HB 505

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to state universities; amending s.
31001.74, F.S.; redefining the term "continuing contract"
4as it relates to construction costs in order to increase
5certain cost thresholds; amending s. 1009.24, F.S.;
6authorizing university boards of trustees to establish a
7renewable energy fee under certain circumstances;
8providing that the fee not exceed a specified amount;
9limiting the use of such fee; establishing a renewable
10energy fee committee; providing for membership; providing
11terms; providing for a referendum on continuing or
12discontinuing the fee; authorizing the university to
13reestablish the fee; amending ss. 1009.01 and 1009.98,
14F.S.; conforming cross-references; amending s. 1013.64,
15F.S.; increasing the cost threshold at which a minor
16facility may be replaced; amending s. 1013.78, F.S.;
17conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
18providing an effective date.
19
20Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22     Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
231001.74, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
24     1001.74  Powers and duties of university boards of
25trustees.-
26     (2)  POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO ORGANIZATION AND
27OPERATION OF STATE UNIVERSITIES.-
28     (a)  Each board of trustees constitutes the contracting
29agent of the university. Each university shall comply with the
30provisions of s. 287.055 for the procurement of professional
31services and may approve and execute all contracts for planning,
32construction, and equipment. For the purpose of a university's
33contracting authority, a "continuing contract" for professional
34services under the provisions of s. 287.055 is one in which
35construction costs do not exceed $2 $1 million or the fee for
36study activity does not exceed $200,000 $100,000. Contracts
37executed pursuant to this paragraph are subject to the
38requirements of s. 1010.62.
39     Section 2.  Present subsections (14) through (18) of
40section 1009.24, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
41subsections (15) through (19), respectively, and a new
42subsection (14) is added to that section to read:
43     1009.24  State university student fees.-
44     (14)(a)  Each university board of trustees may establish a
45renewable energy fee to be paid by all students if the fee is
46approved by the student body of the university that seeks to
47establish the fee. In order to establish the fee, a referendum
48of the university's student body must be requested by the
49student legislative body and conducted by the student
50government. The referendum must include the proposed amount of
51the fee and an explanation of its purpose. A university's board
52of trustees may not establish the fee without the approval of a
53majority of the students participating in the referendum.
54     (b)  A renewable energy fee established under this
55subsection may not exceed $1 per credit hour during its first
56year of implementation. The initial amount of the fee must be in
57accordance with the referendum described in paragraph (a) and
58may be changed only if approved by a referendum of the student
59body. The fee may not be included in any award under s. 1009.531
60or s. 1009.532.
61     (c)  The renewable energy fee shall be expended only for
62establishing or improving the use of renewable energy
63technologies or energy efficiencies that directly lower the
64university's greenhouse gas emissions, waste, or energy costs. A
65renewable energy fee committee shall be established and shall
66vote to determine how the revenue from the fee is spent. The
67committee shall consist of no more than 12 members, to be
68appointed as follows:
69     1.  One-half of the members shall be appointed by the
70university's student body president and confirmed by the
71university's student legislative body. Appointees shall be
72confirmed within 6 months after their appointment date. However,
73an appointee who has not been confirmed or has been rejected by
74the legislative body shall serve for no more than 45 days, at
75which time a replacement must be appointed.
76     2.  One-half of the members shall be appointed by the
77university president or his or her designee.
78
79Members shall be appointed to 1-year terms and shall hold office
80until their successors are appointed and qualified. A majority
81of the committee members constitutes a quorum. A chairperson,
82who is elected by the committee, shall vote only in the case of
83a tie. The revenue from the fee which remains at the end of a
84fiscal year shall be carried over and made available for
85renewable energy expenditures consistent with this paragraph
86during the next fiscal year.
87     (d)  After the renewable energy fee is implemented for 3
88years, the university's student government shall conduct a
89referendum to assess the student body's interest in continuing
90the fee. If a majority of students participating in the
91referendum votes to discontinue the fee, the fee may not be
92collected, and any remaining revenue shall be dispensed by the
93renewable energy fee committee within 2 fiscal years after the
94referendum. The university may reestablish the fee as provided
95in paragraph (a) no sooner than 1 year after the referendum
96discontinuing the fee.
97     Section 3.  Subsection (3) of section 1009.01, Florida
98Statutes, is amended to read:
99     1009.01  Definitions.-The term:
100     (3)  "Tuition differential" means the supplemental fee
101charged to a student by a public university in this state
102pursuant to s. 1009.24(17) s. 1009.24(16).
103     Section 4.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
1041009.98, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
105     1009.98  Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program.-
106     (2)  PREPAID COLLEGE PLANS.-At a minimum, the board shall
107make advance payment contracts available for two independent
108plans to be known as the community college plan and the
109university plan. The board may also make advance payment
110contracts available for a dormitory residence plan. The board
111may restrict the number of participants in the community college
112plan, university plan, and dormitory residence plan,
113respectively. However, any person denied participation solely on
114the basis of such restriction shall be granted priority for
115participation during the succeeding year.
116     (b)1.  Through the university plan, the advance payment
117contract may provide prepaid registration fees for a specified
118number of undergraduate semester credit hours not to exceed the
119average number of hours required for the conference of a
120baccalaureate degree. Qualified beneficiaries shall bear the
121cost of any laboratory fees associated with enrollment in
122specific courses. Each qualified beneficiary shall be classified
123as a resident for tuition purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21,
124regardless of his or her actual legal residence.
125     2.  Effective July 1, 1998, the board may provide advance
126payment contracts for additional fees delineated in s.
1271009.24(9)-(12), for a specified number of undergraduate
128semester credit hours not to exceed the average number of hours
129required for the conference of a baccalaureate degree, in
130conjunction with advance payment contracts for registration
131fees. Such contracts shall provide prepaid coverage for the sum
132of such fees, to a maximum of 45 percent of the cost of
133registration fees. University plan contracts purchased prior to
134July 1, 1998, shall be limited to the payment of registration
135fees as defined in s. 1009.97.
136     3.  Effective July 1, 2007, the board may provide advance
137payment contracts for the tuition differential authorized in s.
1381009.24(17) s. 1009.24(16) for a specified number of
139undergraduate semester credit hours, which may not exceed the
140average number of hours required for the conference of a
141baccalaureate degree, in conjunction with advance payment
142contracts for registration fees.
143     4.  Effective July 1, 2009, the board may offer an advance
144payment contract for the university plan covering prepaid
145registration fees, the fees authorized in s. 1009.24(9)-(12),
146and the tuition differential authorized in s. 1009.24(17) s.
1471009.24(16). Such a contract may be offered in specific
148increments for use toward a baccalaureate degree. The total
149number of hours purchased for a qualified beneficiary may not
150exceed the average number of hours required for the conference
151of a baccalaureate degree.
152     Section 5.  Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
1531013.64, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
154     1013.64  Funds for comprehensive educational plant needs;
155construction cost maximums for school district capital
156projects.-Allocations from the Public Education Capital Outlay
157and Debt Service Trust Fund to the various boards for capital
158outlay projects shall be determined as follows:
159     (1)
160     (h)  University boards of trustees may use utilize funds
161appropriated pursuant to this section for the replacement of
162minor facilities if provided that such projects do not exceed $2
163$1 million in cost or 10,000 gross square feet in size. Minor
164facilities may not be replaced from funds provided pursuant to
165this section unless the board determines that the cost of repair
166or renovation is greater than or equal to the cost of
167replacement.
168     Section 6.  Subsection (2) of section 1013.78, Florida
169Statutes, is amended to read:
170     1013.78  Approval required for certain university-related
171facility acquisitions.-
172     (2)  Legislative approval is shall not be required for
173renovations, remodeling, replacement of existing facilities, or
174construction of minor facilities projects as defined in s.
1751013.64, except to the extent required pursuant to s. 1010.62.
176     Section 7.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.