HB 717

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to state university student fees; amending
3	s. 1009.24, F.S.; increasing the cap on local fees;
4	removing the annual cap on increases in local fees;
5	authorizing each university board of trustees to establish
6	a technology fee and requiring recommendations by a
7	technology fee committee; requiring final approval of the
8	fee by the university board of trustees; providing fee
9	limitations and excluding the fee from an award under the
10	Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; providing an
11	effective date.
12
13	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15	Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 1009.24, Florida
16	Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (s) is added to subsection
17	(12) of that section, to read:
18	1009.24  State university student fees.--
19	(3)  Within proviso in the General Appropriations Act and
20	law, each board of trustees shall set university tuition and
21	fees. The sum of the activity and service, health, and athletic
22	fees a student is required to pay to register for a course shall
23	not exceed 45 40 percent of the tuition for undergraduate,
24	graduate, or professional students established in law or in the
25	General Appropriations Act. No university shall be required to
26	lower any fee in effect on the effective date of this act in
27	order to comply with this subsection. Within the 40 percent cap,
28	universities may not increase the aggregate sum of activity and
29	service, health, and athletic fees more than 5 percent per year
30	unless specifically authorized in law or in the General
31	Appropriations Act. A university may increase its athletic fee
32	to defray the costs associated with changing National Collegiate
33	Athletic Association divisions. Any such increase in the
34	athletic fee may exceed both the 45 40 percent cap and the 5
35	percent cap imposed by this subsection. Any such increase must
36	be approved by the athletic fee committee in the process
37	outlined in subsection (11) and cannot exceed $2 per credit
38	hour. Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 1009.534, 1009.535,
39	and 1009.536, that portion of any increase in an athletic fee
40	pursuant to this subsection that causes the sum of the activity
41	and service, health, and athletic fees to exceed the 45 40
42	percent cap or the annual increase in such fees to exceed the 5
43	percent cap shall not be included in calculating the amount a
44	student receives for a Florida Academic Scholars award, a
45	Florida Medallion Scholars award, or a Florida Gold Seal
46	Vocational Scholars award. This subsection does not prohibit a
47	university from increasing or assessing optional fees related to
48	specific activities if payment of such fees is not required as a
49	part of registration for courses.
50	(12)  Each university board of trustees is authorized to
51	establish the following fees:
52	(s)  A technology fee. The amount of the initial fee and
53	any subsequent increase in the technology fee must be
54	recommended by a technology fee committee, at least one-half of
55	whom are students appointed by the student body president. The
56	remainder of the committee shall be appointed by the university
57	president. A chair, appointed jointly by the university
58	president and the student body president, shall vote only in the
59	case of a tie. The recommendations of the committee shall take
60	effect only upon approval by the university president after
61	consultation with the student body president, with final
62	approval by the university board of trustees. An increase in the
63	technology fee may occur only once each fiscal year and must be
64	implemented beginning with the fall term. The technology fee
65	shall not be included in any award under the Florida Bright
66	Futures Scholarship Program.
67	Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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