HB 7097

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to postsecondary education; amending s.
31001.44, F.S.; authorizing an articulation agreement for
4delivery of associate in applied science degree programs
5by career centers; providing requirements for use of the
6designation "technical college"; providing a definition;
7amending s. 1002.34, F.S.; providing for a charter
8technical career center to use the designation "technical
9college"; providing a definition; amending s. 1007.22,
10F.S.; revising provisions relating to establishment of
11interinstitutional mechanisms by public postsecondary
12educational institutions; amending s. 1007.23, F.S.;
13revising components of the statewide articulation
14agreement; revising terminology; creating s. 1007.234,
15F.S.; requiring the State Board of Education, in
16consultation with the Board of Governors, to establish
17statewide articulation agreements for articulated career
18paths for specific professions; requiring career paths to
19provide for the articulation of credit for certain
20programs and experiential learning; providing criteria for
21participation by nonpublic colleges and schools in the
22statewide articulation agreements for articulated career
23paths; requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
24Government Accountability to assess articulation
25agreements and identify career center programs that may
26articulate to certain degree programs; requiring the
27office to review career paths for articulation of credit
28awarded by public and private institutions; requiring
29reporting to the Legislature; creating s. 1011.802, F.S.;
30establishing the School District Career Center Facility
31Enhancement Challenge Grant Program; authorizing a school
32district direct-support organization to solicit funds and
33establish a separate career center capital facilities
34matching account for private contributions for
35instructional facility construction projects; providing
36for match by state appropriations; providing for a portion
37of the cost of a facility construction project to be
38provided from a school district's local capital funds;
39providing State Board of Education requirements relating
40to capital outlay budget requests for such projects;
41providing for reversion of funds; creating the Board of
42Governors Scholarship Matching Pilot Project; providing
43for funding; providing for annual reports to the Governor
44and Legislature; providing for future repeal; providing an
45effective date.
46
47Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
48
49     Section 1.  Subsection (4) is added to section 1001.44,
50Florida Statutes, to read:
51     1001.44  Career centers.--
52     (4)  DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD CAREER CENTER PROGRAM
53DELIVERY.--
54     (a)  A district school board with an established career
55center as part of the district school system may enter into an
56articulation agreement for the delivery of specified associate
57in applied science degree programs.
58     (b)  A career center that offers a postsecondary adult
59vocational program designed to articulate into an associate in
60applied science degree program and enters into an articulation
61agreement for the delivery of such an associate in applied
62science degree program may use the designation "technical
63college."
64     (c)  For purposes of this subsection, "postsecondary adult
65vocational program" is a job preparatory program, excluding
66continuing workforce education, through which a student receives
67a vocational certificate upon completion of instruction.
68     Section 2.  Subsection (20) is added to section 1002.34,
69Florida Statutes, to read:
70     1002.34  Charter technical career centers.--
71     (20)  DESIGNATION AS A TECHNICAL COLLEGE.--A charter
72technical career center that offers a postsecondary adult
73vocational program designed to articulate into an associate in
74applied science degree program and enters into an articulation
75agreement for the delivery of such an associate in applied
76science degree program may use the designation "technical
77college." For purposes of this subsection, "postsecondary adult
78vocational program" is a job preparatory program, excluding
79continuing workforce education, through which a student receives
80a vocational certificate upon completion of instruction.
81     Section 3.  Subsection (3) of section 1007.22, Florida
82Statutes, is amended to read:
83     1007.22  Articulation; postsecondary institution
84coordination and collaboration.--
85     (3)  Public postsecondary educational institutions serving
86the same students in a geographic and service area are
87encouraged to establish appropriate interinstitutional
88mechanisms to achieve cooperative planning and delivery of
89academic programs and related services, share a high-cost
90instructional facility and equipment, coordinate credit and
91noncredit outreach activities, have access to each other's
92library and media holdings and services, and provide cooperative
93campus activities and consultative relationships for the
94discussion and resolution of interinstitutional issues and
95problems which discourage student access or transfer.
96     Section 4.  Subsections (1) and (3) of section 1007.23,
97Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
98     1007.23  Statewide articulation agreement.--
99     (1)  The State Board of Education shall establish in rule a
100statewide articulation agreement that governs:
101     (a)  Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
102education, including credit earned through high school career
103and technical education majors and career academies;
104     (b)  Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from
105community colleges and state universities;
106     (c)  Admission of applied technology diploma program
107graduates from community colleges or career centers;
108     (d)  Admission of associate in science degree and associate
109in applied science degree graduates from community colleges;
110     (e)  The use of acceleration mechanisms, including
111nationally standardized examinations through which students may
112earn credit;
113     (f)  General education requirements and statewide course
114numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and
115     (g)  Articulation among programs in nursing; and.
116     (h)  Admission of postsecondary vocational, technical, or
117career certificate or diploma graduates from school district
118career centers or charter technical career centers.
119     (3)  The articulation agreement must guarantee the
120statewide articulation of appropriate workforce education
121development programs and courses between school districts and
122community colleges and specifically provide that every applied
123technology diploma graduate must be granted the same amount of
124credit upon admission to an associate in science degree or
125associate in applied science degree program unless it is a
126limited access program. Preference for admission must be given
127to graduates who are residents of Florida.
128     Section 5.  Section 1007.234, Florida Statutes, is created
129to read:
130     1007.234  Statewide articulation agreements for articulated
131career paths.--
132     (1)  By March 1, 2007, the State Board of Education, in
133consultation with the Board of Governors, shall establish
134statewide articulation agreements for articulated career paths
135for specific workforce education professions, including, but not
136limited to, the program areas of criminal justice, business,
137manufacturing, nursing, allied health, and early childhood
138education. The career paths shall provide for the articulation
139of:
140     (a)  Credit earned in vocational, technical, or career
141certificate or diploma programs to associate in science degrees
142or associate in applied science degrees.
143     (b)  Credit earned in associate in science degree programs
144to credit in baccalaureate degree programs.
145     (c)  Credit awarded by public and private institutions.
146     (d)  Credit for experiential learning associated with
147minimum training requirements for employment.
148     (2)  To participate in a statewide articulation agreement
149for an articulated career path required in this section,
150nonpublic colleges and schools must be fully accredited by a
151regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United
152States Department of Education, must participate in the Florida
153Education and Training Placement Information Program pursuant to
154s. 1008.39, and must meet one of the following criteria:
155     (a)  Be eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV,
156Florida Resident Access Grant Program; or
157     (b)  Have been issued a license pursuant to s. 1005.31 or
158s. 1005.32 and use an assessment required in s. 1005.04(1)(b)
159that has been recommended by the State Board of Education. In
160these licensed colleges and schools for courses not in the
161statewide course numbering system pursuant to s. 1007.24,
162credits to be accepted by a receiving institution must be
163generated in courses for which the faculty possess credentials
164that are comparable to those required by the accrediting
165association of the receiving institution.
166     (3)  To determine the appropriate courses and programs for
167statewide articulation agreements for articulated career paths,
168the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
169Accountability, by December 31, 2006, shall collect, review, and
170conduct an assessment of all existing articulation agreements
171between school district career centers or charter technical
172career centers and community colleges.
173     (4)  The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
174Accountability shall use the information compiled pursuant to
175subsection (3) to evaluate the effectiveness of articulation
176agreements for articulated career paths and to identify other
177postsecondary technical or career programs within a school
178district career center or charter technical career center that
179may articulate to an associate in science degree program or an
180associate in applied science degree program on an individual
181course or block basis for statewide articulation agreements for
182articulated career paths. By December 31, 2007, the Office of
183Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall
184submit a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker
185of the House of Representatives.
186     (5)  The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
187Accountability shall review all career paths that provide for
188the articulation of credit awarded by public and private
189institutions as required pursuant to subsection (1). The review
190shall include an assessment of methods used to evaluate the
191following: a student's ability to successfully complete the
192course of study for which the student has applied before
193accepting the student into the program; completion rates; job
194placement rates; and the method used by institutions to report
195data. By December 31, 2007, the Office of Program Policy
196Analysis and Government Accountability shall submit a report to
197the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
198Representatives.
199     Section 6.  Section 1011.802, Florida Statutes, is created
200to read:
201     1011.802  School District Career Center Facility
202Enhancement Challenge Grant Program.--
203     (1)  There is established the School District Career Center
204Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program for the purpose of
205assisting career centers in building high priority instructional
206capital facilities consistent with s. 1001.44, including common
207areas connecting such facilities. The direct-support
208organizations that serve the school districts may solicit gifts
209from private sources which are eligible for state matching funds
210for capital facilities. For purposes of this section, private
211sources of funds shall not include any federal, state, or local
212government funds that a school district may receive.
213     (2)  The School District Career Center Facility Enhancement
214Challenge Grant Program shall provide funds to match private
215contributions for the development of high priority instructional
216capital facilities, including common areas connecting such
217facilities, within the career centers.
218     (3)  Within the direct-support organization of each school
219district, a separate career center capital facilities matching
220account must be established for the purpose of providing
221matching funds from the direct-support organization's
222unrestricted donations or other private contributions for the
223development of high priority instructional capital facilities,
224including common areas connecting such facilities. The
225Legislature may appropriate funds for distribution to a school
226district after matching funds are certified by the direct-
227support organization and school district to the Department of
228Education. The Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service
229Trust Fund shall not be used as the source of the state match
230for private contributions.
231     (4)  A project may not be initiated unless all private
232funds for planning, construction, and equipping the facility
233have been received and deposited in the direct-support
234organization's matching account and the state's share for the
235minimum amount of funds needed to begin the project has been
236appropriated by the Legislature. The Legislature may appropriate
237the state's matching funds in one or more fiscal years for the
238planning, construction, and equipping of an eligible facility.
239However, these requirements shall not preclude the school
240district or direct-support organization from expending available
241funds from private sources to develop a prospectus, including
242preliminary architectural schematics or models, for use in its
243efforts to raise private funds for a facility. Additionally, any
244private sources of funds expended for this purpose are eligible
245for state matching funds if the project is awarded grant funds
246under this section.
247     (5)  To be eligible to participate in the School District
248Career Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program, a
249school district, through its direct-support organization, shall
250raise contributions from private sources equal to one-third of
251the total cost of a facility construction project. After raising
252such contributions, the school district shall be eligible for a
253match by a state appropriation equal to the amount raised for a
254facility construction project up to one-third of the cost of the
255project, subject to the General Appropriations Act. Another one-
256third of the total cost must be provided from the school
257district's local capital funds.
258     (6)  If the state's share of the required match is
259insufficient to meet the requirements of subsection (5), the
260school district shall renegotiate the terms of the contribution
261with the donors. If the project is terminated, each private
262donation, plus accrued interest, shall revert to the direct-
263support organization for remittance to the donor at the donor's
264discretion.
265     (7)  By September 1 of each year, the State Board of
266Education shall transmit to the Legislature, in the capital
267outlay budget request, a list of projects that meet all
268eligibility requirements to participate in the School District
269Career Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program and a
270budget request that includes the recommended schedule necessary
271to complete each project.
272     (8)  In order for a project to be eligible under this
273program, it must be survey-recommended under the provisions of
274s. 1013.31, included in the school district's 5-year capital
275improvement plan, and receive prior approval from the State
276Board of Education.
277     (9)  Any project funds that are unexpended after a project
278is completed shall revert to the school district direct-support
279organization's career center capital facilities matching
280account. One-third of such unexpended funds shall be reserved
281for the school district career center that originally received
282the private contribution for the purpose of providing private
283matching funds for future facility construction projects as
284provided in this section. One-third of such unexpended funds
285shall be returned to the General Revenue Fund. One-third of such
286unexpended funds shall be returned to the school district.
287     (10)  The surveys, architectural plans, facility, and
288equipment shall be the property of the participating school
289district.
290     Section 7.  Board of Governors Scholarship Matching Pilot
291Project.--The Board of Governors and the Board of Governors
292Foundation are authorized to provide donors with an incentive in
293the form of matching grants for donations for the sole purpose
294of providing needs-based financial assistance for students
295attending state universities. Donations received by the Board of
296Governors for this purpose prior to September 30, 2006, are
297eligible for state matching funds through legislative
298appropriations. Any donations and state matching grants received
299by the Board of Governors pursuant to this section may be
300invested by the Board of Governors Foundation. Donations, state
301matching funds, and associated investment earnings must be fully
302disbursed for needs-based financial assistance to state
303university students prior to June 30, 2010. The Board of
304Governors shall provide annual reports to the Governor, the
305President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
306Representatives providing information on the unexpended balance
307of funds associated with this pilot project; the number of
308students who received financial assistance; the number of
309scholarship recipients at each state university; and the
310minimum, maximum, and average annual award per recipient, by
311university. The reports shall be submitted by September 30 for
312the preceding annual period ending on June 30. This section is
313repealed effective September 30, 2010.
314     Section 8.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.


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