Florida Senate - 2014 CS for CS for SB 84
By the Committees on Education; and Military and Veterans
Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; and Senators Latvala,
Evers, Grimsley, Detert, Sachs, Bradley, and Montford
581-00800A-14 201484c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to waivers of out-of-state fees for
3 veterans; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; providing a short
4 title; establishing the Congressman C. W. Bill Young
5 Veteran Tuition Waiver Program; requiring a state
6 university or Florida College System institution to
7 waive out-of-state fees for certain veterans of the
8 Armed Forces of the United States, including the
9 National Guard and reserve components thereof;
10 providing applicability; requiring a state university
11 and Florida College System institution to report to
12 the Board of Governors and the State Board of
13 Education, respectively, the number and value of all
14 fee waivers; providing an effective date.
15
16 WHEREAS, Charles William (Bill) Young, born in 1930, was
17 raised in humble surroundings and was later elected to the
18 United States House of Representatives by the electors of the
19 Thirteenth Congressional District of Florida, and
20 WHEREAS, after Congressman Young completed his 22nd term in
21 the United States House of Representatives, he became the
22 longest serving Republican member at the time of his death on
23 October 18, 2013, and
24 WHEREAS, as a husband, father, laborer, businessman, and
25 United States Army Reservist, Congressman Young was the
26 embodiment of a distinguished gentleman and statesman who was
27 noted for his unflappable civility, and
28 WHEREAS, Congressman Young was instrumental in safeguarding
29 from decommission the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, now
30 home to the United States Central Command and the United States
31 Special Operations Command, during the Federal Government’s
32 efforts to reduce the number of Air Force bases, and
33 WHEREAS, Congressman Young is credited with the substantial
34 growth of one of this nation’s largest veteran’s hospitals
35 located in Saint Petersburg, Florida, which now bears his name,
36 and
37 WHEREAS, Congressman Young’s most gratifying
38 accomplishment, realized in conjunction with the United States
39 Navy, was establishing a national registry for bone marrow
40 donors which is credited with saving tens of thousands of lives,
41 and
42 WHEREAS, adoption of this act, which is cited as the
43 “Congressman C. W. Bill Young Veteran Tuition Waiver Act”
44 exemplifies and honors Congressman Young for his unwavering,
45 lifelong support of the Armed Forces of the United States and
46 the brave military men and women who serve this nation and stand
47 in defense of liberty, NOW, THEREFORE,
48
49 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
50
51 Section 1. This act is cited as the “Congressman C. W. Bill
52 Young Veteran Tuition Waiver Act.”
53 Section 2. Subsection (12) is added to section 1009.26,
54 Florida Statutes, to read:
55 (12) There is established the Congressman C. W. Bill Young
56 Veteran Tuition Waiver Program. A state university or Florida
57 College System institution shall waive out-of-state fees for an
58 honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces of the United
59 States, including the National Guard and reserve components
60 thereof, who physically resides in this state while enrolled in
61 the institution. Tuition and fees charged to a veteran who
62 qualifies for the out-of-state fee waiver under this subsection
63 may not exceed the tuition and fees charged to a resident
64 student. The waiver is applicable for 110 percent of the
65 required credit hours of the degree or certificate program for
66 which the student is enrolled. Each state university and Florida
67 College System institution shall report to the Board of
68 Governors and the State Board of Education, respectively, the
69 number and value of all fee waivers granted annually under this
70 subsection.
71 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.