Florida Senate - 2013                                    SB 1440
       
       
       
       By Senator Lee
       
       
       
       
       24-01227-13                                           20131440__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
    3         Scholarship Program; amending ss. 1009.534, 1009.535,
    4         and 1009.536, F.S.; providing that a student who
    5         volunteers with a campaign for public office may count
    6         such hours toward the community service prerequisite
    7         for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
    8         requiring that a community service verification form
    9         include the signature of the student, the student’s
   10         parent or guardian, and a representative of the
   11         organization for whom the student performed community
   12         service work; providing an effective date.
   13  
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
   17  Statutes, is amended to read:
   18         1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
   19         (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
   20  award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
   21  for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
   22  student:
   23         (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
   24  calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
   25  school courses that are designated by the State Board of
   26  Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
   27  attained at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the
   28  combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
   29  Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
   30  Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
   31  or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
   32         (b) Has attended a home education program according to s.
   33  1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
   34  International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
   35  International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
   36  Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
   37  failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
   38  Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score pursuant
   39  to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative
   40  parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment
   41  Test, or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the
   42  College Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
   43  Assessment Program;
   44         (c) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma
   45  from the International Baccalaureate Office or an Advanced
   46  International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
   47  University of Cambridge International Examinations Office;
   48         (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
   49  programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
   50  scholar or finalist; or
   51         (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
   52  Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
   53  
   54  A student shall must complete a program of community service
   55  work, as approved by the district school board, the
   56  administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
   57  Education for home education program students, which must shall
   58  include a minimum of 75 hours of service work for high school
   59  students graduating in the 2010-2011 academic year and 100 hours
   60  of service work for high school students graduating in the 2011
   61  2012 academic year and thereafter, and may consist of volunteer
   62  activity on behalf of a candidate for public office. A community
   63  service verification form must include the signature of the
   64  student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative
   65  of the organization for whom the student performed community
   66  service work. The student shall must identify a social problem
   67  that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her
   68  personal involvement in addressing the problem, and, through
   69  papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or
   70  her experience.
   71         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida
   72  Statutes, is amended to read:
   73         1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
   74         (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
   75  award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
   76  for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
   77  student:
   78         (a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as
   79  calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high
   80  school courses that are designated by the State Board of
   81  Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
   82  attained at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the
   83  combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
   84  Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
   85  Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
   86  or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
   87         (b) Has completed the International Baccalaureate
   88  curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate
   89  Diploma or has completed the Advanced International Certificate
   90  of Education curriculum but failed to earn the Advanced
   91  International Certificate of Education Diploma, and has attained
   92  at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined
   93  verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test,
   94  the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
   95  Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
   96  equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
   97         (c) Has attended a home education program according to s.
   98  1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 and has attained at least the
   99  score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal and
  100  quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
  101  Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
  102  Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
  103  equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program, if the student’s
  104  parent cannot document a college-preparatory curriculum as
  105  described in paragraph (a);
  106         (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement program
  107  of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a scholar or
  108  finalist but has not completed a program of community service as
  109  provided in s. 1009.534; or
  110         (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
  111  Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed a
  112  program of community service as provided in s. 1009.534.
  113  
  114  A high school student graduating in the 2011-2012 academic year
  115  and thereafter shall must complete a program of community
  116  service work approved by the district school board, the
  117  administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
  118  Education for home education program students, which must shall
  119  include a minimum of 75 hours of service work, and may consist
  120  of volunteer activity on behalf of a candidate for public
  121  office. A community service verification form must include the
  122  signature of the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and
  123  a representative of the organization for whom the student
  124  performed community service work. The student shall must
  125  identify a social problem that interests him or her, develop a
  126  plan for his or her personal involvement in addressing the
  127  problem, and, through papers or other presentations, evaluate
  128  and reflect upon his or her experience.
  129         Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 1009.536, Florida
  130  Statutes, is amended to read:
  131         1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award.—The
  132  Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is created within
  133  the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to recognize and
  134  reward academic achievement and career preparation by high
  135  school students who wish to continue their education.
  136         (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal
  137  Vocational Scholars award if the student meets the general
  138  eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures
  139  Scholarship Program and the student:
  140         (a) Completes the secondary school portion of a sequential
  141  program of studies that requires at least three secondary school
  142  career credits. On-the-job training may not be substituted for
  143  any of the three required career credits.
  144         (b) Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education by
  145  earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level
  146  Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the Department
  147  of Education.
  148         (c) Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point average
  149  of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, on all subjects
  150  required for a standard high school diploma, excluding elective
  151  courses.
  152         (d) Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.5
  153  on a 4.0 scale for secondary career courses comprising the
  154  career program.
  155         (e) Beginning with high school students graduating in the
  156  2011-2012 academic year and thereafter, completes a program of
  157  community service work approved by the district school board,
  158  the administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
  159  Education for home education program students, which must shall
  160  include a minimum of 30 hours of service work that may consist
  161  of volunteer activity on behalf of a candidate for public
  162  office, and identifies a social problem that interests him or
  163  her, develops a plan for his or her personal involvement in
  164  addressing the problem, and, through papers or other
  165  presentations, evaluates and reflects upon his or her
  166  experience. A community service verification form must include
  167  the signature of the student, the student’s parent or guardian,
  168  and a representative of the organization for whom the student
  169  performed community service work.
  170         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.