Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 938
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00665A-21                                           2021938__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Purple Star Campuses; creating s.
    3         1003.051, F.S.; defining the term “military student”;
    4         requiring the Department of Education to establish the
    5         Purple Star Campus program; specifying program
    6         criteria for participating schools; authorizing the
    7         department to establish additional program eligibility
    8         criteria; authorizing schools to partner with school
    9         districts to meet such criteria; requiring the
   10         department to adopt rules; providing an effective
   11         date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 1003.051, Florida Statutes, is created
   16  to read:
   17         1003.051 Purple Star Campuses.—
   18         (1) As used in this section, the term “military student”
   19  means a student who is:
   20         (a) Enrolled in a school district, charter school, or any
   21  school or educational institution participating in an
   22  educational choice scholarship program established pursuant to
   23  chapter 1002; and
   24         (b) A dependent of a current member of the United States
   25  military serving on active duty in, or a former member of, the
   26  Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, a reserve
   27  component of any branch of the United States military, or the
   28  Florida National Guard.
   29         (2)(a) The Department of Education shall establish the
   30  Purple Star Campus program. At a minimum, the program must
   31  require a participating school to:
   32         1. Designate a staff member as a military liaison.
   33         2. Maintain a webpage on the school’s website which
   34  includes resources for military students and their families.
   35         3. Maintain a student-led transition program that assists
   36  military students in transitioning into the school.
   37         4. Offer professional development training opportunities
   38  for staff members on issues relating to military students.
   39         (b) The department may establish additional program
   40  eligibility criteria by rule.
   41         (3) A school may partner with a school district to procure
   42  digital, professional development, or other assistance necessary
   43  for the school to meet the criteria specified in subsection (2).
   44         (4) The department shall adopt rules to implement this
   45  section.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.