Senate Bill 0306c2

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



    Florida Senate - 1998                    CS for CS for SB  306

    By the Committees on Governmental Reform and Oversight,
    Education and Senators Grant, Lee, Kirkpatrick, Meadows and
    Bronson



    302-1153-98

  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         providing for retroactive application;

10         providing an effective date.

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

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

15  239.117, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

16         239.117  Postsecondary student fees.--

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

18  of registration, matriculation, and laboratory fees:

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

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

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

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

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

24  Department of Children and Family Services after May 5

25  December 31, 1997. Such exemption includes fees associated

26  with enrollment in college-preparatory instruction and

27  completion of the college-level communication and computation

28  skills testing program. Such exemption shall be available to

29  any student adopted from the Department of Children and Family

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

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    Florida Senate - 1998                    CS for CS for SB  306
    302-1153-98




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

  2  graduation from high school.

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

  4  240.235, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  5         240.235  Fees.--

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13  including fees associated with enrollment in

14  college-preparatory instruction or completion of college-level

15  communication and computation skills testing programs.  Before

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

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

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

19  undergraduate fees. Such exemption shall be available to any

20  student adopted from the Department of Children and Family

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

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

23  graduation from high school.

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

25  240.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

26         240.35  Student fees.--Unless otherwise provided, the

27  provisions of this section apply only to fees charged for

28  college credit instruction leading to an associate degree,

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

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

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

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    Florida Senate - 1998                    CS for CS for SB  306
    302-1153-98




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

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

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

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

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

  6  including fees associated with enrollment in

  7  college-preparatory instruction or completion of the

  8  college-level communication and computation skills testing

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

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

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

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

13  to any student adopted from the Department of Children and

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

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

16  date of graduation from high school.

17         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

18  law and shall apply retroactively to May 5, 1997.

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20          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
21                      CS for Senate Bill 306

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23  The committee substitute removes the language permitting the
    State University System and the Board of Regents to establish
24  independent policy with regard to use of credit cards, debit
    cards, and charge cards in lieu of payment for tuition,
25  nonresident tuition, and fees without collecting a service fee
    or surcharge.
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