Senate Bill sb0504c1
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Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SB 504
By the Committee on Education Appropriations; and Senators
Wise and Wilson
602-2420-06
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to financial assistance for
3 postsecondary students; creating s. 1009.892,
4 F.S.; creating the Florida Reimbursement Grant
5 Program to Provide Postsecondary
6 Psycho-Educational Testing to Students with
7 Disabilities; providing for rulemaking by the
8 State Board of Education; providing that the
9 Department of Education shall administer the
10 program; providing legislative intent;
11 providing eligibility requirements; prescribing
12 a limit on testing costs; providing that the
13 cost of psycho-educational testing is part of
14 the student's attendance cost; requiring a
15 student who applies for such a grant to apply
16 for a Pell Grant; providing that Pell Grant
17 entitlement must be considered in determining a
18 student's monetary need for a grant under this
19 section; requiring participating institutions
20 to report specified information to the
21 department; requiring that the amount of such
22 grants be specified in the General
23 Appropriations Act; providing procedures;
24 requiring participating institutions to return
25 undisbursed grant moneys to the department;
26 providing that the act be implemented only to
27 the extent that it is funded and authorized;
28 providing an effective date.
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30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SB 504
602-2420-06
1 Section 1. Section 1009.892, Florida Statutes, is
2 created to read:
3 1009.892 Florida Reimbursement Grant Program to
4 Provide Postsecondary Psycho-Educational Testing to Students
5 with Disabilities.--
6 (1) There is created the Florida Reimbursement Grant
7 Program to Provide Postsecondary Psycho-Educational Testing
8 for Students with Disabilities. The State Board of Education
9 shall adopt rules for administering the program, and the
10 department shall administer the program. It is the intent of
11 the Legislature that this program provide to eligible students
12 with disabilities reimbursement for postsecondary
13 psycho-educational testing conducted by postsecondary
14 institutions, or conducted by private providers under contract
15 with postsecondary institutions, to assist in providing the
16 appropriate accommodations and services for students who have
17 specified learning and cognitive disabilities.
18 (2)(a) A grant may be made under this section only to
19 an eligible student with disabilities who:
20 1. Is enrolled in a degree, certificate, or diploma
21 program;
22 2. Is enrolled in at least 6 semester hours per term,
23 or the equivalent thereof, at a state university, community
24 college, or private postsecondary institution in this state
25 which requires documentation for accommodations for
26 disabilities;
27 3. Meets the general requirements for student
28 eligibility as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise
29 provided in this section; and
30 4. Has a disability or disabilities as documented
31 under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SB 504
602-2420-06
1 (b) The grants shall be awarded annually for the cost
2 of psycho-educational testing required by participating
3 institutions, and the postsecondary institution shall
4 determine the cost in an amount not to exceed $1,000.
5 (c) Any required psycho-educational testing for
6 students with disabilities must be considered a part of the
7 student's cost of attendance. An eligible student with a
8 disability who applies for a Florida Reimbursement Grant to
9 Provide Postsecondary Psycho-Educational Testing for Students
10 with Disabilities must also apply for the Pell Grant. A
11 student's entitlement to a Pell Grant must be considered in
12 determining need when conducting an assessment of the
13 financial resources available to the student. The
14 participating institution shall defer the cost of required
15 psycho-educational testing for eligible students.
16 (3) Each participating institution shall report to the
17 department, by a date stipulated by the department, the number
18 of eligible students to whom grant moneys are disbursed each
19 academic term and the necessary demographic and eligibility
20 data concerning such students.
21 (4)(a) The amount that may be awarded for each grant
22 under this section must be specified in the General
23 Appropriations Act. The funds appropriated for such grants
24 must be transmitted to the president of an eligible
25 institution, or to his or her designated representative, in
26 advance of the registration period.
27 (b) A student's eligibility to receive a disbursement
28 under this section shall be determined by each institution as
29 of the end of its regular registration period, inclusive of a
30 drop-add period. The institution need not reevaluate a
31 student's eligibility status after that date for purposes of
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Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SB 504
602-2420-06
1 changing eligibility determinations previously made. The
2 institution in which an eligible student is enrolled shall
3 notify the student of the amount of his or her award.
4 (c) Each participating institution shall certify to
5 the department the amount of funds disbursed to each eligible
6 student under this section and shall remit to the department
7 any undisbursed advances or refunds within 60 days after the
8 end of regular registration.
9 (5) This section shall be implemented only to the
10 extent specifically funded and authorized by law.
11 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.
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13 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
14 Senate Bill 504
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16 The Committee Substitute for SB 504 fixes a technicality by
changing the term "psycho-academic testing" to
17 "psycho-educational testing". It also expands eligible costs
which may be reimbursed under the grant program established in
18 the bill to include psycho-educational testing conducted by
private providers under contract with post secondary
19 institutions.
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