Florida Senate - 2025                              CS for SB 742
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Simon
       
       
       
       
       
       581-03084-25                                           2025742c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to workforce education; amending s.
    3         1011.801, F.S.; providing that charter schools are
    4         eligible for the Workforce Development Capitalization
    5         Incentive Grant Program; amending s. 1011.803, F.S.;
    6         revising the number of programs school districts and
    7         Florida College System institutions must offer money
    8         back guarantees for through the money-back guarantee
    9         program by a specified date; requiring school
   10         districts and Florida College System institutions to
   11         report such programs to the State Board of Education;
   12         providing requirements for specified student
   13         eligibility criteria for tuition reimbursement under
   14         the program; revising reporting requirements;
   15         providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Section 1011.801, Florida Statutes, is amended
   20  to read:
   21         1011.801 Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive
   22  Grant Program.—The Legislature recognizes that the need for
   23  school districts, charter schools, and Florida College System
   24  institutions to be able to respond to emerging local or
   25  statewide economic development needs is critical to the
   26  workforce development system. The Workforce Development
   27  Capitalization Incentive Grant Program is created to provide
   28  grants to school districts, charter schools, and Florida College
   29  System institutions to fund some or all of the costs associated
   30  with the creation or expansion of career and technical education
   31  programs that lead to industry certifications included on the
   32  CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. The programs may serve
   33  secondary students or postsecondary students if the
   34  postsecondary career and technical education program also serves
   35  secondary students.
   36         (1) Funds awarded for a workforce development
   37  capitalization incentive grant may be used for instructional
   38  equipment, laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, student
   39  services, or other expenses associated with the creation or
   40  expansion of a career and technical education program that
   41  serves secondary students. Expansion of a program may include
   42  either the expansion of enrollments in a program or expansion
   43  into new areas of specialization within a program. No grant
   44  funds may be used for recurring instructional costs or for
   45  institutions’ indirect costs.
   46         (2) The Department of Education shall administer the
   47  program. The State Board of Education may adopt rules for
   48  program administration. The State Board of Education shall
   49  consider the statewide geographic dispersion of grant funds in
   50  ranking the applications and shall give priority to applications
   51  from education agencies that are making maximum use of their
   52  workforce development funding by offering high-performing, high
   53  demand programs.
   54         Section 2. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 1011.803,
   55  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   56         1011.803 Money-back Guarantee Program.—
   57         (2) Each school district and Florida College System
   58  institution shall establish a money-back guarantee program to:
   59         (a) Offer a money-back guarantee on at least three
   60  programs. However, by July 1, 2026, each school district and
   61  Florida College System institution must offer a money-back
   62  guarantee on at least three additional programs and notify the
   63  State Board of Education of such programs.
   64         (b) Establish student eligibility criteria for the
   65  reimbursement of tuition under the money-back guarantee program
   66  that includes:
   67         1. Student attendance.
   68         2. Student program performance.
   69         3. Career Service or Career Day attendance.
   70         4. Participation in internship or work-study programs.
   71         5. Job search documentation.
   72         6. Development of a student career plan with the
   73  institution’s career services department.
   74  
   75  Enrollment in a program established pursuant to this subsection
   76  constitutes enrollment in the money-back guarantee program.
   77  Eligibility criteria for the reimbursement of tuition
   78  established by the school district or Florida College System
   79  institution pursuant to subparagraphs 4. and 5. may not exceed
   80  the work search requirements under s. 443.091.
   81         (4) By November 1 of each year, the Department of Education
   82  shall report performance results and eligibility criteria for
   83  the reimbursement of tuition by school district, Florida College
   84  System institution, and program to the Governor, the President
   85  of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
   86         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.