Florida Senate - 2020 CS for SB 372
By the Committee on Education; and Senators Lee, Cruz, Harrell,
and Broxson
581-01999-20 2020372c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education for certain
3 military personnel; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.;
4 requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
5 of Education, in consultation with the Department of
6 Veterans’ Affairs, to create a process for the uniform
7 award of postsecondary credit or career education
8 clock hours to certain servicemembers and veterans of
9 the United States Armed Forces; requiring the
10 Articulation Coordinating Committee to convene a
11 workgroup by a specified date; providing for
12 membership and duties of the workgroup; providing
13 administrative support for the workgroup; requiring
14 the workgroup to provide recommendations to the Board
15 of Governors and the State Board of Education by a
16 specified date; requiring the Board of Governors and
17 the State Board of Education to approve the
18 recommendations; requiring the Articulation
19 Coordinating Committee to facilitate the review of
20 courses taken and occupations held by individuals
21 during their service in the military for postsecondary
22 credit and career education clock hours; requiring the
23 Articulation Coordinating Committee to approve and the
24 Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to
25 adopt a specified list within a specified timeframe;
26 requiring delineation of credit and career education
27 clock hours in the statewide articulation agreement;
28 requiring certain postsecondary institutions to award
29 uniform postsecondary credit or career education clock
30 hours for specified courses taken and occupations held
31 by individuals during their service in the military;
32 authorizing the award of additional credits or career
33 education clock hours; requiring certain credits and
34 career education clock hours to transfer between
35 specified postsecondary institutions; amending s.
36 1009.26, F.S.; requiring specified postsecondary
37 institutions to waive the transcript fee for active
38 duty members of the United States Armed Forces,
39 certain veterans, and their spouses and dependents;
40 providing reporting requirements for such fee waivers;
41 requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
42 of Education to adopt regulations and rules,
43 respectively; providing an effective date.
44
45 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
46
47 Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended
48 to read:
49 1004.096 College credit for military training and education
50 courses.—
51 (1) In consultation with the Department of Veterans’
52 Affairs, the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
53 State Board of Education shall adopt rules that create a process
54 that enables enable eligible servicemembers or veterans of the
55 United States Armed Forces to earn uniform postsecondary
56 academic college credit across all Florida at public
57 postsecondary educational institutions for college-level
58 training and education acquired in the military. The regulations
59 and rules shall include procedures for credential evaluation and
60 the uniform award of postsecondary academic college credit or
61 career education clock hours, including, but not limited to,
62 equivalency and alignment of military coursework with
63 appropriate postsecondary college courses and, course
64 descriptions, type and amount of college credit that may be
65 awarded, and transfer of credit.
66 (2) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall convene a
67 workgroup by July 15, 2020, which is responsible for developing
68 a process for determining postsecondary course equivalencies and
69 the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
70 that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by
71 individuals during their service in the military.
72 (a) The workgroup shall be composed of the following 13
73 members:
74 1. The chair of the Articulation Coordinating Committee, or
75 his or her designee, who shall serve as chair.
76 2. Four members representing academic affairs
77 administrators and faculty from state universities, appointed by
78 the chair of the Board of Governors.
79 3. Four members representing academic affairs
80 administrators and faculty from Florida College System
81 institutions, appointed by the chair of the State Board of
82 Education.
83 4. Two members representing faculty from career centers,
84 appointed by the State Board of Education.
85 5. Two members representing veterans, appointed by the
86 executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
87 (b) The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide
88 administrative support for the workgroup.
89 (c) The workgroup shall establish a process for
90 prioritizing and determining postsecondary course equivalencies
91 and the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock
92 hours that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations
93 held by individuals during their service in the military. The
94 workgroup shall provide recommendations to the Board of
95 Governors and the State Board of Education by December 1, 2020,
96 for approval at the next meeting of each board to allow for
97 adequate public notice.
98 (d) Upon approval of the workgroup’s recommendations by the
99 Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, the
100 Articulation Coordinating Committee shall facilitate the review
101 of courses taken and occupations held by individuals during
102 their service in the military for postsecondary course
103 equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career
104 education clock hours that must be awarded in accordance with
105 the approved process.
106 (e) Within 1 year after approval of the workgroup’s
107 recommendations by the Board of Governors and the State Board of
108 Education pursuant to paragraph (c), the Articulation
109 Coordinating Committee shall approve a prioritized list of
110 postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary
111 credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded for
112 courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their
113 service in the military. The list must be updated annually. The
114 Board of Governors and the State Board of Education shall timely
115 adopt the list approved by the Articulation Coordinating
116 Committee at the next meeting of each board to allow for
117 adequate public notice. For the purpose of statewide
118 application, postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
119 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must
120 be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by individuals
121 during their service in the military shall be delineated by the
122 State Board of Education and the Board of Governors in the
123 statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1).
124 (f) State universities, Florida College System
125 institutions, and career centers must award postsecondary credit
126 or career education clock hours for courses taken and
127 occupations held by individuals during their service in the
128 military based on the list adopted by the Board of Governors and
129 the State Board of Education pursuant to paragraph (e) if the
130 credit or career education clock hours are applicable toward the
131 student’s degree or certificate. Institutions may award
132 additional postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
133 if appropriate. Credit or career education clock hours awarded
134 in accordance with minimum postsecondary credit and clock hour
135 requirements, respectively, are guaranteed to transfer to other
136 state universities, Florida College System institutions, and
137 career centers.
138 Section 2. Subsection (17) is added to section 1009.26,
139 Florida Statutes, to read:
140 1009.26 Fee waivers.—
141 (17)(a) Each state university, Florida College System
142 institution, career center operated by a school district under
143 s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center under s. 1002.34
144 shall waive the transcript fee for a person who is an active
145 duty member or an honorably discharged veteran of the United
146 States Armed Forces and his or her spouse and dependents.
147 (b) Each state university, Florida College System
148 institution, career center operated by a school district under
149 s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center under s. 1002.34
150 shall report to the Board of Governors and the State Board of
151 Education, respectively, the number and value of fee waivers
152 granted annually under this subsection.
153 (c) The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
154 shall adopt regulations and rules, respectively, to administer
155 this subsection.
156 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.