Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1376
       
       
        
       By Senator Flores
       
       37-01409-16                                           20161376__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Teacher Certification
    3         Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program; creating s.
    4         1009.621, F.S.; establishing the program; providing
    5         for administration of the program; providing for
    6         teacher eligibility and the use of funds; authorizing
    7         the Department of Education to recover costs;
    8         providing rulemaking authority; providing an effective
    9         date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Section 1009.621, Florida Statutes, is created
   14  to read:
   15         1009.621 Teacher Certification Reimbursement and Loan
   16  Repayment Program.—
   17         (1) To retain qualified and effective teachers within the
   18  state’s public schools, there is established the Teacher
   19  Certification Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program to be
   20  administered by the Department of Education. The function of the
   21  program is to reimburse eligible teachers who hold a
   22  professional certificate pursuant to s. 1012.56 for costs
   23  incurred in meeting the mastery of professional preparation and
   24  education competence requirements of the professional
   25  certificate or make payments that offset loans incurred in
   26  meeting the requirement.
   27         (2) A teacher is eligible to participate in the program if
   28  he or she:
   29         (a) Teaches for 3 years in a public school with a temporary
   30  certificate issued pursuant to s. 1012.56(7)(b);
   31         (b) Completes the requirements for and earns a professional
   32  certificate pursuant to s. 1012.56(7)(a); and
   33         (c) Upon earning a professional certificate, teaches for an
   34  additional 2 years in a public school.
   35         (3) From funds appropriated for the program, the department
   36  may reimburse an eligible teacher or may make a loan payment on
   37  behalf of an eligible teacher for the costs of tuition, fees,
   38  and books associated with a state-approved teacher preparation
   39  program from a state university or Florida College System
   40  institution or a Florida Educator Preparation Institute program
   41  necessary to meet the mastery of professional preparation and
   42  education competence pursuant to s. 1012.56(6).
   43         (4) The department may recover costs of administering the
   44  program from funds appropriated for the program.
   45         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules necessary
   46  to administer the program.
   47         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.