The Florida Senate

1011.48  Establishment of educational research centers for child development.--

(1)  Upon approval of the university president, the student government association of any state university may establish an educational research center for child development in accordance with the provisions of this section. Each such center shall be a child day care center established to provide care for the children of students, both graduate and undergraduate, faculty, and other staff and employees of the university and to provide an opportunity for interested schools or departments of the university to conduct educational research programs and establish internship programs within such centers. Whenever possible, such center shall be located on the campus of the university. There shall be a director of each center, selected by the board of directors of the center.

(2)  There shall be a board of directors for each educational research center for child development, consisting of the president of the university or his or her designee, the student government president or his or her designee, the chair of each department participating in the center or his or her designee, and one parent for each 50 children enrolled in the center, elected by the parents of children enrolled in the center. The director of the center shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the board. The board shall establish local policies and perform local oversight and operational guidance for the center.

(3)  Each center is authorized to charge fees for the care and services it provides. Such fees must be approved by the State Board of Education and may be imposed on a sliding scale based on ability to pay or any other factors deemed relevant by the board.

(4)  The State Board of Education is authorized and directed to promulgate rules for the establishment, operation, and supervision of educational research centers for child development. Such rules shall include, but need not be limited to: a defined method of establishment of and participation in the operation of centers by the appropriate student government associations; guidelines for the establishment of an intern program in each center; and guidelines for the receipt and monitoring of funds from grants and other sources of funds consistent with existing laws.

(5)  Each educational research center for child development shall be funded by a portion of the Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee established by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1009.24(7). Each university that establishes a center shall receive a portion of such fees collected from the students enrolled at that university, usable only at that university, equal to 22.5 cents per student per credit hour taken per term, based on the summer term and fall and spring semesters. This allocation shall be used by the university only for the establishment and operation of a center as provided by this section and rules promulgated hereunder. Said allocation may be made only after all bond obligations required to be paid from such fees have been met.

History.--s. 642, ch. 2002-387.