Senate Bill sb1416c1

    Florida Senate - 2002                  CS for SB's 1416 & 1884

    By the Committee on Education; and Senators Garcia and
    Wasserman Schultz




    304-1996-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Office of Inspector

  3         General within the Office of the Commissioner

  4         of Education; amending ss. 229.003, 229.0073,

  5         F.S.; establishing the Office of Inspector

  6         General within the Office of the Commissioner

  7         of Education; providing for the organization of

  8         the Office of Inspector General; providing the

  9         responsibilities of the Office of Inspector

10         General; requiring the Office of Inspector

11         General to conduct, coordinate, or request

12         investigations; providing the powers, duties,

13         and responsibilities of the Office of Inspector

14         General; providing an effective date.

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16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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18         Section 1.  Paragraph (i) of subsection (5) of section

19  229.003, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

20         229.003  Florida education governance reorganization.--

21         (5)  Effective July 1, 2001:

22         (i)  Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 20.15, the

23  Commissioner of Education and the Secretary of the Florida

24  Board of Education shall work together to commence the

25  reorganization of the Department of Education in accordance

26  with s. 229.0073, which shall include an Office of the

27  Commissioner of Education comprised of the general areas of

28  operation that are common to all delivery sectors and, in

29  addition, shall include:

30         1.  The creation of an Office of Technology and

31  Information Services, an Office of Workforce and Economic

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                  CS for SB's 1416 & 1884
    304-1996-02




  1  Development, an Office of Educational Facilities and SMART

  2  Schools Clearinghouse, and an Office of Student Financial

  3  Assistance, and an Office of Inspector General.

  4         2.  The creation of a Division of Colleges and

  5  Universities.

  6         3.  The creation of a Division of Community Colleges.

  7         4.  The creation of a Division of Public Schools.

  8         5.  The creation of a Division of Independent

  9  Education.

10         6.  The merger of the powers, duties, and staffs of the

11  State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities and the

12  State Board of Nonpublic Career Education, except as relating

13  to any independent nonprofit college or university whose

14  students are eligible to receive the William L. Boyd, IV,

15  Florida resident access grants pursuant to s. 240.605, into a

16  single Commission for Independent Education administratively

17  housed within the Division of Independent Education.

18         Section 2.  Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (5) of

19  section 229.0073, Florida Statutes, to read:

20         229.0073  Reorganization of the Department of

21  Education.--Effective July 1, 2001, notwithstanding the

22  provisions of s. 20.15, the secretary's Education

23  Reorganization Workgroup is established to direct and provide

24  oversight for the reorganization of Florida's K-20 Department

25  of Education. The workgroup shall be comprised of the

26  Secretary of the Florida Board of Education, the Commissioner

27  of Education, the Governor or his designee, the Chancellor of

28  Colleges and Universities, the Chancellor of Community

29  Colleges, the Chancellor of Public Schools, and the Executive

30  Director of Independent Education, who shall consult with the

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                  CS for SB's 1416 & 1884
    304-1996-02




  1  legislative members of the Education Governance Reorganization

  2  Transition Task Force. The reorganization shall:

  3         (5)  Establish the following offices within the Office

  4  of the Commissioner of Education which shall coordinate their

  5  activities with all other divisions and offices:

  6         (e)  Office of Inspector General.--The office shall be

  7  organized using existing resources and funds and shall be

  8  responsible for promoting accountability, efficiency, and

  9  effectiveness and detecting fraud and abuse within school

10  districts, public community colleges, and public universities

11  in Florida. The office shall conduct, coordinate, or request

12  investigations into substantiated allegations made by any

13  person relating to waste, fraud, or financial mismanagement

14  within school districts, public community colleges, and public

15  universities in Florida. The office shall have access to all

16  information and personnel necessary to perform its duties and

17  shall have all of its current powers, duties, and

18  responsibilities authorized in s. 20.055.

19         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

20  law.

21

22          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
23                    Senate Bills 1416 and 1884

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25  The committee substitute conforms s. 229.003, F.S., with the
    amendment of s. 229.0073, F.S., to provide for the
26  establishment of an Office of Inspector General within the
    Department of Education.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.