Florida Senate - 2020                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 372
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì669140ÅÎ669140                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       The Committee on Education (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 training and education
    8  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 process
   12  that enables enable eligible servicemembers or veterans of the
   13  United States Armed Forces to earn uniform postsecondary
   14  academic college credit across all Florida at public
   15  postsecondary educational institutions for college-level
   16  training and education acquired in the military. The regulations
   17  and rules shall include procedures for credential evaluation and
   18  the uniform award of postsecondary academic college credit or
   19  career education clock hours, including, but not limited to,
   20  equivalency and alignment of military coursework with
   21  appropriate postsecondary college courses and, course
   22  descriptions, type and amount of college credit that may be
   23  awarded, and transfer of credit.
   24         (2)The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall convene a
   25  workgroup by July 15, 2020, which is responsible for developing
   26  a process for determining postsecondary course equivalencies and
   27  the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
   28  that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by
   29  individuals during their service in the military.
   30         (a)The workgroup shall be composed of the following 13
   31  members:
   32         1.The chair of the Articulation Coordinating Committee, or
   33  his or her designee, who shall serve as chair.
   34         2.Four members representing academic affairs
   35  administrators and faculty from state universities, appointed by
   36  the chair of the Board of Governors.
   37         3.Four members representing academic affairs
   38  administrators and faculty from Florida College System
   39  institutions, appointed by the chair of the State Board of
   40  Education.
   41         4.Two members representing faculty from career centers,
   42  appointed by the State Board of Education.
   43         5.Two members representing veterans, appointed by the
   44  executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
   45         (b)The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide
   46  administrative support for the workgroup.
   47         (c)The workgroup shall establish a process for
   48  prioritizing and determining postsecondary course equivalencies
   49  and the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock
   50  hours that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations
   51  held by individuals during their service in the military. The
   52  workgroup shall provide recommendations to the Board of
   53  Governors and the State Board of Education by December 1, 2020,
   54  for approval at the next meeting of each board to allow for
   55  adequate public notice.
   56         (d)Upon approval of the workgroup’s recommendations by the
   57  Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, the
   58  Articulation Coordinating Committee shall facilitate the review
   59  of courses taken and occupations held by individuals during
   60  their service in the military for postsecondary course
   61  equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career
   62  education clock hours that must be awarded in accordance with
   63  the approved process.
   64         (e)Within 1 year after approval of the workgroup’s
   65  recommendations by the Board of Governors and the State Board of
   66  Education pursuant to paragraph (c), the Articulation
   67  Coordinating Committee shall approve a prioritized list of
   68  postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary
   69  credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded for
   70  courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their
   71  service in the military. The list must be updated annually. The
   72  Board of Governors and the State Board of Education shall timely
   73  adopt the list approved by the Articulation Coordinating
   74  Committee at the next meeting of each board to allow for
   75  adequate public notice. For the purpose of statewide
   76  application, postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
   77  postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must
   78  be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by individuals
   79  during their service in the military shall be delineated by the
   80  State Board of Education and the Board of Governors in the
   81  statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1).
   82         (f)State universities, Florida College System
   83  institutions, and career centers must award postsecondary credit
   84  or career education clock hours for courses taken and
   85  occupations held by individuals during their service in the
   86  military based on the list adopted by the Board of Governors and
   87  the State Board of Education pursuant to paragraph (e) if the
   88  credit or career education clock hours are applicable toward the
   89  student’s degree or certificate. Institutions may award
   90  additional postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
   91  if appropriate. Credit or career education clock hours awarded
   92  in accordance with minimum postsecondary credit and clock hour
   93  requirements, respectively, are guaranteed to transfer to other
   94  state universities, Florida College System institutions, and
   95  career centers.
   96         Section 2. Subsection (17) is added to section 1009.26,
   97  Florida Statutes, to read:
   98         1009.26 Fee waivers.—
   99         (17)(a)Each state university, Florida College System
  100  institution, career center operated by a school district under
  101  s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center under s. 1002.34
  102  shall waive the transcript fee for a person who is an active
  103  duty member or an honorably discharged veteran of the United
  104  States Armed Forces and his or her spouse and dependents.
  105         (b)Each state university, Florida College System
  106  institution, career center operated by a school district under
  107  s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center under s. 1002.34
  108  shall report to the Board of Governors and the State Board of
  109  Education, respectively, the number and value of fee waivers
  110  granted annually under this subsection.
  111         (c)The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
  112  shall adopt regulations and rules, respectively, to administer
  113  this subsection.
  114         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
  115  
  116  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  117  And the title is amended as follows:
  118         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  119  and insert:
  120                        A bill to be entitled                      
  121         An act relating to postsecondary education for certain
  122         military personnel; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.;
  123         requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
  124         of Education, in consultation with the Department of
  125         Veterans’ Affairs, to create a process for the uniform
  126         award of postsecondary credit or career education
  127         clock hours to certain servicemembers and veterans of
  128         the United States Armed Forces; requiring the
  129         Articulation Coordinating Committee to convene a
  130         workgroup by a specified date; providing for
  131         membership and duties of the workgroup; providing
  132         administrative support for the workgroup; requiring
  133         the workgroup to provide recommendations to the Board
  134         of Governors and the State Board of Education by a
  135         specified date; requiring the Board of Governors and
  136         the State Board of Education to approve the
  137         recommendations; requiring the Articulation
  138         Coordinating Committee to facilitate the review of
  139         courses taken and occupations held by individuals
  140         during their service in the military for postsecondary
  141         credit and career education clock hours; requiring the
  142         Articulation Coordinating Committee to approve and the
  143         Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to
  144         adopt a specified list within a specified timeframe;
  145         requiring delineation of credit and career education
  146         clock hours in the statewide articulation agreement;
  147         requiring certain postsecondary institutions to award
  148         uniform postsecondary credit or career education clock
  149         hours for specified courses taken and occupations held
  150         by individuals during their service in the military;
  151         authorizing the award of additional credits or career
  152         education clock hours; requiring certain credits and
  153         career education clock hours to transfer between
  154         specified postsecondary institutions; amending s.
  155         1009.26, F.S.; requiring specified postsecondary
  156         institutions to waive the transcript fee for active
  157         duty members of the United States Armed Forces,
  158         certain veterans, and their spouses and dependents;
  159         providing reporting requirements for such fee waivers;
  160         requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
  161         of Education to adopt regulations and rules,
  162         respectively; providing an effective date.
  163