Senate Bill 2596
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2000 SB 2596
By Senator Campbell
33-1380-00
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; creating s.
3 228.60, F.S.; providing for the Commissioner of
4 Education to make annual recommendations to the
5 Legislature relating to funding Florida Offsite
6 Learning Grants; providing the purposes of such
7 grants; prohibiting the use of specified
8 sources to fund such grants; providing for the
9 commissioner to appoint a review panel to
10 assist in reviewing grant applications;
11 requiring the provision of a public forum;
12 requiring the commissioner to include funding
13 recommendations in the Department of
14 Education's annual budget request; requiring a
15 contract between the department and each grant
16 recipient; requiring each grant recipient to
17 submit an annual report to the department;
18 requiring each recipient to have an annual
19 postaudit of its financial accounts conducted
20 and to submit a copy to the department;
21 providing for rulemaking by the department.
22
23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25 Section 1. Section 228.60, Florida Statutes, is
26 created to read:
27 228.60 Florida Offsite Learning Grants.--
28 (1)(a) The Commissioner of Education shall annually
29 make recommendations to the Legislature for funding Florida
30 Offsite Learning Grants to nonprofit and community-based
31 organizations, including math, science, art, and environmental
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 2596
33-1380-00
1 facilities that provide learning opportunities for public
2 school students in nontraditional settings. In order to
3 qualify for a grant under this section, an organization must
4 demonstrate the educational components of its program. Funds
5 for Florida Offsite Learning Grants may not be taken out of
6 the Florida School Improvement and Academic Achievement Trust
7 Fund as authorized under s. 236.12295, the Classrooms First
8 Program authorized in s. 235.187, the effort index grants
9 authorized in s. 235.186, or the Public Education Capital
10 Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund authorized in s. 9, Art.
11 XII of the State Constitution.
12 (b) In making recommendations for grant awards, the
13 commissioner shall annually appoint a review panel to assist
14 in reviewing grant applications. Members of the review panel
15 shall be appointed to serve for terms of 1 year. The panel
16 shall review grant applications and make recommendations to
17 the commissioner concerning the relative merits of the
18 applicants. The Department of Education shall, by rule,
19 establish criteria for reviewing grant applications to ensure
20 compliance with applicable federal and state laws relating to
21 discrimination and conflicts of interest.
22 (c) The review panel shall provide a forum for public
23 comment before it votes on any grant.
24 (2) Annually, the commissioner shall include in the
25 legislative budget request of the Department of Education a
26 recommendation for funding Offsite Learning Grants. The
27 recommendation must include the panel's ranking of applicants
28 and recommended funding levels for each.
29 (3)(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature of
30 funding for these grants, the Department of Education and each
31 organization must execute a contract that contains information
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2000 SB 2596
33-1380-00
1 relating to the program, the projected operating income and
2 expenses, and other provisions that the department considers
3 necessary to the administration of the program.
4 (b) Each recipient organization must submit to the
5 Department of Education an annual report that states in detail
6 the expenditure of the funds and is subject to the auditing
7 provisions and rules of the department.
8 (c) Each organization shall cause an annual postaudit
9 or independent attestation of its financial accounts, as
10 specified in s. 216.349, to be conducted by an independent
11 certified public accountant. The annual audit report must be
12 submitted to the Department of Education for review. The
13 department may require and receive from the recipient
14 institution or from its independent auditor any detail or
15 supplemental data relating to the operation of the
16 institution.
17 (d) The Department of Education shall adopt rules
18 necessary for the administration of this section.
19 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
20 law.
21
22 *****************************************
23 SENATE SUMMARY
24 Provides for the Commissioner of Education to make annual
recommendations to the Legislature relating to funding
25 Florida Offsite Learning Grants. Provides the purposes of
such grants. Prohibits the use of specified sources for
26 funding such grants. Provides for the commissioner to
appoint a review panel annually to assist in reviewing
27 grant applications. Requires a public forum to be
provided before grants are voted on. Requires the
28 commissioner to include funding recommendations in the
Department of Education's annual budget request. Requires
29 a contract to be executed between the department and each
grant recipient. Requires each grant recipient to submit
30 an annual report to the department. Requires each
recipient to have an annual postaudit of its financial
31 accounts conducted and to submit a copy to the
department. Provides for rulemaking by the department.
3