Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1844
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       30-00722-20                                           20201844__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
    3         Scholarship Program; amending s. 1009.531, F.S.;
    4         revising student eligibility requirements for initial
    5         awards from any of the scholarships under the Florida
    6         Bright Futures Scholarship Program; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1009.531, Florida
   12  Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
   14  student eligibility requirements for initial awards.—
   15         (1) In order to be eligible for an initial award from any
   16  of the scholarships under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
   17  Program, a student must:
   18         (a) Be a Florida resident as defined in s. 1009.40 and
   19  rules of the State Board of Education.
   20         (b) Earn a standard Florida high school diploma pursuant to
   21  s. 1002.3105(5), s. 1003.4281, or s. 1003.4282 or a high school
   22  equivalency diploma pursuant to s. 1003.435 unless:
   23         1. The student completes a home education program according
   24  to s. 1002.41;
   25         2. The student earns a high school diploma from a non
   26  Florida school while living with a parent or guardian who is on
   27  military or public service assignment away from Florida; or
   28         3. The student earns a high school diploma from a Florida
   29  private school operating pursuant to s. 1002.42.
   30         (c) Be accepted by and enroll in an eligible Florida public
   31  or independent postsecondary education institution.
   32         (d) Be enrolled for at least 6 semester credit hours or the
   33  equivalent in quarter hours or clock hours.
   34         (e) Not have been found guilty of, or entered a plea of
   35  nolo contendere to, a felony charge, unless the student has been
   36  granted clemency by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the
   37  Executive Office of Clemency.
   38         (f) Apply for a scholarship from the program by high school
   39  graduation. However, a student who graduates from high school
   40  midyear must apply no later than December 31 of the student’s
   41  graduation year in order to be evaluated for and, if eligible,
   42  receive an award for the current academic year.
   43         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.