Florida Senate - 2019 CS for SB 442
By the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and Space; and
Senators Lee, Broxson, Cruz, Mayfield, and Diaz
583-03495-19 2019442c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education for certain
3 military personnel; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.;
4 requiring the Board of Governors and State Board of
5 Education, in consultation with the Department of
6 Veterans’ Affairs, to create a uniform system for the
7 award of postsecondary credit to certain
8 servicemembers and veterans of the United States Armed
9 Forces; requiring the Articulation Coordinating
10 Committee to convene a workgroup by a specified date;
11 providing membership and duties of the workgroup;
12 providing administrative support for the workgroup;
13 requiring the workgroup to provide recommendations to
14 the Board of Governors and State Board of Education by
15 a specified date; requiring the Articulation
16 Coordinating Committee to review and identify military
17 experience and credentials for postsecondary credit by
18 a specified date; requiring the Articulation
19 Coordinating Committee to approve and the Board of
20 Governors and State Board of Education to adopt a
21 specified list; requiring certain postsecondary
22 institutions to award credit for specified military
23 experience and credentials; authorizing the award of
24 additional credits; requiring that certain credits be
25 transferrable between specified postsecondary
26 institutions; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; requiring
27 specified postsecondary institutions to waive the
28 transcript fee for active duty members of the Armed
29 Forces of the United States, certain veterans, and
30 their spouses and dependents; providing reporting
31 requirements for such institutions; requiring the
32 Board of Governors and the State Board of Education,
33 respectively, to adopt regulations and rules;
34 providing an effective date.
35
36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38 Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended
39 to read:
40 1004.096 College credit for military experience and
41 training and education courses.—
42 (1) In consultation with the Department of Veterans’
43 Affairs, the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
44 State Board of Education shall adopt rules that create a uniform
45 system that enables enable eligible servicemembers or veterans
46 of the United States Armed Forces to earn postsecondary academic
47 college credit at public postsecondary educational institutions
48 for experience and college-level training and education acquired
49 in the military. The regulations and rules shall include
50 procedures for credential evaluation and the award of
51 postsecondary academic college credit, including, but not
52 limited to, equivalency and alignment of military coursework
53 with appropriate postsecondary college courses, and course
54 descriptions, type and amount of college credit that may be
55 awarded, and transfer of credit.
56 (2) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall convene a
57 workgroup by August 31, 2019, to develop a uniform process for
58 determining when military experience and credentials are
59 appropriate for postsecondary credit and to meet the
60 requirements of this section.
61 (a) The workgroup shall be composed of the following 13
62 members:
63 1. The chair of the Articulation Coordinating Committee,
64 who shall serve as chair.
65 2. Four members representing academic affairs
66 administrators and faculty from state universities, appointed by
67 the chair of the Board of Governors.
68 3. Four members representing academic affairs
69 administrators and faculty from Florida College System
70 institutions, appointed by the chair of the State Board of
71 Education.
72 4. Two members representing faculty from career centers,
73 appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.
74 5. Two members representing veterans, appointed by the
75 executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
76 (b) The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide
77 administrative support for the workgroup.
78 (c) The workgroup shall provide recommendations regarding a
79 uniform process for determining postsecondary course
80 equivalencies and the minimum credit that must be awarded for
81 military experience and credentials to the Board of Governors
82 and the State Board of Education by December 1, 2019, for
83 approval at the next publicly noticed meeting of each board.
84 (d) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall
85 facilitate the review of military experience and credentials for
86 postsecondary course equivalencies and the amount of credit that
87 must be awarded beginning no later than January 1, 2020, in
88 accordance with the approved process.
89 (e) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall approve a
90 list of postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
91 credit that must be awarded for military experience and
92 credentials no later than November 30, 2020, and annually
93 thereafter. The Board of Governors and the State Board of
94 Education shall adopt the list approved by the Articulation
95 Coordinating Committee at the next publicly noticed meeting of
96 each board.
97 (f) State universities, Florida College System
98 institutions, and career centers must award postsecondary credit
99 for military experience and credentials based on the list
100 adopted by the Board of Governors and the State Board of
101 Education, if the credit is applicable toward the student’s
102 degree or certificate. Institutions may award additional
103 postsecondary credit if appropriate. Credit awarded in
104 accordance with minimum credit requirements is guaranteed to
105 transfer to other state universities, Florida College System
106 institutions, and career centers as if the credit were earned at
107 the receiving institution.
108 Section 2. Subsection (16) is added to section 1009.26,
109 Florida Statutes, to read:
110 1009.26 Fee waivers.—
111 (16)(a) A state university, Florida College System
112 institution, career center operated by a school district under
113 s. 1001.44, or charter technical career center shall waive the
114 transcript fee for a person who is an active duty member or an
115 honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces of the United
116 States and his or her spouse and dependents.
117 (b) Each state university, Florida College System
118 institution, career center operated by a school district under
119 s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center shall report to
120 the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education,
121 respectively, the number and value of fee waivers granted
122 annually under this subsection.
123 (c) The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
124 shall respectively adopt regulations and rules to administer
125 this subsection.
126 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.