Florida Senate - 2012 SB 1156 By Senator Flores 38-00826-12 20121156__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to state university student fees; 3 amending s. 1009.24, F.S.; prohibiting the sum of the 4 Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee and the building 5 fee from exceeding 10 percent of the tuition for 6 resident students or 10 percent of the sum of tuition 7 and out-of-state fees for nonresident students; 8 authorizing the use of the Capital Improvement Trust 9 Fund fee for certain projects or real property 10 acquisitions; requiring that the Division of Bond 11 Finance of the State Board of Administration analyze 12 any proposed fee reductions to the Capital Improvement 13 Trust Fund fee; requiring that the Board of Governors 14 approve any proposed fee reductions; requiring that 15 each university board of trustees establish a separate 16 Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee and building fee at 17 the main campus of the university; authorizing the 18 university board to establish a separate Capital 19 Improvement Trust Fund fee and building fee at any 20 branch campus or center; requiring that a fee 21 committee recommend any increase in the fees; 22 requiring that the fee committee be composed of 23 students and members appointed by the university 24 president; requiring that the university president 25 approve committee recommendations; providing that any 26 increase in fees may occur only once each fiscal year; 27 requiring that the Board of Governors adopt 28 regulations and timetables to implement the fees; 29 reenacting s. 1011.48(5), F.S., relating to the 30 establishment of educational research centers for 31 child development, to incorporate the amendment made 32 to s. 1009.24(8), F.S., in a reference thereto; 33 providing an effective date. 34 35 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 36 37 Section 1. Subsection (8) of section 1009.24, Florida 38 Statutes, is amended to read: 39 1009.24 State university student fees.— 40 (8)(a) The Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee is 41 established as $2.44 per credit hour per semester. The building 42 fee is established as $2.32 per credit hour per semester. 43 (b) The sum of the fees may not exceed 10 percent of the 44 tuition for resident students or 10 percent of the sum of 45 tuition and out-of-state fees for nonresident students. The 46 Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee may be used to fund any 47 project or real property acquisition that meets the requirements 48 of chapter 1013. The Division of Bond Finance of the State Board 49 of Administration shall analyze any proposed reductions to the 50 Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee to ensure consistency with 51 prudent financial management of the bond program associated with 52 the revenues from the fee. The Board of Governors shall approve 53 any proposed fee reductions. 54 (c) Each university board of trustees shall establish a 55 separate Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee and building fee at 56 the main campus of the university. The university board may also 57 establish a separate Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee and 58 building fee at any branch campus or center. Any subsequent 59 increase in the fees must be recommended by a Capital 60 Improvement Trust Fund and building fee committee, at least one 61 half of whom are students appointed by the student body 62 president. The remainder of the committee shall be appointed by 63 the university president. A chairperson, appointed jointly by 64 the university president and the student body president, shall 65 vote only in the case of a tie. The recommendations of the 66 committee shall take effect only after approval by the 67 university president, after consultation with the student body 68 president, with final approval by the university board of 69 trustees. An increase in the fees may occur only once each 70 fiscal year and must be implemented beginning with the fall 71 term. The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and 72 timetables to implement the fees. 73 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 74 made by this act to section 1009.24(8), Florida Statutes, in a 75 reference thereto, subsection (5) of section 1011.48, Florida 76 Statutes, is reenacted to read: 77 1011.48 Establishment of educational research centers for 78 child development.— 79 (5) Each educational research center for child development 80 shall be funded by a portion of the Capital Improvement Trust 81 Fund fee established by the Board of Governors pursuant to s. 82 1009.24(8). Each university that establishes a center shall 83 receive a portion of such fees collected from the students 84 enrolled at that university, usable only at that university, 85 equal to 22.5 cents per student per credit hour taken per term, 86 based on the summer term and fall and spring semesters. This 87 allocation shall be used by the university only for the 88 establishment and operation of a center as provided by this 89 section and rules adopted hereunder. Said allocation may be made 90 only after all bond obligations required to be paid from such 91 fees have been met. 92 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.