SB 566 First Engrossed
2014566e1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
3 Scholarship Program; amending s. 1009.531, F.S.;
4 providing that the initial award and renewal period
5 for students who are unable to accept an initial award
6 immediately after completion of high school due to a
7 full-time religious or service obligation begins upon
8 the completion of the religious or service obligation;
9 requiring verification from the entity for which the
10 student completed such obligation; amending ss.
11 1009.534, 1009.535, and 1009.536, F.S.; requiring a
12 student, as a prerequisite for the Florida Academic
13 Scholars award, the Florida Medallion Scholars award,
14 or the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, to
15 identify a social or civic issue or a professional
16 area of interest and develop a plan for his or her
17 personal involvement in addressing the issue or
18 learning about the area; prohibiting the student from
19 receiving remuneration or academic credit for the
20 volunteer service work performed; providing examples
21 of volunteer service work; requiring that the hours of
22 volunteer service work performed be documented in
23 writing and the document be signed by the student, the
24 student’s parent or guardian, and a representative of
25 the organization for which the student performed the
26 volunteer service work; deleting obsolete provisions;
27 providing an effective date.
28
29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
30
31 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
32 1009.531, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
33 1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
34 student eligibility requirements for initial awards.—
35 (2)
36 (c) A student graduating from high school in the 2012-2013
37 academic year and thereafter is eligible to accept an initial
38 award for 2 years following high school graduation and to accept
39 a renewal award for 5 years following high school graduation. A
40 student who applies for an award by high school graduation and
41 who meets all other eligibility requirements, but who does not
42 accept his or her award, may reapply during subsequent
43 application periods up to 2 years after high school graduation.
44 For a student who enlists in the United States Armed Forces
45 immediately after completion of high school, the 2-year
46 eligibility period for his or her initial award and the 5-year
47 renewal period shall begin upon the date of separation from
48 active duty. For a student who is receiving a Florida Bright
49 Futures Scholarship award and discontinues his or her education
50 to enlist in the United States Armed Forces, the remainder of
51 his or her 5-year renewal period shall commence upon the date of
52 separation from active duty. For a student who is unable to
53 accept an initial award immediately after completion of high
54 school due to a full-time religious or service obligation for at
55 least 18 months, the 2-year eligibility period for his or her
56 initial award and the 5-year renewal period begin upon the
57 completion of his or her religious or service obligation. The
58 full-time religious or service obligation must be documented in
59 writing and verified by the entity for which the student
60 completed such obligation. If a course of study is not completed
61 after 5 academic years, an exception of 1 year to the renewal
62 timeframe may be granted due to a verifiable illness or other
63 documented emergency pursuant to s. 1009.40(1)(b)4.
64 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
65 Statutes, is amended to read:
66 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
67 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
68 award if he or she the student meets the general eligibility
69 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
70 and the student:
71 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
72 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
73 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
74 Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
75 attained at least the score required under pursuant to s.
76 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of
77 the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
78 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
79 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
80 Assessment Program;
81 (b) Has attended a home education program according to s.
82 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12, or has completed the
83 International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
84 International Baccalaureate Diploma, or has completed the
85 Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
86 failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
87 Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score required
88 under pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and
89 quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
90 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
91 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
92 equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
93 (c) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma
94 from the International Baccalaureate Office or an Advanced
95 International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
96 University of Cambridge International Examinations Office;
97 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
98 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
99 scholar or finalist; or
100 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
101 Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
102
103 The A student must complete a program of volunteer community
104 service work, as approved by the district school board, the
105 administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
106 Education for home education program students, which must shall
107 include a minimum of 75 hours of service work for high school
108 students graduating in the 2010-2011 academic year and 100 hours
109 of service work for high school students graduating in the 2011
110 2012 academic year and thereafter. The student , and must
111 identify a social or civic issue or a professional area problem
112 that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her
113 personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about
114 the area problem, and, through papers or other presentations,
115 evaluate and reflect upon his or her experience. The student may
116 not receive remuneration or academic credit for the volunteer
117 service work performed. Such work may include, but is not
118 limited to, a business or government internship, work for a
119 nonprofit community service organization, or activity on behalf
120 of a candidate for public office. The hours of service work must
121 be documented in writing, and the document must be signed by the
122 student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative
123 of the organization for which the student performed the service
124 work.
125 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida
126 Statutes, is amended to read:
127 1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
128 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
129 award if he or she the student meets the general eligibility
130 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
131 and the student:
132 (a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as
133 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high
134 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
135 Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
136 attained at least the score required under pursuant to s.
137 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of
138 the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
139 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
140 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
141 Assessment Program;
142 (b) Has completed the International Baccalaureate
143 curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate
144 Diploma or has completed the Advanced International Certificate
145 of Education curriculum but failed to earn the Advanced
146 International Certificate of Education Diploma, and has attained
147 at least the score required under pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b)
148 on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
149 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
150 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
151 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
152 (c) Has attended a home education program according to s.
153 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 and has attained at least the
154 score required under pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the
155 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
156 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
157 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
158 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program, if the
159 student’s parent cannot document a college-preparatory
160 curriculum as described in paragraph (a);
161 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement program
162 of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a scholar or
163 finalist but has not completed the a program of volunteer
164 community service work required under as provided in s.
165 1009.534; or
166 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
167 Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed the a
168 program of volunteer community service work required under as
169 provided in s. 1009.534.
170
171 The A high school student graduating in the 2011-2012 academic
172 year and thereafter must complete at least 75 hours a program of
173 volunteer community service work approved by the district school
174 board, the administrators of a nonpublic school, or the
175 Department of Education for home education program students. The
176 student, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of service
177 work, and must identify a social or civic issue or professional
178 area problem that interests him or her, develop a plan for his
179 or her personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning
180 about the area problem, and, through papers or other
181 presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her experience.
182 The student may not receive remuneration or academic credit for
183 the volunteer service work performed. Such work may include, but
184 is not limited to, a business or government internship, work for
185 a nonprofit community service organization, or activity on
186 behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of service
187 work must be documented in writing, and the document must be
188 signed by the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a
189 representative of the organization for which the student
190 performed the service work.
191 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 1009.536, Florida
192 Statutes, is amended to read:
193 1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award.—The
194 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is created within
195 the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to recognize and
196 reward academic achievement and career preparation by high
197 school students who wish to continue their education.
198 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal
199 Vocational Scholars award if he or she the student meets the
200 general eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures
201 Scholarship Program and the student:
202 (a) Completes the secondary school portion of a sequential
203 program of studies that requires at least three secondary school
204 career credits. On-the-job training may not be substituted for
205 any of the three required career credits.
206 (b) Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education by
207 earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level
208 Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the Department
209 of Education.
210 (c) Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point average
211 of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, on all subjects
212 required for a standard high school diploma, excluding elective
213 courses.
214 (d) Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.5
215 on a 4.0 scale for secondary career courses that compose
216 comprising the career program.
217 (e) Beginning with high school students graduating in the
218 2011-2012 academic year and thereafter, completes at least 30
219 hours a program of volunteer community service work approved by
220 the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
221 school, or the Department of Education for home education
222 program students. The student must identify, which shall include
223 a minimum of 30 hours of service work, and identifies a social
224 or civic issue or a professional area problem that interests him
225 or her, develop develops a plan for his or her personal
226 involvement in addressing the issue or learning about the area
227 problem, and, through papers or other presentations, evaluate
228 evaluates and reflect reflects upon his or her experience. The
229 student may not receive remuneration or academic credit for the
230 volunteer service work performed. Such work may include, but is
231 not limited to, a business or government internship, work for a
232 nonprofit community service organization, or activity on behalf
233 of a candidate for public office. The hours of service work must
234 be documented in writing, and the document must be signed by the
235 student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative
236 of the organization for which the student performed the service
237 work.
238 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.