The Florida Senate

¹509.302  Hospitality Education Program.--

(1)  The division shall administer an educational program, designated the "Hospitality Education Program," offered for the benefit of the restaurant and lodging industries of this state. This program may affiliate with Florida State University, Florida International University, and the University of Central Florida. The program may also affiliate with any other member of the State University System or Florida Community College System, or with any privately funded college or university, which offers a program of hospitality administration and management. The primary goal of this program is to instruct and train all individuals and businesses licensed under this chapter, in cooperation with recognized associations that represent the licensees, in the application of state and federal laws and rules. Such programs shall also include:

(a)  Management training.

(b)  Inservice continuing education programs.

(c)  Awareness of food-recovery programs, as promoted in s. 570.0725

(d)  Enhancement of school-to-career training and transition programs for students interested in pursuing careers in the food service or lodging industry. Training and transition programs shall be provided through the public school system using a nationally recognized curriculum approved by the division, with the enhancements funded under this section provided by grants from nonprofit statewide organizations in the hospitality services field, and the application process for the grants shall be administered by the division.

(e)  Such other programs as may be deemed appropriate by the director and the advisory council.

(2)  All public lodging establishments and all public food service establishments licensed under this chapter shall pay an annual fee of no more than $10, which shall be included in the annual license fee and used for the sole purpose of funding the Hospitality Education Program.

(3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, grant funding under this section for the services described in paragraph (1)(d) shall include all expenses incident to providing those services, including the cost of staff support; student scholarships; compensation to program instructors for time spent in relevant training; special events or competitive events; and a reasonable stipend for travel, lodging, and meals for instructors and students participating in training or in related special events. All such expenses shall be in accordance with the budget submitted by the applicant in the grant application and approved by the division. The expenditure of all funds distributed under this section shall be subject to audit by the division.

(4)  The director shall formulate an annual budget, programs, and activities to accomplish the purposes of this section, in accordance with and subject to the advice and recommendations of the advisory council.

(a)  The annual budget of the Hospitality Education Program must show that the total fees estimated to be collected during the next fiscal year under this section will be dedicated solely to the estimated cost of funding the Hospitality Education Program, less any trust fund service charge imposed by s. 215.20 If the estimated cost of funding the Hospitality Education Program in any fiscal year is less than the total fees estimated to be collected during that year, the director shall submit a report to the advisory council demonstrating why the amount of such fee should not be immediately reduced to eliminate the projected surplus. The director shall also submit this report to the Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation as part of the division's annual budget request.

(b)  Both the secretary's legislative budget requests submitted pursuant to ss. 216.023 and 216.031 and the Governor's recommended budget submitted pursuant to s. 216.163 must also show that the total fees estimated to be collected during the next fiscal year under this section will be dedicated solely to funding the Hospitality Education Program, less any trust fund service charge imposed by s. 215.20 If the estimated cost of funding the Hospitality Education Program in any fiscal year is less than the total fees estimated to be collected during that year, the secretary shall submit a report demonstrating why the amount of such fee should not be immediately reduced to eliminate the projected surplus.

(5)  The director, with the consent of the advisory council, may designate funds, not to exceed $250,000 annually, to support school-to-career transition programs available through statewide organizations in the hospitality services field. Such programs shall be designed to prepare students for progressive careers in the hospitality industry. The director, with the consent of the advisory council, may also designate funds, not to exceed $50,000 annually, to support food safety training programs available through statewide organizations in the hospitality services field, and not to exceed $50,000 annually, to support nontransient public lodging training programs available through statewide organizations in the public lodging services field.

(6)  The director shall have supervision over the administration of the programs set forth in this subsection and shall report the status of the programs at all meetings of the advisory council and at such other times as are prescribed by the advisory council.

(7)  The division shall adopt rules providing the criteria for grant approval and the procedures for processing grant applications. The criteria and procedures shall be approved by the advisory council. The criteria shall give primary consideration to the experience and history of the applicant in representing the food service or lodging industry, the applicant's prior commitment to school-to-career transition programs in the food service or lodging industry, and the applicant's demonstrated ability to provide services statewide with industry support and participation. Grants awarded under this section shall be for a term of 4 years, with funding provided on an annual basis.

²(8)  Revenue from administrative fines may be used to support this section. This subsection expires July 1, 2008.

History.--s. 2, ch. 61-257; s. 2, ch. 63-204; s. 2, ch. 73-296; s. 1, ch. 75-294; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 39, 42, ch. 79-240; ss. 3, 4, ch. 81-161; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 2, 4, ch. 82-84; s. 5, ch. 86-174; ss. 34, 51, 52, ch. 90-339; s. 14, ch. 91-40; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 10, ch. 96-384; s. 5, ch. 98-283; s. 48, ch. 2000-154; s. 5, ch. 2002-299; s. 58, ch. 2004-357; ss. 36, 54, ch. 2007-73; s. 2, ch. 2007-237.

¹Note.--

A.  Section 36, ch. 2007-73, added subsection (9) "[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 2467 of the 2007-2008 General Appropriations Act.

B.  Section 54, ch. 2007-73, provides that "[i]f any other act passed in 2007 contains a provision that is substantively the same as a provision in this act, but that removes or is otherwise not subject to the future repeal applied to such provision by this act, the Legislature intends that the provision in the other act shall take precedence and shall continue to operate, notwithstanding the future repeal provided by this act." Section 2, ch. 2007-237, amended s. 509.302(7), renumbered as s. 509.302(5), to add the same provision, relating to authorization of up to $250,000 to support school-to-career transition programs available through statewide organizations in the hospitality services field, that was added as subsection (9) by s. 36, ch. 2007-73, and did not include a repeal provision.

²Note.--Section 36, ch. 2007-73, added subsection (8) "[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 2467 of the 2007-2008 General Appropriations Act."