Florida Senate - 2017 SB 1468
By Senator Galvano
21-00774A-17 20171468__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s. 11.45, F.S.;
3 requiring the Auditor General to conduct annual audits
4 of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind;
5 amending s. 1001.10, F.S.; authorizing the
6 Commissioner of Education to coordinate with specified
7 entities to assess needs for resources and assistance
8 in an emergency situation; amending s. 1004.345, F.S.;
9 extending the timeframe by which the Florida
10 Polytechnic University must meet specified criteria
11 established by the Board of Governors of the State
12 University System; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Upon the expiration and reversion of the
17 amendment to section 11.45, Florida Statutes, pursuant to
18 section 36 of chapter 2016-62, Laws of Florida, paragraph (d) of
19 subsection (2) of section 11.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to
20 read:
21 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reports; rules.—
22 (2) DUTIES.—The Auditor General shall:
23 (d) Annually conduct financial audits of the accounts and
24 records of all district school boards in counties with
25 populations of fewer than 150,000, according to the most recent
26 federal decennial statewide census, and the Florida School for
27 the Deaf and the Blind.
28
29 The Auditor General shall perform his or her duties
30 independently but under the general policies established by the
31 Legislative Auditing Committee. This subsection does not limit
32 the Auditor General’s discretionary authority to conduct other
33 audits or engagements of governmental entities as authorized in
34 subsection (3).
35 Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to section 1001.10,
36 Florida Statutes, to read:
37 1001.10 Commissioner of Education; general powers and
38 duties.—
39 (8) In the event of an emergency, the commissioner may
40 coordinate through the most appropriate means of communication
41 with local school districts, Florida College System
42 institutions, and satellite offices of the Division of Blind
43 Services and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assess
44 the need for resources and assistance to enable each school,
45 institution, or satellite office the ability to reopen as soon
46 as possible after considering the health, safety, and welfare of
47 students and clients.
48 Section 3. Upon the expiration and reversion of the
49 amendment to section 1004.345, Florida Statutes, pursuant to
50 section 36 of chapter 2016-62, Laws of Florida, subsection (1)
51 of section 1004.345, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
52 1004.345 The Florida Polytechnic University.—
53 (1) By December 31, 2017 2016, the Florida Polytechnic
54 University shall meet the following criteria as established by
55 the Board of Governors:
56 (a) Achieve accreditation from the Commission on Colleges
57 of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
58 (b) Initiate the development of the new programs in the
59 fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
60 (c) Seek discipline-specific accreditation for programs;
61 (d) Attain a minimum FTE of 1,244, with a minimum 50
62 percent of that FTE in the fields of science, technology,
63 engineering, and mathematics and 20 percent in programs related
64 to those fields;
65 (e) Complete facilities and infrastructure, including the
66 Science and Technology Building, Phase I of the Wellness Center,
67 and a residence hall or halls containing no fewer than 190 beds;
68 and
69 (f) Have the ability to provide, either directly or where
70 feasible through a shared services model, administration of
71 financial aid, admissions, student support, information
72 technology, and finance and accounting with an internal audit
73 function.
74 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.