Florida Senate - 2020 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 372
Ì669140ÅÎ669140
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
12/09/2019 .
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The Committee on Education (Lee) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended
6 to read:
7 1004.096 College credit for military training and education
8 courses.—
9 (1) In consultation with the Department of Veterans’
10 Affairs, the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
11 State Board of Education shall adopt rules that create a process
12 that enables enable eligible servicemembers or veterans of the
13 United States Armed Forces to earn uniform postsecondary
14 academic college credit across all Florida at public
15 postsecondary educational institutions for college-level
16 training and education acquired in the military. The regulations
17 and rules shall include procedures for credential evaluation and
18 the uniform award of postsecondary academic college credit or
19 career education clock hours, including, but not limited to,
20 equivalency and alignment of military coursework with
21 appropriate postsecondary college courses and, course
22 descriptions, type and amount of college credit that may be
23 awarded, and transfer of credit.
24 (2) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall convene a
25 workgroup by July 15, 2020, which is responsible for developing
26 a process for determining postsecondary course equivalencies and
27 the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
28 that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by
29 individuals during their service in the military.
30 (a) The workgroup shall be composed of the following 13
31 members:
32 1. The chair of the Articulation Coordinating Committee, or
33 his or her designee, who shall serve as chair.
34 2. Four members representing academic affairs
35 administrators and faculty from state universities, appointed by
36 the chair of the Board of Governors.
37 3. Four members representing academic affairs
38 administrators and faculty from Florida College System
39 institutions, appointed by the chair of the State Board of
40 Education.
41 4. Two members representing faculty from career centers,
42 appointed by the State Board of Education.
43 5. Two members representing veterans, appointed by the
44 executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
45 (b) The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide
46 administrative support for the workgroup.
47 (c) The workgroup shall establish a process for
48 prioritizing and determining postsecondary course equivalencies
49 and the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock
50 hours that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations
51 held by individuals during their service in the military. The
52 workgroup shall provide recommendations to the Board of
53 Governors and the State Board of Education by December 1, 2020,
54 for approval at the next meeting of each board to allow for
55 adequate public notice.
56 (d) Upon approval of the workgroup’s recommendations by the
57 Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, the
58 Articulation Coordinating Committee shall facilitate the review
59 of courses taken and occupations held by individuals during
60 their service in the military for postsecondary course
61 equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career
62 education clock hours that must be awarded in accordance with
63 the approved process.
64 (e) Within 1 year after approval of the workgroup’s
65 recommendations by the Board of Governors and the State Board of
66 Education pursuant to paragraph (c), the Articulation
67 Coordinating Committee shall approve a prioritized list of
68 postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary
69 credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded for
70 courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their
71 service in the military. The list must be updated annually. The
72 Board of Governors and the State Board of Education shall timely
73 adopt the list approved by the Articulation Coordinating
74 Committee at the next meeting of each board to allow for
75 adequate public notice. For the purpose of statewide
76 application, postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
77 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must
78 be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by individuals
79 during their service in the military shall be delineated by the
80 State Board of Education and the Board of Governors in the
81 statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1).
82 (f) State universities, Florida College System
83 institutions, and career centers must award postsecondary credit
84 or career education clock hours for courses taken and
85 occupations held by individuals during their service in the
86 military based on the list adopted by the Board of Governors and
87 the State Board of Education pursuant to paragraph (e) if the
88 credit or career education clock hours are applicable toward the
89 student’s degree or certificate. Institutions may award
90 additional postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
91 if appropriate. Credit or career education clock hours awarded
92 in accordance with minimum postsecondary credit and clock hour
93 requirements, respectively, are guaranteed to transfer to other
94 state universities, Florida College System institutions, and
95 career centers.
96 Section 2. Subsection (17) is added to section 1009.26,
97 Florida Statutes, to read:
98 1009.26 Fee waivers.—
99 (17)(a) Each state university, Florida College System
100 institution, career center operated by a school district under
101 s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center under s. 1002.34
102 shall waive the transcript fee for a person who is an active
103 duty member or an honorably discharged veteran of the United
104 States Armed Forces and his or her spouse and dependents.
105 (b) Each state university, Florida College System
106 institution, career center operated by a school district under
107 s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center under s. 1002.34
108 shall report to the Board of Governors and the State Board of
109 Education, respectively, the number and value of fee waivers
110 granted annually under this subsection.
111 (c) The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
112 shall adopt regulations and rules, respectively, to administer
113 this subsection.
114 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
115
116 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
117 And the title is amended as follows:
118 Delete everything before the enacting clause
119 and insert:
120 A bill to be entitled
121 An act relating to postsecondary education for certain
122 military personnel; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.;
123 requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
124 of Education, in consultation with the Department of
125 Veterans’ Affairs, to create a process for the uniform
126 award of postsecondary credit or career education
127 clock hours to certain servicemembers and veterans of
128 the United States Armed Forces; requiring the
129 Articulation Coordinating Committee to convene a
130 workgroup by a specified date; providing for
131 membership and duties of the workgroup; providing
132 administrative support for the workgroup; requiring
133 the workgroup to provide recommendations to the Board
134 of Governors and the State Board of Education by a
135 specified date; requiring the Board of Governors and
136 the State Board of Education to approve the
137 recommendations; requiring the Articulation
138 Coordinating Committee to facilitate the review of
139 courses taken and occupations held by individuals
140 during their service in the military for postsecondary
141 credit and career education clock hours; requiring the
142 Articulation Coordinating Committee to approve and the
143 Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to
144 adopt a specified list within a specified timeframe;
145 requiring delineation of credit and career education
146 clock hours in the statewide articulation agreement;
147 requiring certain postsecondary institutions to award
148 uniform postsecondary credit or career education clock
149 hours for specified courses taken and occupations held
150 by individuals during their service in the military;
151 authorizing the award of additional credits or career
152 education clock hours; requiring certain credits and
153 career education clock hours to transfer between
154 specified postsecondary institutions; amending s.
155 1009.26, F.S.; requiring specified postsecondary
156 institutions to waive the transcript fee for active
157 duty members of the United States Armed Forces,
158 certain veterans, and their spouses and dependents;
159 providing reporting requirements for such fee waivers;
160 requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
161 of Education to adopt regulations and rules,
162 respectively; providing an effective date.
163