Florida Senate - 2023                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1272
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì590406ÂÎ590406                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/25/2023           .                                
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       The Committee on Appropriations (Simon) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 1009.521, Florida Statutes, is created
    6  to read:
    7         1009.521Educational grants to former eligible tuition
    8  assistance grant students.—
    9         (1)(a) The department shall issue a grant pursuant to s.
   10  1009.89 to any full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student
   11  who meets the requirements of s. 1009.89(4)(a) and (b)1. and is
   12  registered at an independent nonprofit university that, as of
   13  January 1, 2021, was eligible for the Access to Better Learning
   14  and Education Grant Program, as created by former s. 1009.891,
   15  if such university has been located in this state for more than
   16  20 years; offers nursing programs at its Florida campus which
   17  include licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN),
   18  including associate of science in nursing (ASN) and bachelor of
   19  science in nursing (BSN), accelerated BSN, practical nurse
   20  bridge to ASN, and practical nurse bridge to BSN; and is
   21  accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
   22         (b) The department shall issue a grant pursuant to s.
   23  1009.89 to any full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student
   24  who meets the requirements of s. 1009.89(4)(a) and (b)1. and is
   25  registered at an independent for-profit college or university
   26  located in and chartered by this state, accredited by an
   27  accrediting agency or association recognized by the database
   28  created and maintained by the United States Department of
   29  Education, was licensed by the department on or before October
   30  1, 2021, and has Level 6 accreditation from the Commission on
   31  Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
   32         (2) An institution that meets the criteria specified in
   33  paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b) may not be a state
   34  university or Florida College System institution. In addition,
   35  the institution must have a secular purpose, and the receipt of
   36  state aid by students at the institution may not have the
   37  primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in an
   38  excessive entanglement between the state and any religious sect.
   39         (3) To qualify for funding under this section, an
   40  institution must exercise a one-time option to participate by
   41  notifying the department, in writing, of its decision to
   42  participate on or before September 1, 2023, and must comply with
   43  s. 1009.89(5)(a)-(c).
   44         Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   45  1009.40, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   46         (1)(a) The general requirements for eligibility of students
   47  for state financial aid awards and tuition assistance grants
   48  consist of the following:
   49         1. Achievement of the academic requirements of and
   50  acceptance at a state university or Florida College System
   51  institution; a nursing diploma school approved by the Florida
   52  Board of Nursing; a Florida college or university which is
   53  accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the State
   54  Board of Education; a Florida institution the credits of which
   55  are acceptable for transfer to state universities; a career
   56  center; or a private career institution accredited by an
   57  accrediting agency recognized by the State Board of Education.
   58         2. Residency in this state for no less than 1 year
   59  preceding the award of aid or a tuition assistance grant for a
   60  program established pursuant to s. 1009.50, s. 1009.505, s.
   61  1009.51, s. 1009.52, s. 1009.521, s. 1009.53, s. 1009.60, s.
   62  1009.62, s. 1009.72, s. 1009.73, s. 1009.75, s. 1009.77, s.
   63  1009.89, or s. 1009.894. Residency in this state must be for
   64  purposes other than to obtain an education. Resident status for
   65  purposes of receiving state financial aid awards shall be
   66  determined in the same manner as resident status for tuition
   67  purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21.
   68         3. Submission of certification attesting to the accuracy,
   69  completeness, and correctness of information provided to
   70  demonstrate a student’s eligibility to receive state financial
   71  aid awards or tuition assistance grants. Falsification of such
   72  information shall result in the denial of a pending application
   73  and revocation of an award or grant currently held to the extent
   74  that no further payments shall be made. Additionally, students
   75  who knowingly make false statements in order to receive state
   76  financial aid awards or tuition assistance grants commit a
   77  misdemeanor of the second degree subject to the provisions of s.
   78  837.06 and shall be required to return all state financial aid
   79  awards or tuition assistance grants wrongfully obtained.
   80         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
   81  
   82  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   83  And the title is amended as follows:
   84         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   85  and insert:
   86                        A bill to be entitled                      
   87         An act relating to educational grants; creating s.
   88         1009.521, F.S.; providing education grants under the
   89         William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student
   90         Education Grant Program to certain students who were
   91         eligible as of a specified date to receive grants
   92         under the former Access to Better Learning and
   93         Education Grant Program; providing education grants to
   94         eligible students at for-profit colleges or
   95         universities under certain conditions; prescribing
   96         criteria for participating institutions; requiring
   97         that institutions that wish to participate provide
   98         notice to the Department of Education by a certain
   99         date; requiring that such institutions comply with
  100         specified provision; amending s. 1009.40, F.S.; adding
  101         a cross reference to the eligibility requirement for
  102         residency; providing an effective date.