Florida Senate - 2017 SB 1588
By Senator Latvala
16-01422-17 20171588__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to military and veteran support;
3 amending s. 295.187, F.S.; requiring the Department of
4 Veterans’ Affairs to create a website to streamline
5 the procedure for businesses applying for
6 certification as a veteran business enterprise;
7 amending s. 454.021, F.S.; authorizing the Supreme
8 Court to admit on motion a bar applicant who is the
9 spouse of a servicemember stationed in this state
10 under certain circumstances; amending s. 1012.56,
11 F.S.; requiring the Department of Education to
12 expedite the processing of an application for educator
13 certification submitted by a spouse of a servicemember
14 stationed in this state; requiring the State Board of
15 Education to adopt rules regarding extending validity
16 of a temporary certificate if the applicant is a
17 spouse of a servicemember stationed in this state;
18 providing legislative findings and intent regarding
19 continuing education for veterans of the United States
20 Armed Forces; providing legislative intent to require
21 collaboration between the State Board of Education and
22 the Board of Governors of the State University System
23 in achieving specified goals regarding educational
24 opportunities for veterans; providing an effective
25 date.
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. Present paragraph (d) of subsection (6) of
30 section 295.187, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
31 (e), and a new paragraph (d) is added to that subsection, to
32 read:
33 295.187 Florida Veteran Business Enterprise Opportunity
34 Act.—
35 (6) DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS.—The
36 department shall:
37 (d) Create a website to streamline the procedure for
38 applying for certification as a veteran business enterprise.
39 Section 2. Subsection (4) is added to section 454.021,
40 Florida Statutes, to read:
41 454.021 Attorneys; admission to practice law; Supreme Court
42 to govern and regulate.—
43 (4)(a) The Supreme Court of Florida may admit on motion an
44 applicant as an attorney at law authorized to practice in this
45 state if the applicant is a spouse of a servicemember, as
46 defined in s. 250.01, stationed in this state and upon
47 certification by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners that the
48 applicant meets the following requirements:
49 1. The applicant has registered in the Defense Enrollment
50 Eligibility Reporting System established by the United States
51 Department of Defense;
52 2. The applicant holds a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws
53 from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association;
54 3. The applicant is licensed to practice law in another
55 state, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United
56 States after having passed a written exam;
57 4. The applicant can establish that he or she is a member
58 in good standing in all jurisdictions where licensed to practice
59 law and that he or she is not currently subject to discipline or
60 a pending disciplinary matter relating to the practice of law;
61 5. The applicant can demonstrate his or her presence in
62 this state as a spouse of a servicemember; and
63 6. The applicant has otherwise fulfilled all requirements
64 for admission to practice law in this state.
65 (b) The Supreme Court of Florida may specify circumstances
66 under which the license and authorization to practice law in
67 this state of an attorney licensed in accordance with paragraph
68 (a) terminates.
69 Section 3. Subsections (1) and (7) of section 1012.56,
70 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
71 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
72 (1) APPLICATION.—Each person seeking certification pursuant
73 to this chapter shall submit a completed application containing
74 the applicant’s social security number to the Department of
75 Education and remit the fee required pursuant to s. 1012.59 and
76 rules of the State Board of Education. Pursuant to the federal
77 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
78 of 1996, each party is required to provide his or her social
79 security number in accordance with this section. Disclosure of
80 social security numbers obtained through this requirement is
81 limited to the purpose of administration of the Title IV-D
82 program of the Social Security Act for child support
83 enforcement. Pursuant to s. 120.60, the department shall issue
84 within 90 calendar days after the stamped receipted date of the
85 completed application:
86 (a) If the applicant meets the requirements, a professional
87 certificate covering the classification, level, and area for
88 which the applicant is deemed qualified and a document
89 explaining the requirements for renewal of the professional
90 certificate;
91 (b) If the applicant meets the requirements and if
92 requested by an employing school district or an employing
93 private school with a professional education competence
94 demonstration program pursuant to paragraphs (6)(f) and (8)(b),
95 a temporary certificate covering the classification, level, and
96 area for which the applicant is deemed qualified and an official
97 statement of status of eligibility; or
98 (c) If the an applicant does not meet the requirements for
99 either certificate, an official statement of status of
100 eligibility. The statement of status of eligibility must advise
101 the applicant of any qualifications that must be completed to
102 qualify for certification. Each statement of status of
103 eligibility is valid for 3 years after its date of issuance,
104 except as provided in paragraph (2)(d).
105
106 If the applicant is the spouse of a servicemember, as defined in
107 s. 250.01, stationed in this state and if the applicant holds a
108 current professional standard teaching certificate issued by
109 another state, the department shall expedite the processing of
110 the application and issue a certificate or statement as provided
111 under paragraphs (a)-(c) within 60 calendar days after the
112 stamped receipted date of the completed application.
113 (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
114 (a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional
115 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant
116 who meets all the requirements outlined in subsection (2) or,
117 for a professional certificate covering grades 6 through 12, any
118 applicant who:
119 1. Meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-(h).
120 2. Holds a master’s or higher degree in the area of
121 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
122 3. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the
123 advanced degree.
124 4. Is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s
125 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on
126 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized
127 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International
128 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate
129 examination.
130 5. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional
131 education competency examination required by state board rule.
132 (b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to
133 any applicant who completes the requirements outlined in
134 paragraphs (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content
135 requirements specified in state board rule or demonstrates
136 mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and
137 holds an accredited degree or a degree approved by the
138 Department of Education at the level required for the subject
139 area specialization in state board rule.
140 (c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year
141 temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional
142 certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor’s
143 degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for
144 completion of a master’s degree program in speech-language
145 impairment.
146
147 Each temporary certificate is valid for 3 school fiscal years
148 and is nonrenewable. However, the requirement in paragraph
149 (2)(g) must be met within 1 calendar year of the date of
150 employment under the temporary certificate. Individuals who are
151 employed under contract at the end of the 1 calendar year time
152 period may continue to be employed through the end of the school
153 year in which they have been contracted. A school district shall
154 not employ, or continue the employment of, an individual in a
155 position for which a temporary certificate is required beyond
156 this time period if the individual has not met the requirement
157 of paragraph (2)(g). The State Board of Education shall adopt
158 rules to allow the department to extend the validity period of a
159 temporary certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the
160 professional certificate, not including the requirement in
161 paragraph (2)(g), were not completed due to the serious illness
162 or injury of the applicant, due to the fact that the applicant
163 is the spouse of a servicemember stationed in this state, or due
164 to other extraordinary extenuating circumstances. The department
165 shall reissue the temporary certificate for 2 additional years
166 upon approval by the Commissioner of Education. A written
167 request for reissuance of the certificate shall be submitted by
168 the district school superintendent, the governing authority of a
169 university lab school, the governing authority of a state
170 supported school, or the governing authority of a private
171 school.
172 Section 4. Legislative findings and intent; continuing
173 education of veterans of the United States Armed Forces.—The
174 Legislature finds that many veterans of the United States Armed
175 Forces in this state have completed training and coursework
176 during their military service, including overseas deployments,
177 resulting in tangible and quantifiable strides in their pursuit
178 of a postsecondary degree. The Legislature further finds that
179 the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the
180 State University System must work together to ensure that
181 military training and coursework are granted academic credit in
182 order to assist veterans in continuing their education.
183 Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the State
184 Board of Education and the Board of Governors work
185 collaboratively to:
186 (1) Align existing degree programs, including, but not
187 limited to, vocational and technical degrees, at each state
188 university and Florida College System institution with
189 applicable military training and experience to maximize academic
190 credit awarded for such training and experience.
191 (2) Appoint and train specific faculty within each degree
192 program at each state university and Florida College System
193 institution as liaisons and contacts for veterans.
194 (3) Incorporate outreach services tailored to disabled
195 veterans into existing disability services on the campus of each
196 state university and Florida College System institution to make
197 available to such veterans information on disability services
198 provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
199 other federal and state agencies, and private entities.
200 (4) Facilitate statewide meetings for personnel at state
201 universities and Florida College System institutions who provide
202 student services for veterans to discuss and develop best
203 practices, exchange ideas and experiences, and attend
204 presentations by individuals with expertise in the unique needs
205 of veterans.
206 (5) Make every effort to provide veterans with sufficient
207 courses required for graduation, including, but not limited to,
208 giving priority registration to veterans.
209 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.