Senate Bill 0306c1

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s0300-98
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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 306

    By the Committee on Education and Senators Grant and Lee





    304-719-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to educational fees; amending

  3         ss. 239.117, 240.235, 240.35, F.S.; revising

  4         the effective date of certain fee exemptions

  5         that are provided for students who are placed

  6         in foster care or in an independent living

  7         arrangement or who are adopted from the

  8         Department of Children and Family Services;

  9         amending s. 240.289, F.S.; authorizing the use

10         of credit card, charge card, and debit card

11         payments for tuition and fees without a service

12         fee or surcharge; providing for retroactive

13         application; providing an effective date.

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of section

18  239.117, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

19         239.117  Postsecondary student fees.--

20         (4)  The following students are exempt from the payment

21  of registration, matriculation, and laboratory fees:

22         (c)  A student for whom the state is paying a foster

23  care board payment pursuant to s. 409.145(3) or pursuant to

24  parts III and V of chapter 39, for whom the permanency

25  planning goal pursuant to part V of chapter 39 is long-term

26  foster care or independent living, or who is adopted from the

27  Department of Children and Family Services after May 5

28  December 31, 1997. Such exemption includes fees associated

29  with enrollment in college-preparatory instruction and

30  completion of the college-level communication and computation

31  skills testing program. Such exemption shall be available to

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 306
    304-719-98




  1  any student adopted from the Department of Children and Family

  2  Services after May 5 December 31, 1997; however, the exemption

  3  shall be valid for no more than 4 years after the date of

  4  graduation from high school.

  5         Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section

  6  240.235, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  7         240.235  Fees.--

  8         (5)(a)  Any student for whom the state is paying a

  9  foster care board payment pursuant to s. 409.145(3) or parts

10  III and V of chapter 39, for whom the permanency planning goal

11  pursuant to part V of chapter 39 is long-term foster care or

12  independent living, or who is adopted from the Department of

13  Children and Family Services after May 5 December 31, 1997,

14  shall be exempt from the payment of all undergraduate fees,

15  including fees associated with enrollment in

16  college-preparatory instruction or completion of college-level

17  communication and computation skills testing programs.  Before

18  a fee exemption can be given, the student shall have applied

19  for and been denied financial aid, pursuant to s. 240.404,

20  which would have provided, at a minimum, payment of all

21  undergraduate fees. Such exemption shall be available to any

22  student adopted from the Department of Children and Family

23  Services after May 5 December 31, 1997; however, the exemption

24  shall be valid for no more than 4 years after the date of

25  graduation from high school.

26         Section 3.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section

27  240.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

28         240.35  Student fees.--Unless otherwise provided, the

29  provisions of this section apply only to fees charged for

30  college credit instruction leading to an associate degree,

31  including college-preparatory courses defined in s. 239.105.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 306
    304-719-98




  1         (2)(a)  Any student for whom the state is paying a

  2  foster care board payment pursuant to s. 409.145(3) or parts

  3  III and V of chapter 39, for whom the permanency planning goal

  4  pursuant to part V of chapter 39 is long-term foster care or

  5  independent living, or who is adopted from the Department of

  6  Children and Family Services after May 5 December 31, 1997,

  7  shall be exempt from the payment of all undergraduate fees,

  8  including fees associated with enrollment in

  9  college-preparatory instruction or completion of the

10  college-level communication and computation skills testing

11  program. Before a fee exemption can be given, the student

12  shall have applied for and been denied financial aid, pursuant

13  to s. 240.404, which would have provided, at a minimum,

14  payment of all student fees. Such exemption shall be available

15  to any student adopted from the Department of Children and

16  Family Services after May 5 December 31, 1997; however, the

17  exemption shall be valid for no more than 4 years after the

18  date of graduation from high school.

19         Section 4.  Section 240.289, Florida Statutes, is

20  amended to read:

21         240.289  Credit card, charge card, and debit card use

22  in university system; authority.--The several universities in

23  the State University System are authorized, notwithstanding

24  pursuant to s. 215.322, to enter into agreements and accept

25  credit card, charge card, or debit card payments as

26  compensation for goods, services, tuition, and fees in

27  accordance with rules established by the Board of Regents. The

28  rules of the board shall allow the universities to accept

29  credit card, charge card, or debit card payments for tuition,

30  nonresident tuition, and fees without collecting a service fee

31  or surcharge.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 306
    304-719-98




  1         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1998,

  2  except that this section and sections 1-3 of this act shall

  3  take effect upon becoming a law and shall apply retroactively

  4  to May 5, 1997.

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  6          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  7                              SB 306

  8

  9  The Committee Substitute differs from Senate Bill 306 in that
    it would authorize children who were adopted from the
10  Department of Children and Families between May 6, 1997, and
    December 31, 1997, to be exempt from all fees for their
11  enrollment at any public postsecondary education institution.
    Children adopted after December 31, 1997, will retain their
12  current exemption from fees as well.

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