HB 1725

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to military families; amending s. 295.01,
3	F.S.; revising certain requirements relating to
4	scholarships for children of deceased veterans; amending
5	s. 445.007, F.S.; providing for the appointment of a
6	military representative to certain regional workforce
7	boards; amending s. 464.009, F.S.; removing the scheduled
8	repeal of provisions allowing for licensure by endorsement
9	of specified nurses who have actively practiced nursing in
10	another state; providing for licensure by endorsement of
11	certain nurses licensed in another state that is a member
12	of the Nurse Licensure Compact; amending s. 464.022, F.S.;
13	providing that certain nurses relocating to this state may
14	perform nursing services for a period of 120 days after
15	submitting application for licensure; amending s. 1002.39,
16	F.S.; revising eligibility requirements for military
17	dependents applying for a John M. McKay Scholarship;
18	amending s. 1003.05, F.S.; directing the Department of
19	Education to assist in the development of memoranda of
20	agreement between school districts and military
21	installations; creating s. 1008.221, F.S.; providing for
22	alternate assessments for the grade 10 FCAT for certain
23	military dependents; amending s. 1009.21, F.S.;
24	classifying dependents of active duty members of the armed
25	services and certain liaison officers and their spouses
26	and dependent children as residents for tuition purposes;
27	directing Workforce Florida, Inc., to establish an
28	employment advocacy and assistance program targeting
29	military spouses and dependents; directing the Florida
30	Housing Finance Corporation to assess the housing needs of
31	Florida's military families; requiring a report; providing
32	an appropriation to fund the employment advocacy and
33	assistance program; providing an effective date.
34
35	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37	Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 295.01, Florida
38	Statutes, is amended to read:
39	295.01  Children of deceased or disabled veterans;
40	education.--
41	(1)  It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to
42	provide educational opportunity at state expense for dependent
43	children either of whose parents was a resident of the state at
44	the time such parent entered the Armed Forces and:
45	(a)  Died as a result of service-connected injuries,
46	disease, or disability sustained while on active duty; in that
47	service or from injuries sustained or disease contracted during
48	a period of wartime service as defined in s. 1.01(14) or has
49	died since or may hereafter die from diseases or disability
50	resulting from such war service, or
51	(b)  Has been:
52	1.  Determined by the United States Department of Veterans
53	Affairs or its predecessor to have a service-connected 100-
54	percent total and permanent disability rating for compensation;,
55	2.  Determined to have a service-connected total and
56	permanent disability rating of 100 percent and is in receipt of
57	disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States
58	Armed Services;, or
59	3.  Issued a valid identification card by the Department of
60	Veterans' Affairs in accordance with s. 295.17,
61
62	when the parents of such children have been bona fide residents
63	of the state for 5 years next preceding their application for
64	the benefits hereof, and subject to the rules, restrictions, and
65	limitations hereof.
66	Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 445.007, Florida
67	Statutes, is amended to read:
68	445.007  Regional workforce boards; exemption from public
69	meetings law.--
70	(1)  One regional workforce board shall be appointed in
71	each designated service delivery area and shall serve as the
72	local workforce investment board pursuant to Pub. L. No. 105-
73	220. The membership of the board shall be consistent with Pub.
74	L. No. 105-220, Title I, s. 117(b), and contain one
75	representative from a nonpublic postsecondary educational
76	institution that is an authorized individual training account
77	provider within the region and confers certificates and
78	diplomas, one representative from a nonpublic postsecondary
79	educational institution that is an authorized individual
80	training account provider within the region and confers degrees,
81	and three representatives of organized labor. The board shall
82	include one representative from a military installation if a
83	military installation is located within the region. Individuals
84	serving as members of regional workforce development boards or
85	local WAGES coalitions, as of June 30, 2000, are eligible for
86	appointment to regional workforce boards, pursuant to this
87	section. It is the intent of the Legislature that, whenever
88	possible and to the greatest extent practicable, membership of a
89	regional workforce board include persons who are current or
90	former recipients of welfare transition assistance as defined in
91	s. 445.002(3) or workforce services as provided in s.
92	445.009(1), or that such persons be included as ex officio
93	members of the board or of committees organized by the board.
94	The importance of minority and gender representation shall be
95	considered when making appointments to the board. If the
96	regional workforce board enters into a contract with an
97	organization or individual represented on the board of
98	directors, the contract must be approved by a two-thirds vote of
99	the entire board, and the board member who could benefit
100	financially from the transaction must abstain from voting on the
101	contract. A board member must disclose any such conflict in a
102	manner that is consistent with the procedures outlined in s.
103	112.3143.
104	Section 3.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
105	464.009, Florida Statutes, is amended, subsections (3), (4), and
106	(5) of said section are redesignated as subsections (4), (5),
107	and (6), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to said
108	section, to read:
109	464.009  Licensure by endorsement.--
110	(1)  The department shall issue the appropriate license by
111	endorsement to practice professional or practical nursing to an
112	applicant who, upon applying to the department and remitting a
113	fee set by the board not to exceed $100, demonstrates to the
114	board that he or she:
115	(c)  Has actively practiced nursing in another state,
116	jurisdiction, or territory of the United States for 2 of the
117	preceding 3 years without having his or her license acted
118	against by the licensing authority of any jurisdiction.
119	Applicants who become licensed pursuant to this paragraph must
120	complete within 6 months after licensure a Florida laws and
121	rules course that is approved by the board. Once the department
122	has received the results of the national criminal history check
123	and has determined that the applicant has no criminal history,
124	the appropriate license by endorsement shall be issued to the
125	applicant. This paragraph is repealed July 1, 2004, unless
126	reenacted by the Legislature.
127	(3)  An applicant for licensure by endorsement who is
128	relocating to this state pursuant to his or her military-
129	connected spouse's official military orders and who is licensed
130	in another state that is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact
131	shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of subsection
132	(1) and shall be issued a license by endorsement upon submission
133	of the appropriate application and fees and completion of the
134	criminal background check required under subsection(4).
135	Section 4.  Subsection (8) of section 464.022, Florida
136	Statutes, is amended to read:
137	464.022  Exceptions.--No provision of this part shall be
138	construed to prohibit:
139	(8)  Any nurse currently licensed in another state or
140	territory of the United States from performing nursing services
141	in this state for a period of 60 days after furnishing to the
142	employer satisfactory evidence of current licensure in another
143	state or territory and having submitted proper application and
144	fees to the board for licensure prior to employment. If the
145	nurse licensed in another state or territory is relocating to
146	this state pursuant to his or her military-connected spouse's
147	official military orders, this period shall be 120 days after
148	furnishing to the employer satisfactory evidence of current
149	licensure in another state or territory and having submitted
150	proper application and fees to the board for licensure prior to
151	employment. The board may extend this time for administrative
152	purposes when necessary.
153	Section 5.  Subsection (2) of section 1002.39, Florida
154	Statutes, is amended to read:
155	1002.39  The John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with
156	Disabilities Program.--There is established a program that is
157	separate and distinct from the Opportunity Scholarship Program
158	and is named the John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with
159	Disabilities Program, pursuant to this section.
160	(2)  SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY.--The parent of a public
161	school student with a disability who is dissatisfied with the
162	student's progress may request and receive from the state a John
163	M. McKay Scholarship for the child to enroll in and attend a
164	private school in accordance with this section if:
165	(a)  By assigned school attendance area or by special
166	assignment, the student has spent the prior school year in
167	attendance at a Florida public school. Prior school year in
168	attendance means that the student was enrolled and reported by a
169	school district for funding during the preceding October and
170	February Florida Education Finance Program surveys in
171	kindergarten through grade 12. However, this paragraph does not
172	apply to a dependent child of a member of the United States
173	Armed Forces who transfers to a school in this state from out of
174	state or from a foreign country pursuant to a parent's permanent
175	change of station orders.
176	(b)  The parent has obtained acceptance for admission of
177	the student to a private school that is eligible for the program
178	under subsection (4) and has notified the school district of the
179	request for a scholarship at least 60 days prior to the date of
180	the first scholarship payment. The parental notification must be
181	through a communication directly to the district or through the
182	Department of Education to the district in a manner that creates
183	a written or electronic record of the notification and the date
184	of receipt of the notification.
185
186	This section does not apply to a student who is enrolled in a
187	school operating for the purpose of providing educational
188	services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice commitment
189	programs. For purposes of continuity of educational choice, the
190	scholarship shall remain in force until the student returns to a
191	public school or graduates from high school. However, at any
192	time, the student's parent may remove the student from the
193	private school and place the student in another private school
194	that is eligible for the program under subsection (4) or in a
195	public school as provided in subsection (3).
196	Section 6.  Subsection (2) of section 1003.05, Florida
197	Statutes, is amended to read:
198	1003.05  Assistance to transitioning students from military
199	families.--
200	(2)  The Department of Education shall facilitate the
201	development and implementation of memoranda of agreement between
202	school districts and military installations which address
203	strategies for assisting military students in the transition to
204	Florida schools. identify its efforts and strategies for
205	assisting military-connected students in transitioning to the
206	Florida school system, including the identification of
207	acceptable equivalence for curriculum and graduation
208	requirements, and report its findings to the Governor, the
209	President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
210	Representatives by October 1, 2003.
211	Section 7.  Section 1008.221, Florida Statutes, is created
212	to read:
213	1008.221  Dependent children of military personnel
214	transferring to Florida schools; equivalencies for standardized
215	tests.--A dependent child of a member of the United States Armed
216	Forces who enters a public school at the 12th grade from out of
217	state or from a foreign country and provides satisfactory proof
218	of attaining a score on an approved alternative assessment that
219	is concordant to a passing score on the grade 10 FCAT shall
220	satisfy the assessment requirement for a standard high school
221	diploma as provided in s. 1003.43(5)(a). For purposes of this
222	section, approved alternative assessments are the SAT and ACT.
223	Section 8.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (10) of section
224	1009.21, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (k) is
225	added to said subsection, to read:
226	1009.21  Determination of resident status for tuition
227	purposes.--Students shall be classified as residents or
228	nonresidents for the purpose of assessing tuition in community
229	colleges and state universities.
230	(10)  The following persons shall be classified as
231	residents for tuition purposes:
232	(b)  Active duty members of the Armed Services of the
233	United States and their spouses and dependents attending a
234	public community college or state university within 50 miles of
235	the military establishment where they are stationed, if such
236	military establishment is within a county contiguous to Florida.
237	(k)  Active duty members of a foreign nation's military who
238	are serving as liaison officers and are residing or stationed in
239	this state, and their spouses and dependent children, attending
240	a community college or state university within 50 miles of the
241	military establishment where the foreign liaison officer is
242	stationed.
243	Section 9.  (1)  The Legislature finds that military
244	families are faced with a variety of challenges, including
245	frequent relocations, recurring deployments, lengthy periods of
246	separation, and heightened anxiety and uncertainty during
247	periods of conflict. A military spouse's ability to gain job
248	skills and maintain a career contributes to the financial well-
249	being of the family, spouse satisfaction with military life, and
250	military retention and readiness. Military spouses are often
251	required to terminate their employment in order to support their
252	spouse's highly mobile military commitment. The unemployment
253	rate for military spouses is approximately four times the
254	civilian unemployment rate, and military spouse earnings are
255	significantly lower than those of their comparably educated
256	civilian peers.  Recognizing the employment challenges faced by
257	military spouses and the importance of military families to our
258	communities and economy, the Legislature declares its intent to
259	establish an employment advocacy and assistance program to serve
260	Florida's military families.
261	(2)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall establish an employment
262	advocacy and assistance program targeting military spouses and
263	dependents. This program shall deliver employment assistance
264	services through military family employment advocates colocated
265	within selected one-stop career centers. Persons eligible for
266	assistance through this program shall include spouses and
267	dependents of active-duty military personnel, Florida National
268	Guard members, and military reservists.
269	(3)  Military family employment advocates are responsible
270	for providing the following services and activities:
271	(a)  Coordination of employment assistance services through
272	military base family support centers, Florida's one-stop career
273	centers, and veteran-support organizations.
274	(b)  Training to one-stop career center managers and staff
275	on the unique employment needs and skills of military family
276	members.
277	(c)  Promoting and marketing the benefits of employing
278	military family members to prospective employers.
279	(d)  Assisting employment-seeking military family members
280	through job counseling, job search and placement services, the
281	dissemination of information on educational and training
282	programs, and the availability of support services.
283	(e)  Other employment assistance services Workforce
284	Florida, Inc., deems necessary.
285	(4)  Workforce Florida, Inc., may enter into agreements
286	with public and private entities to provide services authorized
287	under this section.
288	Section 10.  The Florida Housing Finance Corporation shall
289	undertake an assessment of the needs of active duty military
290	personnel and their families living in Florida for affordable
291	housing. The needs assessment shall provide information on the
292	population characteristics of the service personnel and their
293	families having total gross incomes of up to 80 percent of the
294	local area's median income who are living off base, including,
295	but not limited to, the number of households by family size,
296	income, and current tenancy; the condition of existing housing;
297	and the availability of homeowner and rental housing that is
298	affordable to these service personnel and their families. The
299	corporation shall report its findings and recommendations to the
300	Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
301	of Representatives, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House
302	Minority Leader by December 31, 2004.
303	Section 11.  A recurring sum of $200,000 from the General
304	Revenue Fund and four positions are hereby appropriated to the
305	Agency for Workforce Innovation for staffing and administrative
306	support for the employment advocacy and assistance program
307	established in section 9 of this act.
308	Section 12.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a
309	law.

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