Senate Bill 2596

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    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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    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.
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