HB 717

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Hospitality Education Program;
3	amending s. 509.302, F.S.; defining the term "hospitality
4	industry"; revising the purpose of the program to focus on
5	certain training and transition programs; requiring a
6	statewide nonprofit organization that receives the
7	program's grant funding to represent a hospitality
8	industry in the state; requiring the Division of Hotels
9	and Restaurants of the Department of Business and
10	Professional Regulation to use a portion of certain annual
11	licenses fees for programs directed to careers in the
12	restaurant industry and a portion of the fees for programs
13	directed to careers in the lodging industry; deleting
14	provisions related to the allocation of the funds to
15	various programs; revising the criteria for the award of
16	grants to conform to changes made by the act; removing an
17	expired provision that authorized administrative fines to
18	be used for the program; providing an effective date.
19
20	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22	Section 1.  Section 509.302, Florida Statutes, is amended
23	to read:
24	509.302  Hospitality Education Program.--
25	(1)(a)  The division shall administer an educational
26	program, designated the "Hospitality Education Program," offered
27	for the benefit of the hospitality restaurant and lodging
28	industries of this state. As used in this section, the term
29	"hospitality industry" means the restaurant industry or the
30	lodging industry.
31	(b)  The This program may affiliate with Florida State
32	University, Florida International University, and the University
33	of Central Florida. The program may also affiliate with any
34	other member of the State University System or Florida Community
35	College System, or with any privately funded college or
36	university, which offers a program of hospitality administration
37	and management.
38	(c)  The purpose primary goal of the this program is to
39	provide, support, and enhance instruct and train all individuals
40	and businesses licensed under this chapter, in cooperation with
41	recognized associations that represent the licensees, in the
42	application of state and federal laws and rules. Such programs
43	shall also include:
44	(a)  Management training.
45	(b)  Inservice continuing education programs.
46	(c)  Awareness of food-recovery programs, as promoted in s.
47	570.0725.
48	(d)  Enhancement of school-to-career training and
49	transition programs for students interested in pursuing careers
50	in a hospitality the food service or lodging industry.
51	(d)  The training and transition programs shall be funded
52	provided through the public school system using a nationally
53	recognized curriculum approved by the division, with the
54	enhancements funded under this section provided by grants to one
55	or more from nonprofit statewide organizations that represent a
56	in the hospitality industry of this state. The training and
57	transition programs shall be delivered through the public school
58	system using a nationally recognized curriculum approved by the
59	division. The division shall administer the services field, and
60	the application process for the grants shall be administered by
61	the division.
62	(e)  Such other programs as may be deemed appropriate by
63	the director and the advisory council.
64	(2)(a)  All public lodging establishments and all public
65	food service establishments licensed under this chapter shall
66	pay an annual fee of no more than $10, which shall be included
67	in the annual license fee and used for the sole purpose of
68	funding the Hospitality Education Program.
69	(b)  The division shall use at least 75 percent of the
70	funds collected under paragraph (a) for programs directed to
71	careers in the restaurant industry and at least 20 percent of
72	the funds for programs directed to careers in the lodging
73	industry. If the division does not receive a sufficient number
74	of grant applications, which are submitted timely and comply
75	with the division's requirements, to use all of the funds
76	reserved for programs directed to careers in one of the
77	industries, the division may use the remaining funds for
78	programs directed to careers in the other industry.
79	(3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
80	contrary, grant funding under this section for the services
81	described in paragraph (1)(d) shall include all expenses related
82	incident to providing the programs those services, including the
83	cost of staff support; student scholarships; compensation to
84	program instructors for time spent in relevant training; special
85	events or competitive events; and a reasonable stipend for
86	travel, lodging, and meals for instructors and students
87	participating in training or in related special events. All of
88	an applicant's such expenses must shall be consistent in
89	accordance with the budget submitted by the applicant in the
90	grant application and approved by the division. The expenditure
91	of all funds distributed under this section is shall be subject
92	to audit by the division.
93	(4)  The director shall develop formulate an annual budget,
94	programs, and activities to accomplish the purposes of this
95	section, in accordance with and subject to the advice and
96	recommendations of the advisory council.
97	(a)  The annual budget of the Hospitality Education Program
98	must show that the total fees estimated to be collected during
99	the next fiscal year under this section will be dedicated solely
100	to the estimated cost of funding the Hospitality Education
101	Program, less any trust fund service charge imposed by s.
102	215.20. If the estimated cost of funding the Hospitality
103	Education Program in any fiscal year is less than the total fees
104	estimated to be collected during that year, the director shall
105	submit a report to the advisory council demonstrating why the
106	amount of the such fee should not be immediately reduced to
107	eliminate the projected surplus. The director shall also submit
108	this report to the Secretary of Business and Professional
109	Regulation as part of the division's annual budget request.
110	(b)  Both the secretary's legislative budget requests
111	submitted under pursuant to ss. 216.023 and 216.031 and the
112	Governor's recommended budget submitted under pursuant to s.
113	216.163 must also show that the total fees estimated to be
114	collected during the next fiscal year under this section will be
115	dedicated solely to funding the Hospitality Education Program,
116	less any trust fund service charge imposed by s. 215.20. If the
117	estimated cost of funding the Hospitality Education Program in
118	any fiscal year is less than the total fees estimated to be
119	collected during that year, the secretary shall submit a report
120	demonstrating why the amount of the such fee should not be
121	immediately reduced to eliminate the projected surplus.
122	(5)  The director, with the consent of the advisory
123	council, may designate funds, not to exceed $250,000 annually,
124	to support school-to-career transition programs available
125	through statewide organizations in the hospitality services
126	field. Such programs shall be designed to prepare students for
127	progressive careers in the hospitality industry. The director,
128	with the consent of the advisory council, may also designate
129	funds, not to exceed $50,000 annually, to support food safety
130	training programs available through statewide organizations in
131	the hospitality services field, and not to exceed $50,000
132	annually, to support nontransient public lodging training
133	programs available through statewide organizations in the public
134	lodging services field.
135	(5)(6)  The director shall supervise have supervision over
136	the administration of the programs set forth in this section
137	subsection and shall report the status of the programs at all
138	meetings of the advisory council and at such other times as are
139	prescribed by the advisory council.
140	(6)(7)  The division shall adopt rules providing the
141	criteria for grant approval and the procedures for processing
142	grant applications. The criteria and procedures must shall be
143	approved by the advisory council. The criteria shall give
144	primary consideration to the experience and history of the
145	applicant in representing a hospitality the food service or
146	lodging industry in the state, the applicant's prior commitment
147	to school-to-career transition programs in a hospitality the
148	food service or lodging industry, and the applicant's
149	demonstrated ability to provide services statewide with industry
150	support and participation. Grants awarded under this section
151	shall be for a term of 4 years, with funding provided on an
152	annual basis.
153	(8)  Revenue from administrative fines may be used to
154	support this section. This subsection expires July 1, 2008.
155	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.

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