Florida Senate - 2021                               CS for SB 52
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education; and Senator Rodrigues
       
       
       
       
       
       581-01285-21                                            202152c1
    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         1009.30Dual 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), 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.