| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to state universities; amending s. |
| 3 | 1009.24, F.S.; authorizing university boards of trustees |
| 4 | to increase the Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee subject |
| 5 | to certain restrictions; amending s. 1013.64, F.S.; |
| 6 | increasing the monetary threshold for the utilization of |
| 7 | funds for the replacement of minor facility projects; |
| 8 | amending s. 1013.78, F.S.; conforming provisions; amending |
| 9 | s. 1013.79, F.S.; revising provisions relating to the |
| 10 | matching and expenditure of funds under a university |
| 11 | facility challenge grant program; providing an effective |
| 12 | date. |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Section 1. Subsection (8) of section 1009.24, Florida |
| 17 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 18 | 1009.24 State university student fees.-- |
| 19 | (8) The Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee is established |
| 20 | as $2.44 per credit hour per semester. The building fee is |
| 21 | established as $2.32 per credit hour per semester. Each |
| 22 | university board of trustees may establish a greater Capital |
| 23 | Improvement Trust Fund fee. However, the total of all Capital |
| 24 | Improvement Trust Fund and building fees may not exceed 10 |
| 25 | percent of tuition for resident students or 10 percent of the |
| 26 | sum of tuition and out-of-state fees for nonresident students. |
| 27 | The Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee for resident students |
| 28 | shall be limited to an increase of no more than $2 per credit |
| 29 | hour over the prior year. |
| 30 | Section 2. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section |
| 31 | 1013.64, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 32 | 1013.64 Funds for comprehensive educational plant needs; |
| 33 | construction cost maximums for school district capital |
| 34 | projects.--Allocations from the Public Education Capital Outlay |
| 35 | and Debt Service Trust Fund to the various boards for capital |
| 36 | outlay projects shall be determined as follows: |
| 37 | (1) |
| 38 | (h) University boards of trustees may utilize funds |
| 39 | appropriated pursuant to this section for replacement of minor |
| 40 | facilities provided that such projects do not exceed $2 $1 |
| 41 | million in cost or 10,000 gross square feet in size. Minor |
| 42 | facilities may not be replaced from funds provided pursuant to |
| 43 | this section unless the board determines that the cost of repair |
| 44 | or renovation is greater than or equal to the cost of |
| 45 | replacement. |
| 46 | Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 1013.78, Florida |
| 47 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 48 | 1013.78 Approval required for certain university-related |
| 49 | facility acquisitions.-- |
| 50 | (2) Legislative approval shall not be required for |
| 51 | renovations, remodeling, replacement of existing facilities, or |
| 52 | construction of minor facilities projects as defined in s. |
| 53 | 1013.64, except to the extent required pursuant to s. 1010.62. |
| 54 | Section 4. Subsection (5) of section 1013.79, Florida |
| 55 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 56 | 1013.79 University Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant |
| 57 | Program.-- |
| 58 | (5) A project may not be initiated unless all private |
| 59 | funds for planning, construction, and equipping the facility |
| 60 | have been received and deposited in the separate university |
| 61 | program account designated for this purpose. However, these |
| 62 | requirements shall not preclude the university from expending |
| 63 | funds from private sources to develop a prospectus, including |
| 64 | preliminary architectural schematics or models, for use in its |
| 65 | efforts to raise private funds for a facility. Private funds |
| 66 | expended for planning, construction, and equipping the facility |
| 67 | are eligible for state matching funds but do not create a |
| 68 | financial obligation of the state and the state's share for the |
| 69 | minimum amount of funds needed to begin the project has been |
| 70 | appropriated by the Legislature. The Board of Governors shall |
| 71 | establish a method for validating the receipt and deposit of |
| 72 | private matching funds. The Legislature may appropriate the |
| 73 | state's matching funds in one or more fiscal years for the |
| 74 | planning, construction, and equipping of an eligible facility. |
| 75 | However, these requirements shall not preclude the university |
| 76 | from expending available funds from private sources to develop a |
| 77 | prospectus, including preliminary architectural schematics or |
| 78 | models, for use in its efforts to raise private funds for a |
| 79 | facility. Additionally, any private sources of funds expended |
| 80 | for this purpose are eligible for state matching funds should |
| 81 | the project materialize as provided for in this section. |
| 82 | Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |