House Bill 0825
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 825
By Representatives Hart, Feeney, Harrington, Sobel,
Kilmer, Littlefield, Byrd, Chestnut, Reddick, Kelly, Cantens,
Ritchie, L. Miller, A. Greene, Betancourt and Ryan
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary linkage
3 institutes; amending s. 288.8175, F.S.;
4 transferring responsibility for linkage
5 institutes between postsecondary institutions
6 and foreign countries from the Department of
7 Education to the Department of State;
8 correcting cross references; providing an
9 effective date.
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11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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13 Section 1. Section 288.8175, Florida Statutes, is
14 amended to read:
15 288.8175 Linkage institutes between postsecondary
16 institutions in this state and foreign countries.--
17 (1) As used in this section, the term "department"
18 means the Department of State.
19 (2)(1) There are created, within the department of
20 Education, Florida linkage institutes. A primary purpose of
21 these institutes is to assist in the development of stronger
22 economic, cultural, educational, and social ties between this
23 state and strategic foreign countries through the promotion of
24 expanded public and private dialogue on cooperative research
25 and technical assistance activities, increased bilateral
26 commerce, student and faculty exchange, cultural exchange, and
27 the enhancement of language training skills between the
28 postsecondary institutions in this state and those of selected
29 foreign countries. Each institute must ensure that minority
30 students are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in
31 the exchange programs.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 825
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1 (3)(2) Each institute must be governed by an
2 agreement, approved by the department of Education, between
3 the State University System and the Florida Community College
4 System with the counterpart organization of higher education
5 in a the foreign country. Each institute must report to the
6 department regarding its program activities, expenditures, and
7 policies.
8 (4)(3) Each institute must be co-administered in this
9 state by a university-community college partnership, as
10 designated in subsection (5) (4), and must have a private
11 sector and public sector advisory committee. The advisory
12 committee must be representative of the international
13 education and commercial interests of the state and may have
14 members who are native to the foreign country partner. Six
15 members must be appointed by the department of Education. The
16 department must appoint at least one member who is an
17 international educator. The presidents, or their designees,
18 of the participating university and community college must
19 also serve on the advisory committee.
20 (5)(4) The institutes are:
21 (a) Florida-Brazil Institute (University of Florida
22 and Miami-Dade Community College).
23 (b) Florida-Costa Rica Institute (Florida State
24 University and Valencia Community College).
25 (c) Florida Caribbean Institute (Florida International
26 University and Daytona Beach Community College).
27 (d) Florida-Canada Institute (University of Central
28 Florida and Palm Beach Junior College).
29 (e) Florida-China Institute (University of West
30 Florida, University of South Florida, and Brevard Community
31 College).
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 825
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1 (f) Florida-Japan Institute (University of South
2 Florida, University of West Florida, and St. Petersburg
3 Community College).
4 (g) Florida-France Institute (New College of the
5 University of South Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, and
6 Florida State University).
7 (h) Florida-Israel Institute (Florida Atlantic
8 University and Broward Community College).
9 (i) Florida-West Africa Institute (Florida
10 Agricultural and Mechanical University, University of North
11 Florida, and Florida Community College at Jacksonville).
12 (j) Florida-Eastern Europe Institute (University of
13 Central Florida and Lake Sumter Community College).
14 (k) Florida-Mexico Institute (Florida International
15 University and Polk Community College).
16 (6)(5) Each institute is allowed to exempt from s.
17 240.1201 up to 25 full-time equivalent students per year from
18 the respective host countries to study in any of the state
19 universities or community colleges in this state as resident
20 students for tuition purposes. The institute directors shall
21 develop criteria, to be approved by the department of
22 Education, for the selection of these students. Students must
23 return home within 3 years after their tenure of graduate or
24 undergraduate study for a length of time equal to their
25 exemption period.
26 (7)(6) Each state university and community college
27 linkage institute partner may enter into an agreement for a
28 student exchange program, that requires that the tuition and
29 fees of a student who is enrolled in a state university or
30 community college and who is participating in an exchange
31 program be paid to the university or community college while
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 825
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1 the student is participating in the exchange program. The
2 agreement may also require that the tuition and fees of a
3 student who is enrolled in a postsecondary institution in a
4 foreign country and who is participating in an exchange
5 program be paid to the foreign institution of enrollment.
6 (8)(7) No later than 60 days before every regular
7 session of the Legislature, the department of Education shall
8 present to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
9 President of the Senate, and the minority leaders of the House
10 of Representatives and the Senate a review of linkage
11 institute program activity, criteria for their operation,
12 accountability standards, recommended funding levels, and
13 recommendations for establishing, maintaining, or abolishing
14 linkage institutes. The criteria shall be developed in
15 consultation with Enterprise Florida, Inc. The criteria must
16 include, but need not be limited to, the purpose stated in
17 subsection (2) (1) and:
18 (a) The importance of economic, political, and social
19 ties between this state and the country or region.
20 (b) The potential for growth and expansion of
21 commercial, educational, and cultural links.
22 (c) The viability of regionally oriented, rather than
23 country-specific, linkages, based on historical or emerging
24 regional economic or political trading blocs.
25 (9)(8) A linkage institute may not be created or
26 funded except upon the recommendation of the department of
27 Education and except by amendment to this section.
28 (10)(9) The department of Education shall review and
29 make linkage-institute budget requests to the Governor and the
30 Legislature. State appropriations for institutes created under
31 this section must be made by a single lump-sum line item to
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1 the department, which must apportion the funds among the
2 various institutes in accordance with criteria established by
3 the department.
4 (11)(10) Linkage institutes may also accept and
5 administer moneys provided by the department of State for
6 research and development of international trade. The
7 department Secretary of State shall, by March 1, report to the
8 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
9 House of Representatives in each year in which the department
10 of State has provided moneys for a linkage institute. The
11 report must detail the purpose of the expenditure by the
12 department of State and the use of the moneys by the linkage
13 institutes and must include a copy of the research documents
14 or related materials produced, if any.
15 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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18 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Transfers responsibility for linkage institutes between
20 postsecondary institutions and foreign countries from the
Department of Education to the Department of State.
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