House Bill 2341
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2341
By the Committee on Colleges & Universities and
Representatives Casey, J. Miller, Waters, Rayson, Betancourt,
Rojas, Flanagan and Lawson
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Education Fund;
3 amending s. 240.498, F.S.; providing minimum
4 requirements for support services provided
5 through the law school scholarship program;
6 authorizing the provision of awards to
7 part-time students; providing for establishment
8 of the amount of an award for a part-time
9 student; providing a guarantee of enrollment of
10 a certain number of award recipients, provided
11 certain requirements are met; revising services
12 provided as part of the minority pre-law
13 scholarship loan program; limiting
14 administrative costs of the legal education
15 component of the Florida Education Fund;
16 providing an effective date.
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18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19 Section 1. Subsection (8) of section 240.498, Florida
20 Statutes, is amended to read:
21 240.498 Florida Education Fund.--
22 (8) There is created a legal education component of
23 the Florida Education Fund to provide the opportunity for
24 minorities to attain representation within the legal
25 profession proportionate to their representation within the
26 general population. The legal education component of the
27 Florida Education Fund includes a law school program and a
28 pre-law program.
29 (a) The law school scholarship program of the Florida
30 Education Fund is to be administered by the Board of Directors
31 of the Florida Education Fund for the purpose of increasing by
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2341
184-292B-00
1 200 the number of minority students enrolled in law schools in
2 this state. Implementation of this program is to be phased in
3 over a 3-year period.
4 1. The board of directors shall provide financial,
5 academic, and other support to students selected for
6 participation in this program from funds appropriated by the
7 Legislature. Support services shall include, at a minimum: a
8 beginning law scholars' orientation, first-year student campus
9 meetings, a law scholars' annual meeting, a resume directory,
10 bar examination passage support, and supplemental bar
11 examination preparation clinics.
12 2. Student selection must be made in accordance with
13 rules adopted by the board of directors for that purpose and
14 must be based, at least in part, on an assessment of potential
15 for success, merit, and financial need.
16 3. Awards may be made available to part-time students.
17 To be eligible to participate in the program, a student must
18 take the minimum number of credit hours required by the board
19 of directors. The board of directors shall provide for a
20 scholarship awarded to a part-time student to be in an amount
21 in proportion to the award for full-time students. All program
22 requirements, including academic performance standards and
23 postgraduation restrictions, shall apply to both part-time and
24 full-time students who are award recipients.
25 4. Each accredited law school in Florida shall be
26 guaranteed three law school scholarship recipients per year.
27 Law schools experiencing a decrease in the number of enrolled
28 African-American or Hispanic students during 3 consecutive
29 years will lose their guaranteed law scholarship recipients.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2341
184-292B-00
1 5.3. Support must be made available to students who
2 enroll in private, as well as public, law schools in this
3 state which are accredited by the American Bar Association.
4 6.4. Scholarships must be paid directly to the
5 participating students.
6 7.5. Students who participate in this program must
7 agree in writing to sit for The Florida Bar examination and,
8 upon successful admission to The Florida Bar, to either
9 practice law in the state for a period of time equal to the
10 amount of time for which the student received aid, up to 3
11 years, or repay the amount of aid received.
12 8.6. Annually the board of directors shall compile a
13 report that includes a description of the selection process,
14 an analysis of the academic progress of all scholarship
15 recipients, and an analysis of expenditures. This report must
16 be submitted to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of
17 the House of Representatives, and the Governor.
18 (b) The minority pre-law scholarship loan program of
19 the Florida Education Fund is to be administered by the Board
20 of Directors of the Florida Education Fund for the purpose of
21 increasing the opportunity of minority students to prepare for
22 law school.
23 1. From funds appropriated by the Legislature, the
24 board of directors shall provide for student fees, Law School
25 Admission Test preparation course tuition, and a pre-law
26 summer program to be held at one American Bar Association
27 accredited law school in Florida annually room, board, books,
28 supplies, and academic and other support to selected minority
29 undergraduate students matriculating at eligible public and
30 independent colleges and universities in Florida.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2341
184-292B-00
1 2. Student selection must be made in accordance with
2 rules adopted by the board of directors for that purpose and
3 must be based, at least in part, on an assessment of potential
4 for success, merit, and financial need.
5 3. To be eligible, a student must make a written
6 agreement to enter or be accepted to enter a law school in
7 this state within 2 years after graduation or repay the
8 scholarship loan amount plus interest at the prevailing rate.
9 4. Recipients who fail to gain admission to a law
10 school within the specified period of time, may, upon
11 admission to law school, be eligible to have their loans
12 canceled.
13 5. Minority pre-law scholarship loans shall be
14 provided to 34 minority students per year for up to 4 years
15 each, for a total of 136 scholarship loans. To continue
16 receipt of scholarship loans, recipients must maintain a 2.75
17 grade point average for the freshman year and a 3.25 grade
18 point average thereafter. Participants must also take
19 specialized courses to enhance competencies in English and
20 logic.
21 6. The board of directors shall maintain records on
22 all scholarship loan recipients. Participating institutions
23 shall submit academic progress reports to the board of
24 directors following each academic term. Annually, the board of
25 directors shall compile a report that includes a description
26 of the selection process, an analysis of the academic progress
27 of all scholarship loan recipients, and an analysis of
28 expenditures. This report must be submitted to the President
29 of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
30 and the Governor.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2341
184-292B-00
1 (c) The allowable administrative costs for the legal
2 education component of the Florida Education Fund shall not
3 exceed 10 percent of the total funds appropriated by the
4 Legislature for the legal education component of the Florida
5 Education Fund.
6 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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9 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Provides minimum requirements for support services
11 provided through the law school scholarship program of
the Florida Education Fund. Authorizes the provision of
12 awards to part-time students. Provides for establishment
of the amount of an award for a part-time student.
13 Provides a guarantee of enrollment of a certain number of
award recipients, provided certain requirements are met.
14 Revises services provided as part of the minority pre-law
scholarship loan program of the Florida Education Fund.
15 Limits administrative costs of the legal education
component of the Florida Education Fund.
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