Florida Senate - 2019                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 442
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       The Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and Space (Lee)
       recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended
    6  to read:
    7         1004.096 College credit for military experience and
    8  training and education courses.—
    9         (1)In consultation with the Department of Veterans’
   10  Affairs, the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
   11  State Board of Education shall adopt rules that create a uniform
   12  system that enables enable eligible servicemembers or veterans
   13  of the United States Armed Forces to earn postsecondary academic
   14  college credit at public postsecondary educational institutions
   15  for experience and college-level training and education acquired
   16  in the military. The regulations and rules shall include
   17  procedures for credential evaluation and the award of
   18  postsecondary academic college credit, including, but not
   19  limited to, equivalency and alignment of military coursework
   20  with appropriate postsecondary college courses, and course
   21  descriptions, type and amount of college credit that may be
   22  awarded, and transfer of credit.
   23         (2)The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall convene a
   24  workgroup by August 31, 2019, to develop a uniform process for
   25  determining when military experience and credentials are
   26  appropriate for postsecondary credit and to meet the
   27  requirements of this section.
   28         (a)The workgroup shall be composed of the following 13
   29  members:
   30         1.The chair of the Articulation Coordinating Committee,
   31  who shall serve as chair.
   32         2.Four members representing academic affairs
   33  administrators and faculty from state universities, appointed by
   34  the chair of the Board of Governors.
   35         3.Four members representing academic affairs
   36  administrators and faculty from Florida College System
   37  institutions, appointed by the chair of the State Board of
   38  Education.
   39         4.Two members representing faculty from career centers,
   40  appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.
   41         5.Two members representing veterans, appointed by the
   42  executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
   43         (b)The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide
   44  administrative support for the workgroup.
   45         (c)The workgroup shall provide recommendations regarding a
   46  uniform process for determining postsecondary course
   47  equivalencies and the minimum credit that must be awarded for
   48  military experience and credentials to the Board of Governors
   49  and the State Board of Education by December 1, 2019, for
   50  approval at the next publicly noticed meeting of each board.
   51         (d)The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall
   52  facilitate the review of military experience and credentials for
   53  postsecondary course equivalencies and the amount of credit that
   54  must be awarded beginning no later than January 1, 2020, in
   55  accordance with the approved process.
   56         (e)The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall approve a
   57  list of postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
   58  credit that must be awarded for military experience and
   59  credentials no later than November 30, 2020, and annually
   60  thereafter. The Board of Governors and the State Board of
   61  Education shall adopt the list approved by the Articulation
   62  Coordinating Committee at the next publicly noticed meeting of
   63  each board.
   64         (f)State universities, Florida College System
   65  institutions, and career centers must award postsecondary credit
   66  for military experience and credentials based on the list
   67  adopted by the Board of Governors and the State Board of
   68  Education, if the credit is applicable toward the student’s
   69  degree or certificate. Institutions may award additional
   70  postsecondary credit if appropriate. Credit awarded in
   71  accordance with minimum credit requirements is guaranteed to
   72  transfer to other state universities, Florida College System
   73  institutions, and career centers as if the credit were earned at
   74  the receiving institution.
   75         Section 2. Subsection (16) is added to section 1009.26,
   76  Florida Statutes, to read:
   77         1009.26 Fee waivers.—
   78         (16)(a)A state university, Florida College System
   79  institution, career center operated by a school district under
   80  s. 1001.44, or charter technical career center shall waive the
   81  transcript fee for a person who is an active duty member or an
   82  honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces of the United
   83  States and his or her spouse and dependents.
   84         (b)Each state university, Florida College System
   85  institution, career center operated by a school district under
   86  s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center shall report to
   87  the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education,
   88  respectively, the number and value of fee waivers granted
   89  annually under this subsection.
   90         (c)The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
   91  shall respectively adopt regulations and rules to administer
   92  this subsection.
   93         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
   94  
   95  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   96  And the title is amended as follows:
   97         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   98  and insert:
   99                        A bill to be entitled                      
  100         An act relating to postsecondary education for certain
  101         military personnel; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.;
  102         requiring the Board of Governors and State Board of
  103         Education, in consultation with the Department of
  104         Veterans’ Affairs, to create a uniform system for the
  105         award of postsecondary credit to certain
  106         servicemembers and veterans of the United States Armed
  107         Forces; requiring the Articulation Coordinating
  108         Committee to convene a workgroup by a specified date;
  109         providing membership and duties of the workgroup;
  110         providing administrative support for the workgroup;
  111         requiring the workgroup to provide recommendations to
  112         the Board of Governors and State Board of Education by
  113         a specified date; requiring the Articulation
  114         Coordinating Committee to review and identify military
  115         experience and credentials for postsecondary credit by
  116         a specified date; requiring the Articulation
  117         Coordinating Committee to approve and the Board of
  118         Governors and State Board of Education to adopt a
  119         specified list; requiring certain postsecondary
  120         institutions to award credit for specified military
  121         experience and credentials; authorizing the award of
  122         additional credits; requiring that certain credits be
  123         transferrable between specified postsecondary
  124         institutions; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; requiring
  125         specified postsecondary institutions to waive the
  126         transcript fee for active duty members of the Armed
  127         Forces of the United States, certain veterans, and
  128         their spouses and dependents; providing reporting
  129         requirements for such institutions; requiring the
  130         Board of Governors and the State Board of Education,
  131         respectively, to adopt regulations and rules;
  132         providing an effective date.