CS/HB 717

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Hospitality Education Program;
3	amending s. 509.302, F.S.; defining the term "hospitality
4	industry"; revising the purpose of the program to focus on
5	certain training and transition programs; requiring a
6	statewide nonprofit organization that receives the
7	program's grant funding to represent a hospitality
8	industry in the state; requiring the Division of Hotels
9	and Restaurants of the Department of Business and
10	Professional Regulation to use a portion of certain annual
11	licenses fees for programs directed to careers in the
12	restaurant industry and a portion of the fees for programs
13	directed to careers in the lodging industry; authorizing
14	the division to use a portion of the fees for
15	administration of the program; deleting provisions related
16	to the allocation of the funds to various programs;
17	revising the criteria for the award of grants to conform
18	to changes made by the act; removing an expired provision
19	that authorized administrative fines to be used for the
20	program; providing an effective date.
21
22	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24	Section 1.  Section 509.302, Florida Statutes, is amended
25	to read:
26	509.302  Hospitality Education Program.--
27	(1)(a)  The division shall administer an educational
28	program, designated the "Hospitality Education Program," offered
29	for the benefit of the hospitality restaurant and lodging
30	industries of this state. As used in this section, the term
31	"hospitality industry" means the restaurant industry or the
32	lodging industry.
33	(b)  The This program may affiliate with Florida State
34	University, Florida International University, and the University
35	of Central Florida. The program may also affiliate with any
36	other member of the State University System or Florida Community
37	College System, or with any privately funded college or
38	university, which offers a program of hospitality administration
39	and management.
40	(c)  The purpose primary goal of the this program is to
41	provide, support, and enhance instruct and train all individuals
42	and businesses licensed under this chapter, in cooperation with
43	recognized associations that represent the licensees, in the
44	application of state and federal laws and rules. Such programs
45	shall also include:
46	(a)  Management training.
47	(b)  Inservice continuing education programs.
48	(c)  Awareness of food-recovery programs, as promoted in s.
49	570.0725.
50	(d)  Enhancement of school-to-career training and
51	transition programs for students interested in pursuing careers
52	in a hospitality the food service or lodging industry.
53	(d)  The training and transition programs shall be funded
54	provided through the public school system using a nationally
55	recognized curriculum approved by the division, with the
56	enhancements funded under this section provided by grants to one
57	or more from nonprofit statewide organizations that represent a
58	in the hospitality industry of this state. The training and
59	transition programs shall be delivered through the public school
60	system using a nationally recognized curriculum approved by the
61	division. The division shall administer the services field, and
62	the application process for the grants shall be administered by
63	the division.
64	(e)  Such other programs as may be deemed appropriate by
65	the director and the advisory council.
66	(2)(a)  All public lodging establishments and all public
67	food service establishments licensed under this chapter shall
68	pay an annual fee of no more than $10, which shall be included
69	in the annual license fee and used for the sole purpose of
70	funding the Hospitality Education Program.
71	(b)  The division shall use at least 68 percent of the
72	funds collected under paragraph (a) for programs directed to
73	careers in the restaurant industry and at least 14 percent of
74	the funds for programs directed to careers in the lodging
75	industry. If the division does not receive a sufficient number
76	of grant applications, which are submitted timely and comply
77	with the division's requirements, to use all of the funds
78	reserved for programs directed to careers in one of the
79	industries, the division may use the remaining funds for
80	programs directed to careers in the other industry.
81	(c)  The division may use up to 10 percent of the funds
82	collected under paragraph (a) for administration of the program.
83	(3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
84	contrary, grant funding under this section for the services
85	described in paragraph (1)(d) shall include all expenses related
86	incident to providing the programs those services, including the
87	cost of staff support; student scholarships; compensation to
88	program instructors for time spent in relevant training; special
89	events or competitive events; and a reasonable stipend for
90	travel, lodging, and meals for instructors and students
91	participating in training or in related special events. All of
92	an applicant's such expenses must shall be consistent in
93	accordance with the budget submitted by the applicant in the
94	grant application and approved by the division. The expenditure
95	of all funds distributed under this section is shall be subject
96	to audit by the division.
97	(4)  The director shall develop formulate an annual budget,
98	programs, and activities to accomplish the purposes of this
99	section, in accordance with and subject to the advice and
100	recommendations of the advisory council.
101	(a)  The annual budget of the Hospitality Education Program
102	must show that the total fees estimated to be collected during
103	the next fiscal year under this section will be dedicated solely
104	to the estimated cost of funding the Hospitality Education
105	Program, less any trust fund service charge imposed by s.
106	215.20. If the estimated cost of funding the Hospitality
107	Education Program in any fiscal year is less than the total fees
108	estimated to be collected during that year, the director shall
109	submit a report to the advisory council demonstrating why the
110	amount of the such fee should not be immediately reduced to
111	eliminate the projected surplus. The director shall also submit
112	this report to the Secretary of Business and Professional
113	Regulation as part of the division's annual budget request.
114	(b)  Both the secretary's legislative budget requests
115	submitted under pursuant to ss. 216.023 and 216.031 and the
116	Governor's recommended budget submitted under pursuant to s.
117	216.163 must also show that the total fees estimated to be
118	collected during the next fiscal year under this section will be
119	dedicated solely to funding the Hospitality Education Program,
120	less any trust fund service charge imposed by s. 215.20. If the
121	estimated cost of funding the Hospitality Education Program in
122	any fiscal year is less than the total fees estimated to be
123	collected during that year, the secretary shall submit a report
124	demonstrating why the amount of the such fee should not be
125	immediately reduced to eliminate the projected surplus.
126	(5)  The director, with the consent of the advisory
127	council, may designate funds, not to exceed $250,000 annually,
128	to support school-to-career transition programs available
129	through statewide organizations in the hospitality services
130	field. Such programs shall be designed to prepare students for
131	progressive careers in the hospitality industry. The director,
132	with the consent of the advisory council, may also designate
133	funds, not to exceed $50,000 annually, to support food safety
134	training programs available through statewide organizations in
135	the hospitality services field, and not to exceed $50,000
136	annually, to support nontransient public lodging training
137	programs available through statewide organizations in the public
138	lodging services field.
139	(5)(6)  The director shall supervise have supervision over
140	the administration of the programs set forth in this section
141	subsection and shall report the status of the programs at all
142	meetings of the advisory council and at such other times as are
143	prescribed by the advisory council.
144	(6)(7)  The division shall adopt rules providing the
145	criteria for grant approval and the procedures for processing
146	grant applications. The criteria and procedures must shall be
147	approved by the advisory council. The criteria shall give
148	primary consideration to the experience and history of the
149	applicant in representing a hospitality the food service or
150	lodging industry in the state, the applicant's prior commitment
151	to school-to-career transition programs in a hospitality the
152	food service or lodging industry, and the applicant's
153	demonstrated ability to provide services statewide with industry
154	support and participation. Grants awarded under this section
155	shall be for a term of 4 years, with funding provided on an
156	annual basis.
157	(8)  Revenue from administrative fines may be used to
158	support this section. This subsection expires July 1, 2008.
159	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.