House Bill 0525e1
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the State University System;
3 amending s. 240.289, F.S.; authorizing
4 institutions in the State University System to
5 accept payment of tuition and fees by credit
6 cards, charge cards, or debit cards without
7 imposing a convenience fee for card use;
8 authorizing such institutions to absorb the
9 costs of using such cards; authorizing such
10 institutions to enter into contracts with
11 financial institutions for certain purposes;
12 requiring universities to provide certain
13 education relating to credit card use and debt
14 management; amending s. 240.235, F.S.; defining
15 "consultation" for purposes of establishing
16 student fees; providing requirements regarding
17 the recommendations of fee committees; creating
18 s. 240.236, F.S., relating to university
19 student governments; requiring the
20 establishment of a student government at each
21 state university; authorizing each student
22 government to adopt certain internal
23 procedures; requiring the adoption of certain
24 procedures; providing for the university
25 president to have final approval authority for
26 internal procedures adopted according to this
27 section; amending s. 240.295, F.S.; defining
28 "consultation" for purposes of approval of
29 state university capital outlay projects;
30 amending s. 240.531, F.S., relating to the
31 establishment of educational research centers
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 for child development; revising terminology;
2 repealing s. 240.136, F.S., relating to
3 suspension and removal from office of elected
4 student government officials; providing an
5 effective date.
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7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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9 Section 1. Section 240.289, Florida Statutes, is
10 amended to read:
11 240.289 Credit card, charge card, and debit card use
12 in university system; authority; education.--
13 (1) The several universities in the State University
14 System are authorized, pursuant to s. 215.322, to enter into
15 agreements and accept credit card, charge card, or debit card
16 payments as compensation for goods, services, tuition, and
17 fees in accordance with rules established by the Board of
18 Regents.
19 (2) In addition, the several universities are also
20 authorized to accept credit cards, charge cards, and debit
21 cards for the payment of tuition and fees without the
22 imposition of a convenience fee for such card services. The
23 costs incurred by the several universities in accepting credit
24 cards, charge cards, and debit cards may be absorbed by the
25 universities as a cost of doing business. The universities may
26 use any source of nonappropriated funds to cover the costs of
27 accepting such cards. Subject to approval by the State
28 Treasurer, universities also may negotiate credit card
29 contracts, charge card contracts, and debit card contracts
30 with financial institutions whereby a compensating balance may
31 be placed on deposit with the financial institutions to cover
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 the costs of accepting credit cards, charge cards, and debit
2 cards. The several universities may accept credit card, charge
3 card, or debit card payments at any location where
4 compensation is received for goods, services, tuition, or
5 fees, whether the payor makes payment in person or by
6 electronic means.
7 (3) Each university shall ensure that students are
8 provided opportunities to become educated as to the proper use
9 of credit cards, methods to avoid indebtedness, and how to
10 manage debt responsibly. Each university shall develop
11 internal policies to ensure that such education is made
12 available to each student at the university, including, but
13 not limited to, use of informational seminars held routinely
14 on campus and a freshman life skills class or similar course
15 designed to orient new students to the college environment and
16 issues students typically confront while in college, including
17 the financially responsible use of credit cards.
18 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 240.235, Florida
19 Statutes, is amended to read:
20 240.235 Fees.--
21 (1) Each university may is authorized to establish
22 separate activity and service, health, and athletic fees.
23 When duly established, these the fees shall be collected as
24 component parts of the registration and tuition fees and shall
25 be retained by the university and paid into the separate
26 activity and service, health, and athletic funds.
27 (a)1. Each university president shall establish a
28 student activity and service fee on the main campus of the
29 university. The university president may also establish a
30 student activity and service fee on any branch campus or
31 center. Any subsequent modifications increase in the activity
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 and service fee must be recommended by an activity and service
2 fee committee, at least one-half of whom are students
3 appointed by the student body president. The remainder of the
4 committee shall be appointed by the university president. A
5 chairperson, appointed jointly by the university president and
6 the student body president, may shall vote only in the case of
7 a tie. The recommendations of the committee shall take effect
8 only after approval by the university president, after
9 consultation with the student body president, with final
10 approval by the Board of Regents. An increase in the activity
11 and service fee may occur only once each fiscal year and must
12 be implemented beginning with the fall term. The Board of
13 Regents is responsible for adopting promulgating the rules and
14 timetables necessary to implement this fee.
15 2. The student activity and service fees shall be
16 expended for lawful purposes to benefit the student body in
17 general. These purposes This shall include, but are shall not
18 be limited to, student publications and grants to duly
19 recognized student organizations, the membership of which is
20 open to all students at the university without regard to race,
21 sex, or religion. The fund may not benefit activities for
22 which an admission fee is charged to students, except for
23 student-government-sponsored
24 student-government-association-sponsored concerts. The
25 allocation and expenditure of the fund shall be determined by
26 the student government association of the university, except
27 that the president of the university may veto any line item or
28 portion thereof within the budget when submitted by the
29 student government association legislative body. The
30 university president shall have 15 school days from the date
31 of presentation of the budget to act on the allocation and
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 expenditure recommendations, which shall be deemed approved if
2 no action is taken within the 15 school days. If any line item
3 or portion thereof within the budget is vetoed, the student
4 government association legislative body shall within 15 school
5 days make new budget recommendations for expenditure of the
6 vetoed portion of the fund. If the university president
7 vetoes any line item or portion thereof within the new budget
8 revisions, the university president may reallocate by line
9 item that vetoed portion to bond obligations guaranteed by
10 activity and service fees. Unexpended funds and undisbursed
11 funds remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall be carried
12 over and remain in the student activity and service fund and
13 be available for allocation and expenditure during the next
14 fiscal year.
15 (b) Each university president shall establish a
16 student health fee on the main campus of the university. The
17 university president may also establish a student health fee
18 on any branch campus or center. Any subsequent modification
19 increase in the health fee must be recommended by a health
20 committee, at least one-half of whom are students appointed by
21 the student body president. The remainder of the committee
22 shall be appointed by the university president. A
23 chairperson, appointed jointly by the university president and
24 the student body president, may shall vote only in the case of
25 a tie. The recommendations of the committee shall take effect
26 only after approval by the university president, after
27 consultation with the student body president, with final
28 approval by the Board of Regents. An increase in the health
29 fee may occur only once each fiscal year and must be
30 implemented beginning with the fall term. The Board of Regents
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 is responsible for adopting promulgating the rules and
2 timetables necessary to implement this fee.
3 (c) Each university president shall establish a
4 separate athletic fee on the main campus of the university.
5 The university president may also establish a separate
6 athletic fee on any branch campus or center. The initial
7 aggregate athletic fee at each university shall be equal to,
8 but may be no greater than, the 1982-1983 per-credit-hour
9 activity and service fee contributed to intercollegiate
10 athletics, including women's athletics, as provided by s.
11 240.533. Concurrently with the establishment of the athletic
12 fee, the activity and service fee shall experience a one-time
13 reduction equal to the initial aggregate athletic fee. Any
14 subsequent modification increase in the athletic fee must be
15 recommended by an athletic fee committee, at least one-half of
16 whom are students appointed by the student body president.
17 The remainder of the committee shall be appointed by the
18 university president. A chairperson, appointed jointly by the
19 university president and the student body president, may shall
20 vote only in the case of a tie. The recommendations of the
21 committee shall take effect only after approval by the
22 university president, after consultation with the student body
23 president, with final approval by the Board of Regents. An
24 increase in the athletic fee may occur only once each fiscal
25 year and must be implemented beginning with the fall term. The
26 Board of Regents is responsible for adopting promulgating the
27 rules and timetables necessary to implement this fee.
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29 For purposes of this section, "consultation" means an ongoing
30 and documented dialogue with the student body president
31 following any recommendation by a fee committee, and prior to
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 approval of any proposal for modification of any fee. An
2 attachment containing the names and affiliation of all
3 committee members (i.e., student, faculty, or staff, etc.),
4 any objections and alternatives to a modification of any fee
5 as formulated by the student government, and stating that the
6 university president and the student government have reviewed
7 the proposal, shall accompany the recommendation of any fee
8 committee.
9 Section 3. Section 240.236, Florida Statutes, is
10 created to read:
11 240.236 University student governments.--
12 (1) There is created at each state university a
13 student government that shall be organized and maintained by
14 students as the official representatives of the student body.
15 Each student government shall be composed of at least a
16 student body president and a student legislative body, who are
17 both to be elected by the student body. Interim vacancies may
18 be filled in a manner other than election as prescribed by the
19 student government. Each student government may adopt
20 internal procedures governing:
21 (a) The operation and administration of the student
22 government.
23 (b) The election, appointment, and discipline of
24 officers of the student government.
25 (c) The execution of all other duties as delegated to
26 the student government by law.
27 (2) Any elected officer of the student government of a
28 state university may be removed from office by the majority
29 vote of students participating in a referendum held pursuant
30 to the provisions of this section. The student government
31 shall develop a procedure for students to petition for a
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 referendum to remove an elected officer of the student
2 government from office. The grounds for removal of a student
3 government officer by petition are limited to the following,
4 and must be expressly stated in the petition: malfeasance,
5 misfeasance, neglect of duty, incompetence, permanent
6 inability to perform official duties, and conviction of a
7 felony. The referendum must be held no more than 60 days
8 after filing of the petition.
9 (3) The student government shall develop procedures
10 providing for the suspension and removal of an elected officer
11 following the conviction of that officer for a felony.
12 (4) The internal procedures adopted by the student
13 government under this section are subject to final approval by
14 the university president.
15 Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 240.295, Florida
16 Statutes, is amended to read:
17 240.295 State University System; authorization for
18 fixed capital outlay projects.--
19 (3) Other than those projects currently authorized, no
20 project proposed by a university which is to be funded from
21 Capital Improvement Trust Fund fees or building fees may shall
22 be submitted to the Board of Regents for approval without
23 prior consultation with the student government association of
24 that university. For the purposes of this subsection,
25 "consultation" is defined as an ongoing and documented
26 dialogue with the student body president regarding each
27 proposed project, which shall begin prior to developing the
28 university proposal. An attachment containing any objections
29 and alternatives formulated by the student government, and
30 stating that the university president and the student
31 government have reviewed the project or projects proposed,
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 shall be included in the proposal. The Board of Regents shall
2 adopt promulgate rules which are consistent with this
3 requirement.
4 Section 5. Subsections (1), (2), and (4) of section
5 240.531, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
6 240.531 Establishment of educational research centers
7 for child development.--
8 (1) Upon approval of the university president, the
9 student government association of any university within the
10 State University System may establish an educational research
11 center for child development in accordance with the provisions
12 of this section. Each such center shall be a child day care
13 center established to provide care for the children of
14 students, both graduate and undergraduate, faculty, and other
15 staff and employees of the university and to provide an
16 opportunity for interested schools or departments of the
17 university to conduct educational research programs and
18 establish internship programs within such centers. Whenever
19 possible, such center shall be located on the campus of the
20 university. There shall be a director of each center,
21 selected by the board of directors of the center.
22 (2) There shall be a board of directors for each
23 educational research center for child development, consisting
24 of the president of the university or his or her designee, the
25 student body government president or his or her designee, the
26 chair of each department participating in the center or his or
27 her designee, and one parent for each 50 children enrolled in
28 the center, elected by the parents of children enrolled in the
29 center. The director of the center shall be an ex officio,
30 nonvoting member of the board. The board shall establish
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CS/HB 525, First Engrossed
1 local policies and perform local oversight and operational
2 guidance for the center.
3 (4) The Board of Regents shall adopt is authorized and
4 directed to promulgate rules governing for the establishment,
5 operation, and supervision of educational research centers for
6 child development. These Such rules shall include, but are
7 need not be limited to: a defined method of establishment of
8 and participation in the operation of centers by the
9 appropriate student governments government associations;
10 guidelines for the establishment of an intern program in each
11 center; and guidelines for the receipt and monitoring of funds
12 from grants and other sources of funds consistent with
13 existing laws.
14 Section 6. Section 240.136, Florida Statutes, is
15 repealed.
16 Section 7. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
17 law.
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