HB 1229

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the State University System; creating
3	s. 1004.635, F.S.; creating the State University System
4	Research and Economic Development Investment Program to be
5	administered by the Board of Governors of the State
6	University System and comprised of the Distinguished
7	Scholars Program and the Research and Economic Development
8	Infrastructure Program; specifying eligibility criteria
9	for state university participation; amending s. 1009.24,
10	F.S., relating to state university student fees; including
11	an academic enhancement fee; deleting certain fee increase
12	restrictions; authorizing university boards of trustees to
13	establish an academic enhancement fee under certain
14	conditions; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; authorizing
15	university boards of trustees to waive tuition and out-of-
16	state fees for certain purposes; creating s. 1011.95,
17	F.S.; creating the Distinguished Scholars Program;
18	providing criteria for allocation of appropriated funds
19	and use of such funds; creating s. 1013.795, F.S.;
20	creating the Research and Economic Development
21	Infrastructure Program; providing for the matching of
22	appropriated funds and use of such funds; providing
23	appropriations; providing an effective date.
24
25	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27	Section 1.  Section 1004.635, Florida Statutes, is created
28	to read:
29	1004.635  State University System Research and Economic
30	Development Investment Program.--
31	(1)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--It is the intent of the
32	Legislature to create an investment program in state
33	universities that enhances graduate education, attracts and
34	retains world-class scholars, and enables state universities to
35	become nationally competitive in science and technology-based
36	economic development.
37	(2)  GENERAL PROVISIONS.--There is created the State
38	University System Research and Economic Development Investment
39	Program to be administered by the Board of Governors of the
40	State University System. The program shall be comprised of two
41	components:
42	(a)  The Distinguished Scholars Program pursuant to s.
43	1011.95.
44	(b)  The Research and Economic Development Infrastructure
45	Program pursuant to s. 1013.795.
46	(3)  INSTITUTIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.--To be eligible to
47	participate in the State University System Research and Economic
48	Development Investment Program, a state university must meet
49	each of the following criteria:
50	(a)  The number of nonprofessional doctoral degrees awarded
51	each year must exceed 250. At least 25 percent of these degrees
52	must be in a mathematics, science, technology, engineering, or
53	health-related discipline as defined by Classification of
54	Instructional Program codes.
55	(b)  The number of postdoctoral appointees reported in the
56	most recent NSF/NIH graduate student survey must exceed 200.
57	(c)  The 4-year undergraduate graduation rate must equal 40
58	percent or higher.
59	(d)  Expenditures from externally awarded contracts and
60	grants must be a minimum of $100 million per year.
61	(e)  The university must have a proven track record of
62	securing patents and licenses leading to products in the
63	marketplace over the last 5 years.
64	(f)  At least 75 percent of the entering freshmen each
65	academic year must be eligible to receive Florida Bright Futures
66	Scholarships.
67
68	The Board of Governors of the State University System shall
69	develop uniform guidelines, definitions, and reporting formats
70	for a university to use to demonstrate that it meets each of the
71	criteria described in this subsection.
72	Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 1009.24, Florida
73	Statutes, is amended, and subsection (15) is added to that
74	section, to read:
75	1009.24  State university student fees.--
76	(3)  Within proviso in the General Appropriations Act and
77	law, each board of trustees shall set university tuition and
78	fees. The sum of the activity and service, health, and athletic,
79	and academic enhancement fees a student is required to pay to
80	register for a course shall not exceed 40 percent of the tuition
81	established in law or in the General Appropriations Act. No
82	university shall be required to lower any fee in effect on the
83	effective date of this act in order to comply with this
84	subsection. Within the 40 percent cap, universities may not
85	increase the aggregate sum of activity and service, health, and
86	athletic fees more than 5 percent per year unless specifically
87	authorized in law or in the General Appropriations Act. A
88	university may increase its athletic fee to defray the costs
89	associated with changing National Collegiate Athletic
90	Association divisions. Any such increase in the athletic fee may
91	exceed both the 40 percent cap and the 5 percent cap imposed by
92	this subsection. Any such increase must be approved by the
93	athletic fee committee in the process outlined in subsection
94	(11) and cannot exceed $2 per credit hour. Notwithstanding the
95	provisions of ss. 1009.534, 1009.535, and 1009.536, that portion
96	of any increase in an athletic fee pursuant to this subsection
97	that causes the sum of the activity and service, health, and
98	athletic, and academic enhancement fees to exceed the 40 percent
99	cap or the annual increase in such fees to exceed the 5 percent
100	cap shall not be included in calculating the amount a student
101	receives for a Florida Academic Scholars award, a Florida
102	Medallion Scholars award, or a Florida Gold Seal Vocational
103	Scholars award. This subsection does not prohibit a university
104	from increasing or assessing optional fees related to specific
105	activities if payment of such fees is not required as a part of
106	registration for courses.
107	(15)  If the Board of Governors of the State University
108	System determines that a university is eligible to participate
109	in the State University System Research and Economic Development
110	Investment Program pursuant to s. 1004.635, the university board
111	of trustees for the institution is authorized to establish an
112	academic enhancement fee. Revenues from the academic enhancement
113	fee shall be retained by the university, paid into a separate
114	academic enhancement fee fund, and used to strengthen
115	undergraduate and graduate education pursuant to guidelines of
116	the Board of Governors of the State University System.
117	Section 3.  Subsection (9) is added to section 1009.26,
118	Florida Statutes, to read:
119	1009.26  Fee waivers.--
120	(9)  Each university board of trustees is authorized to
121	waive tuition and out-of-state fees for purposes which support
122	and enhance the mission of the university. All fees waived must
123	be based on policies which are adopted by university boards of
124	trustees pursuant to rules adopted by the Board of Governors of
125	the State University System. Each university shall report the
126	purpose, number, and value of all fee waivers granted annually
127	in a format prescribed by the Board of Governors.
128	Section 4.  Section 1011.95, Florida Statutes, is created
129	to read:
130	1011.95  Distinguished Scholars Program; recruitment and
131	retention of prominent researchers.--
132	(1)  There is created the Distinguished Scholars Program to
133	promote excellence in graduate education at eligible state
134	universities, strengthen the state's workforce, promote economic
135	development, and accelerate Florida's innovation economy.
136	(2)  A state university must meet the criteria in s.
137	1004.635 to be eligible to participate in the program. The Board
138	of Governors of the State University System shall determine the
139	eligibility status of a state university to participate in the
140	program.
141	(3)  Funds appropriated for the Distinguished Scholars
142	Program shall be allocated by the Board of Governors to eligible
143	institutions on the following basis:
144	(a)  To the extent appropriated funds are available, funds
145	raised by an eligible university from nonuniversity sources
146	shall be matched on a one-time dollar-for-dollar basis.
147	(b)  Any remaining funds shall be allocated equally among
148	the institutions determined eligible by the Board of Governors
149	to participate in the program. Such funds may be used upon
150	approval of the Board of Governors for nonrecurring expenditures
151	to support graduate education and research efforts.
152	(4)  Funds provided for the Distinguished Scholars Program
153	may be used for the purpose of recruiting and retaining
154	prominent researchers and supporting graduate fellowships,
155	graduate research, equipment and laboratories, and laboratory
156	experiences to promote excellence in graduate education.
157	Priority shall be placed on enhancing Florida's science and
158	technology base and building excellence in new fields of
159	research.
160	Section 5.  Section 1013.795, Florida Statutes, is created
161	to read:
162	1013.795  Research and Economic Development Infrastructure
163	Program.--
164	(1)  There is created the Research and Economic Development
165	Infrastructure Program to provide matching funds to eligible
166	institutions to construct and acquire cutting-edge, state-of-
167	the-art science and engineering research facilities and
168	specialized equipment to support research programs, foster
169	economic development, and accelerate Florida's innovation
170	economy.
171	(2)  A state university must meet the criteria in s.
172	1004.635 to be eligible to participate in the program. The Board
173	of Governors of the State University System shall determine the
174	eligibility status of a state university to participate in the
175	program.
176	(3)  Funds appropriated for the Research and Economic
177	Development Infrastructure Program shall be used by the Board of
178	Governors to match funds raised by an eligible university from
179	nonuniversity sources on a one-time dollar-for-dollar basis.
180	Section 6.  For the 2006-2007 fiscal year, the sum of
181	$100,000,000 is appropriated from recurring general revenue
182	funds to the Board of Governors of the State University System
183	for the Distinguished Scholars Program. The Board of Governors
184	shall allocate these funds to institutions meeting the criteria
185	in s. 1004.635, Florida Statutes, pursuant to the provisions of
186	s. 1011.95, Florida Statutes.
187	Section 7.  For the 2006-2007 fiscal year, the sum of
188	$250,000,000 is appropriated from nonrecurring general revenue
189	funds to the Board of Governors of the State University System
190	for the Research and Economic Development Infrastructure
191	Program. The Board of Governors shall allocate these funds to
192	institutions meeting the criteria in s. 1004.635, Florida
193	Statutes, pursuant to the provisions of s. 1013.795, Florida
194	Statutes.
195	Section 8.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

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