Senate Bill sb0918c2

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 918

    By the Committees on Higher Education Appropriations; Higher
    Education; and Senator Wise




    605-2453-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public postsecondary

  3         need-based student financial assistance;

  4         amending s. 1009.77, F.S.; providing that the

  5         Florida Work Experience Program is available to

  6         students in specified career education programs

  7         and educator preparation institutes; lowering

  8         the percentage of student wages that must be

  9         reimbursed to employers; providing that

10         participating postsecondary educational

11         institutions must pay for specified

12         preemployment expenses for students employed

13         with public schools; prescribing student

14         eligibility requirements; deleting provisions

15         requiring that the State Student Financial

16         Assistance Trust Fund be used for the program;

17         providing an effective date.

18  

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

20  

21         Section 1.  Section 1009.77, Florida Statutes, is

22  amended to read:

23         1009.77  Florida Work Experience Program.--

24         (1)  There is established the Florida Work Experience

25  Program to be administered by the Department of Education. The

26  purpose of the program is to introduce eligible students to

27  work experience that will complement and reinforce their

28  educational program and career goals and provide a self-help

29  student aid program. The Such program shall be available to:

30         (a)  Any student attending a state university or

31  community college authorized by Florida law; or

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 918
    605-2453-07




 1         (b)  Any student attending a nonprofit Florida

 2  postsecondary education institution that is eligible to

 3  participate in either of the student assistance grant programs

 4  established in ss. 1009.51 and 1009.52;.

 5         (c)  Any postsecondary student attending a career

 6  center operated by a district school board under s. 1001.44;

 7  or

 8         (d)  Any student attending an educator preparation

 9  institute established under s. 1004.85. The student may

10  participate in this program despite having previously earned a

11  baccalaureate degree.

12         (2)(a)  A participating institution may use up to 25

13  percent of its program allocation for student employment

14  within the institution.

15         (b)  A participating institution may use up to 10

16  percent of its program allocation for program administration.

17         (3)  Each participating institution is authorized to

18  enter into contractual agreements with private or public

19  employers for the purpose of establishing a Florida work

20  experience program.

21         (4)  The participating postsecondary educational

22  institution shall be responsible for reimbursing employers for

23  student wages from program allocation moneys it receives from

24  the trust fund pursuant to subsection (8).  Public elementary

25  or secondary school employers shall be reimbursed for 100

26  percent of the student's wages by the participating

27  institution.  All other employers shall be reimbursed for up

28  to 70 percent of the student's wages.  When a college or

29  university employs a student on campus through this program,

30  other student financial aid funds may not be used to fund the

31  institution's 30-percent portion of the student's wages.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 918
    605-2453-07




 1         (5)  The employer is responsible for furnishing the

 2  full cost of any mandatory benefits.  Such benefits may not be

 3  considered part of the 30-percent wage requirement total for

 4  matching purposes.

 5         (6)  Each participating postsecondary educational

 6  institution is responsible for furnishing the full cost of all

 7  preemployment requirements, including, but not limited to,

 8  background screenings and tuberculosis testing, which are

 9  necessary for a student to be employed by a public elementary

10  or secondary school employer. Expenditures under this

11  subsection shall be paid from the program allocation funds

12  received by the participating postsecondary educational

13  institution.

14         (7)(6)  A student is eligible to participate in the

15  Florida Work Experience Program if the student:

16         (a)  Is enrolled:

17         1.  At an eligible college or university as no less

18  than a half-time undergraduate student in good standing;.

19         2.  In an eligible postsecondary career education

20  program as no less than a half-time student in good standing.

21  Eligible programs must be approved by the Department of

22  Education and must consist of no less than 450 clock hours of

23  instruction. Such programs must be offered by a career center

24  operated by a district school board under s. 1001.44 or a

25  community college; or

26         3.  At an educator preparation institute established

27  under s. 1004.85 as no less than a half-time student in good

28  standing.

29  

30  However, a student may be employed during the break between

31  two consecutive terms or employed, although not enrolled,

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 918
    605-2453-07




 1  during a term if the student was enrolled at least half time

 2  during the preceding term and preregisters as no less than a

 3  half-time student for the subsequent academic term.  A student

 4  who attends an institution that does not provide

 5  preregistration shall provide documentation of intent to

 6  enroll as no less than a half-time student for the subsequent

 7  academic term.

 8         (b)  Meets the general requirements for student

 9  eligibility as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise

10  provided in this section.

11         (c)  Demonstrates financial need.

12         (d)  Maintains a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on

13  a 4.0 scale for all postsecondary college work.

14         (8)(7)  The State Board of Education shall adopt

15  prescribe such rules for the program as are necessary for its

16  administration, for the determination of eligibility and

17  selection of institutions to receive funds for students, to

18  ensure the proper expenditure of funds, and to provide an

19  equitable distribution of funds between students at public and

20  independent colleges and universities.

21         (8)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature for the

22  Florida Work Experience Program shall be deposited in the

23  State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund. The Chief

24  Financial Officer shall authorize expenditures from the trust

25  fund upon receipt of vouchers approved by the Department of

26  Education. Any balance therein at the end of any fiscal year

27  that has been allocated to the program shall remain therein

28  and shall be available for carrying out the purposes of the

29  program.

30         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 918
    605-2453-07




 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                     CS for Senate Bill 0918

 3                                 

 4  The Committee Substitute for CS/SB 918 removes the expansion
    of the Florida Public Student Assistance Grant Program, while
 5  leaving the expansion of the Florida Work Experience Program
    (FWEP).  The Committee Substitute eliminates the $500,000
 6  appropriation for the FWEP expansion because funding is
    already provided in the Senate proposed General Appropriations
 7  Bill.   Additionally, the Committee Substitute deletes the
    requirement for the FWEP to be budgeted through the State
 8  Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund.

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