Florida Senate - 2013 SB 1440
By Senator Lee
24-01227-13 20131440__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
3 Scholarship Program; amending ss. 1009.534, 1009.535,
4 and 1009.536, F.S.; providing that a student who
5 volunteers with a campaign for public office may count
6 such hours toward the community service prerequisite
7 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
8 requiring that a community service verification form
9 include the signature of the student, the student’s
10 parent or guardian, and a representative of the
11 organization for whom the student performed community
12 service work; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
17 Statutes, is amended to read:
18 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
19 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
20 award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
21 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
22 student:
23 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
24 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
25 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
26 Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
27 attained at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the
28 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
29 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
30 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
31 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
32 (b) Has attended a home education program according to s.
33 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
34 International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
35 International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
36 Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
37 failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
38 Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score pursuant
39 to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative
40 parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment
41 Test, or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the
42 College Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
43 Assessment Program;
44 (c) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma
45 from the International Baccalaureate Office or an Advanced
46 International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
47 University of Cambridge International Examinations Office;
48 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
49 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
50 scholar or finalist; or
51 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
52 Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
53
54 A student shall must complete a program of community service
55 work, as approved by the district school board, the
56 administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
57 Education for home education program students, which must shall
58 include a minimum of 75 hours of service work for high school
59 students graduating in the 2010-2011 academic year and 100 hours
60 of service work for high school students graduating in the 2011
61 2012 academic year and thereafter, and may consist of volunteer
62 activity on behalf of a candidate for public office. A community
63 service verification form must include the signature of the
64 student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative
65 of the organization for whom the student performed community
66 service work. The student shall must identify a social problem
67 that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her
68 personal involvement in addressing the problem, and, through
69 papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or
70 her experience.
71 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida
72 Statutes, is amended to read:
73 1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
74 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
75 award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
76 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
77 student:
78 (a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as
79 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high
80 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
81 Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
82 attained at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the
83 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
84 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
85 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
86 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
87 (b) Has completed the International Baccalaureate
88 curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate
89 Diploma or has completed the Advanced International Certificate
90 of Education curriculum but failed to earn the Advanced
91 International Certificate of Education Diploma, and has attained
92 at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined
93 verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test,
94 the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
95 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
96 equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
97 (c) Has attended a home education program according to s.
98 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 and has attained at least the
99 score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal and
100 quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
101 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
102 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
103 equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program, if the student’s
104 parent cannot document a college-preparatory curriculum as
105 described in paragraph (a);
106 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement program
107 of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a scholar or
108 finalist but has not completed a program of community service as
109 provided in s. 1009.534; or
110 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
111 Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed a
112 program of community service as provided in s. 1009.534.
113
114 A high school student graduating in the 2011-2012 academic year
115 and thereafter shall must complete a program of community
116 service work approved by the district school board, the
117 administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
118 Education for home education program students, which must shall
119 include a minimum of 75 hours of service work, and may consist
120 of volunteer activity on behalf of a candidate for public
121 office. A community service verification form must include the
122 signature of the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and
123 a representative of the organization for whom the student
124 performed community service work. The student shall must
125 identify a social problem that interests him or her, develop a
126 plan for his or her personal involvement in addressing the
127 problem, and, through papers or other presentations, evaluate
128 and reflect upon his or her experience.
129 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 1009.536, Florida
130 Statutes, is amended to read:
131 1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award.—The
132 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is created within
133 the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to recognize and
134 reward academic achievement and career preparation by high
135 school students who wish to continue their education.
136 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal
137 Vocational Scholars award if the student meets the general
138 eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures
139 Scholarship Program and the student:
140 (a) Completes the secondary school portion of a sequential
141 program of studies that requires at least three secondary school
142 career credits. On-the-job training may not be substituted for
143 any of the three required career credits.
144 (b) Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education by
145 earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level
146 Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the Department
147 of Education.
148 (c) Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point average
149 of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, on all subjects
150 required for a standard high school diploma, excluding elective
151 courses.
152 (d) Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.5
153 on a 4.0 scale for secondary career courses comprising the
154 career program.
155 (e) Beginning with high school students graduating in the
156 2011-2012 academic year and thereafter, completes a program of
157 community service work approved by the district school board,
158 the administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
159 Education for home education program students, which must shall
160 include a minimum of 30 hours of service work that may consist
161 of volunteer activity on behalf of a candidate for public
162 office, and identifies a social problem that interests him or
163 her, develops a plan for his or her personal involvement in
164 addressing the problem, and, through papers or other
165 presentations, evaluates and reflects upon his or her
166 experience. A community service verification form must include
167 the signature of the student, the student’s parent or guardian,
168 and a representative of the organization for whom the student
169 performed community service work.
170 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.