Florida Senate - 2021 SB 52
By Senator Rodrigues
27-00652A-21 202152__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education; amending
3 s. 1009.25, F.S.; clarifying fee exemptions for the
4 Department of Children and Families; creating s.
5 1009.30, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
6 establishing the Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program;
7 providing for the administration of the program;
8 providing for the reimbursement of tuition and costs
9 to eligible postsecondary institutions; requiring
10 students participating in dual enrollment programs to
11 meet specified minimum eligibility requirements in
12 order for institutions to receive reimbursements;
13 requiring participating institutions to annually
14 report specified information to the Department of
15 Education by certain dates; providing a reimbursement
16 schedule for tuition and instructional materials
17 costs; requiring the Department of Education to
18 reimburse institutions by specified dates; providing
19 that reimbursement for dual enrollment courses is
20 contingent upon appropriations; providing for the
21 prorating of reimbursements under certain
22 circumstances; requiring the State Board of Education
23 to adopt rules; creating s. 1012.978, F.S.;
24 authorizing university boards of trustees to implement
25 a bonus scheme for state university system employees
26 based on awards for work performance or employee
27 recruitment and retention; requiring a board of
28 trustees to submit the bonus scheme to the Board of
29 Governors; requiring the Board of Governors to approve
30 such bonus scheme before its implementation; providing
31 an effective date.
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (1) of
36 section 1009.25, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
37 1009.25 Fee exemptions.—
38 (1) The following students are exempt from the payment of
39 tuition and fees, including lab fees, at a school district that
40 provides workforce education programs, Florida College System
41 institution, or state university:
42 (c) A student who is, or was at the time he or she reached
43 18 years of age, in the custody of the Department of Children
44 and Families or who, after spending at least 6 months in the
45 custody of the department after reaching 16 years of age, was
46 placed in a guardianship by the court. Such exemption includes
47 fees associated with enrollment in applied academics for adult
48 education instruction. The exemption remains valid until the
49 student reaches 28 years of age.
50 (d) A student who is, or was at the time he or she reached
51 18 years of age, in the custody of a relative or nonrelative
52 under s. 39.5085 or s. 39.6225 or who was adopted from the
53 Department of Children and Families after May 5, 1997. Such
54 exemption includes fees associated with enrollment in applied
55 academics for adult education instruction. The exemption remains
56 valid until the student reaches 28 years of age.
57 Section 2. Section 1009.30, Florida Statutes, is created to
58 read:
59 1009.30 Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program.—
60 (1) The Legislature finds and declares that dual enrollment
61 is an integral part of the education system in this state and
62 should be available for all eligible secondary students without
63 cost to the student. There is established the Dual Enrollment
64 Scholarship Program to support postsecondary institutions in
65 providing dual enrollment.
66 (2) The Department of Education shall administer the Dual
67 Enrollment Scholarship Program in accordance with rules adopted
68 by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (9).
69 (3)(a) Beginning in the 2021 fall term, the program shall
70 reimburse eligible postsecondary institutions for tuition and
71 related instructional materials costs for dual enrollment
72 courses taken by private school or home education program
73 secondary students during the fall or spring terms.
74 (b) Beginning in the 2022 summer term, the program shall
75 reimburse institutions for tuition and related instructional
76 materials costs for dual enrollment courses taken by public
77 school, private school, or home education program secondary
78 students during the summer term.
79 (4) A student participating in a dual enrollment program
80 must meet the minimum eligibility requirements specified in s.
81 1007.271 in order for the institution to receive a
82 reimbursement.
83 (5) Annually, by March 15, each participating institution
84 must report to the department any eligible secondary students
85 from private schools or home education programs who were
86 enrolled during the previous fall or spring terms. Annually, by
87 July 15, each participating institution must report to the
88 department any eligible public school, private school, or home
89 education program students who were enrolled during the summer
90 term. For each dual enrollment course in which the student is
91 enrolled, the report must include a unique student identifier,
92 the postsecondary institution name, the postsecondary course
93 number, the postsecondary course name, and the number of
94 postsecondary course credits earned by the student.
95 (6)(a) Florida College System institutions shall be
96 reimbursed at the in-state resident tuition rate established in
97 s. 1009.23(3)(a).
98 (b) State University System institutions and independent
99 postsecondary institutions shall be reimbursed at the standard
100 tuition rate established in s. 1009.24(4)(a).
101 (c) Institutions shall be reimbursed for instructional
102 materials costs based on a rate specified in the General
103 Appropriations Act.
104 (7) For dual enrollment courses taken during the fall and
105 spring terms, the department must reimburse institutions by
106 April 15 of the same year. For dual enrollment courses taken
107 during the summer term, the department must reimburse
108 institutions by August 15 of the same year, before the beginning
109 of the next academic year.
110 (8) Reimbursement for dual enrollment courses is contingent
111 upon an appropriation in the General Appropriations Act each
112 year. If the statewide reimbursement amount is greater than the
113 appropriation, the institutional reimbursement amounts specified
114 in subsection (6) shall be prorated among the institutions that
115 have reported eligible students to the department by the
116 deadlines specified in subsection (5).
117 (9) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
118 implement this section.
119 Section 3. Section 1012.978, Florida Statutes, is created
120 to read:
121 1012.978 Bonuses for state university system employees.
122 Notwithstanding s. 215.425(3)(d), a university board of trustees
123 may implement a bonus scheme based on awards for work
124 performance or employee recruitment and retention. The board of
125 trustees must submit to the Board of Governors the bonus scheme,
126 including the evaluation criteria by which a bonus will be
127 awarded. The Board of Governors must approve any bonus scheme
128 created under this section before its implementation.
129 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.