Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 540
       
       
        
       By Senator Campbell
       
       38-00754-17                                            2017540__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
    3         Scholarship Program; amending s. 1009.532, F.S.;
    4         revising the criteria for renewal of Florida Bright
    5         Futures Scholarship Program awards to include a
    6         minimum number of volunteer service work hours;
    7         providing applicability; specifying the requirements
    8         for eligible volunteer service work; prohibiting the
    9         use of hours earned from certain work to satisfy the
   10         requirement; requiring that earned volunteer service
   11         work hours be documented in writing and signed by the
   12         student and the individual, or representative of such
   13         individual, or a representative of the organization
   14         for which the work was performed; providing an
   15         exception for a student who enlists in military
   16         service; providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (1) of
   21  section 1009.532, Florida Statutes, to read:
   22         1009.532 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
   23  student eligibility requirements for renewal awards.—
   24         (1) To be eligible to renew a scholarship from any of the
   25  three types of scholarships under the Florida Bright Futures
   26  Scholarship Program, a student must:
   27         (d) For a student initially eligible in the 2017-2018
   28  academic term and thereafter, complete at least 30 hours of
   29  volunteer service work during the academic term or summer term.
   30         1. The volunteer service work must be performed solely by
   31  the student and may involve, but is not limited to, activities
   32  with any of the following:
   33         a. A nonprofit organization;
   34         b. A government agency;
   35         c. A school;
   36         d. A hospital;
   37         e. A retirement facility; or
   38         f. A disabled or elderly individual in need of assistance.
   39         2. A student may not use hours earned from work with a
   40  relative’s business or for which the student has received
   41  academic credit or remuneration, including money, a gift, or any
   42  other benefit, to satisfy the requirement in this paragraph.
   43         3. Any earned volunteer service work hours must be
   44  documented in writing, and signed by the student and the
   45  individual, or his or her representative if the individual is
   46  physically unable to sign, or a representative of the
   47  organization for which the student performed the volunteer
   48  service work.
   49  
   50  This paragraph does not apply to a student who enlists in the
   51  United States Armed Forces during the academic term or summer
   52  term.
   53         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.