the increasing number of inmates with
178 work assignments, to the extent that resources permit.
179 5. If an inmate attends and actively participates in the
180 150 hours of instruction, the Department of Corrections may
181 grant a one-time award of up to 6 additional days of incentive
182 gain-time, which must be credited and applied as provided by
183 law. Active participation means, at a minimum, that the inmate
184 is attentive, responsive, cooperative, and completes assigned
185 work.
186 (j) Recommend the award of additional incentive gain-time
187 for inmates who receive a high school equivalency diploma or a
188 career and technical education vocational certificate.
189 (5) The Correctional Education Program may:
190 (a) Establish a prison entrepreneurship program and adopt
191 procedures for admitting student inmates. If the department
192 elects to develop the program, it must include at least 180 days
193 of in-prison education. The program curriculum must include a
194 component on developing a business plan, procedures for
195 graduation and certification of successful student inmates, and
196 at least 90 days of transitional and postrelease continuing
197 educational services. Transitional and postrelease continuing
198 educational services may be offered to graduate student inmates
199 on a voluntary basis and are not a requirement for completion of
200 the program. The department shall enter into agreements with
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201 public or private colleges or universities, other nonprofit
202 entities, or other authorized providers under s. 1002.45(1)(a)1.
203 to implement the program. The program must be funded with
204 existing resources.
205 (b)(6) The Correctional Education Program may Work in
206 cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
207 Services, Florida Forestry Service Division, and the Florida
208 Department of Financial Services, Division of State Fire Marshal
209 to develop a program for implementation within state
210 correctional institutions or correctional facilities to train
211 and certify inmates as firefighters. The program should include,
212 but not be limited to, certification of inmates as state forest
213 staff trained to help protect homes, forestland, and natural
214 resources from the effects of wildfires throughout the state.
215 (c) Implement a career and technical education program to
216 be offered at the state correctional institutions and
217 correctional facilities to train and license inmates to operate
218 a commercial motor vehicle. The career and technical education
219 curriculum must include training for Class A and Class B driver
220 licenses and participation in such curriculum is limited to
221 nonviolent inmates who have 2 years or less remaining to serve
222 on his or her sentence. To be eligible to enroll in a Class A or
223 Class B commercial driver license training program offered in
224 accordance with this paragraph, an inmate must be proficient in
225 English. Such proficiency may be demonstrated in a manner
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226 specified by the department or the department’s designee.
227 (6)(7) The department may contract with a district school
228 board, the Florida Virtual School, a charter school authorized
229 to operate under s. 1002.33, or a Florida College System
230 institution to provide education services in the Correctional
231 Education Program. The education services may include any
232 educational or, career and technical education, or vocational
233 training authorized by the department.
234 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
235 945.091, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
236 945.091 Extension of the limits of confinement;
237 restitution by employed inmates.—
238 (1) The department may adopt rules permitting the
239 extension of the limits of the place of confinement of an inmate
240 as to whom there is reasonable cause to believe that the inmate
241 will honor his or her trust by authorizing the inmate, under
242 prescribed conditions and following investigation and approval
243 by the secretary, or the secretary's designee, who shall
244 maintain a written record of such action, to leave the confines
245 of that place unaccompanied by a custodial agent for a
246 prescribed period of time to:
247 (b) Work at paid employment, participate in an education
248 or a training program, or voluntarily serve a public or
249 nonprofit agency or faith-based service group in the community,
250 while continuing as an inmate of the institution or facility in
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251 which the inmate is confined, except during the hours of his or
252 her employment, education, training, or service and traveling
253 thereto and therefrom. An inmate may travel to and from his or
254 her place of employment, education, or training only by means of
255 walking, bicycling, or using public transportation or
256 transportation that is provided by a family member or employer.
257 Contingent upon specific appropriations or as authorized in s.
258 945.0913(2), the department may transport an inmate in a state-
259 owned vehicle if the inmate is unable to obtain other means of
260 travel to his or her place of employment, education, or
261 training. An inmate may be permitted to be transported in or
262 drive a state-owned vehicle if the inmate is appropriately
263 licensed and enrolled in or a completer of a department-operated
264 or contracted commercial driver license program for the purpose
265 of completing program requirements or demonstrating proficiency
266 in the program. At least one certified correctional officer must
267 be present during such transport or operation.
268 1. An inmate may participate in paid employment only
269 during the last 36 months of his or her confinement, unless
270 sooner requested by the Florida Commission on Offender Review or
271 the Control Release Authority.
272 2. While working at paid employment and residing in the
273 facility, an inmate may apply for placement at a contracted
274 substance abuse transition housing program. The transition
275 assistance specialist shall inform the inmate of program
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276 availability and assess the inmate's need and suitability for
277 transition housing assistance. If an inmate is approved for
278 placement, the specialist shall assist the inmate. If an inmate
279 requests and is approved for placement in a contracted faith-
280 based substance abuse transition housing program, the specialist
281 must consult with the chaplain before such placement. The
282 department shall ensure that an inmate's faith orientation, or
283 lack thereof, will not be considered in determining admission to
284 a faith-based program and that the program does not attempt to
285 convert an inmate toward a particular faith or religious
286 preference.
287 Section 5. Section 945.0913, Florida Statutes, is amended
288 to read:
289 945.0913 Inmates prohibited from driving state-owned
290 vehicles to transport inmates in a work-release program;
291 exception.—
292 (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), an inmate may
293 not drive a state-owned vehicle for the purpose of transporting
294 inmates who are participating in a work-release program
295 authorized in s. 945.091(1)(b).
296 (2) An inmate appropriately licensed and trained may drive
297 a state-owned vehicle if he or she is enrolled in, or a
298 completer of, a department-operated or contracted commercial
299 driver license training program. An inmate may only operate a
300 state-owned vehicle on department property or other state-owned
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301 property specifically designated for commercial driver license
302 training purposes. At least one certified correctional officer
303 must be present during such operation.
304 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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