House Bill hb0191c1

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002              CS/HB 191

        By the Committee on Education Innovation and
    Representative Diaz de la Portilla





  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 and

  5         229.0073, F.S.; establishing the Office of

  6         Inspector General within the Office of the

  7         Commissioner of Education; providing for the

  8         organization of the Office of Inspector

  9         General; providing the responsibilities of the

10         Office of Inspector General; requiring the

11         Office of Inspector General to conduct,

12         coordinate, or request investigations;

13         providing the powers, duties, and

14         responsibilities of the Office of Inspector

15         General; providing an effective date.

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

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

20  229.003, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

21         229.003  Florida education governance reorganization.--

22         (5)  Effective July 1, 2001:

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

24  Commissioner of Education and the Secretary of the Florida

25  Board of Education shall work together to commence the

26  reorganization of the Department of Education in accordance

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

28  Commissioner of Education comprised of the general areas of

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

30  addition, shall include:

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002              CS/HB 191

    603-166-02






  1         1.  The creation of an Office of Technology and

  2  Information Services, an Office of Workforce and Economic

  3  Development, an Office of Educational Facilities and SMART

  4  Schools Clearinghouse, and an Office of Student Financial

  5  Assistance, and an Office of Inspector General.

  6         2.  The creation of a Division of Colleges and

  7  Universities.

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

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

10         5.  The creation of a Division of Independent

11  Education.

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

13  State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities and the

14  State Board of Nonpublic Career Education, except as relating

15  to any independent nonprofit college or university whose

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

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

18  single Commission for Independent Education administratively

19  housed within the Division of Independent Education.

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

21  section 229.0073, Florida Statutes, to read:

22         229.0073  Reorganization of the Department of

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

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

25  Reorganization Workgroup is established to direct and provide

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

27  of Education. The workgroup shall be comprised of the

28  Secretary of the Florida Board of Education, the Commissioner

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

30  Colleges and Universities, the Chancellor of Community

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

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002              CS/HB 191

    603-166-02






  1  Director of Independent Education, who shall consult with the

  2  legislative members of the Education Governance Reorganization

  3  Transition Task Force. The reorganization shall:

  4         (5)  Establish the following offices within the Office

  5  of the Commissioner of Education which shall coordinate their

  6  activities with all other divisions and offices:

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

  8  organized using existing resources and funds and shall be

  9  responsible for promoting accountability, efficiency, and

10  effectiveness and detecting fraud and abuse within school

11  districts, public community colleges, and public universities

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

13  investigations into substantiated allegations made by any

14  person relating to waste, fraud, or financial mismanagement

15  within school districts, public community colleges, and public

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

17  information and personnel necessary to perform its duties and

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

19  responsibilities authorized in s. 20.055.

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

21  law.

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