Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 372
       
       
        
       By Senator Lee
       
       
       
       
       
       20-00489A-20                                           2020372__
    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 process for the
    7         awarding 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 submit to the Articulation
   14         Coordinating Committee a list of recommended
   15         postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
   16         postsecondary credit that must be awarded if certain
   17         specifications are met; requiring the Articulation
   18         Coordinating Committee to review the list provided by
   19         the workgroup for approval by a specified date;
   20         requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
   21         of Education to adopt, in regulation and in rule,
   22         respectively, the list approved by the Articulation
   23         Coordinating Committee by a specified date; requiring
   24         certain postsecondary institutions to award credit for
   25         specified courses taken and occupations held by
   26         individuals during military service beginning on a
   27         specified date; authorizing the award of additional
   28         credits; requiring that certain credits be
   29         transferrable between specified postsecondary
   30         institutions; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; requiring
   31         postsecondary institutions to waive the transcript fee
   32         for active duty members of the United States Armed
   33         Forces, certain veterans, and their spouses and
   34         dependents; providing reporting requirements for such
   35         institutions; requiring the Board of Governors and the
   36         State Board of Education to adopt regulations and
   37         rules, respectively; providing an effective date.
   38          
   39  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   40  
   41         Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended
   42  to read:
   43         1004.096 College credit for military experience and
   44  training and education courses.—
   45         (1)In consultation with the Department of Veterans’
   46  Affairs, the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
   47  State Board of Education shall adopt rules that create a uniform
   48  process that enables enable eligible servicemembers or veterans
   49  of the United States Armed Forces to earn postsecondary academic
   50  college credit at public postsecondary educational institutions
   51  for experience and college-level training and education acquired
   52  in the military. The regulations and rules shall include
   53  procedures for credential evaluation and the award of
   54  postsecondary academic college credit, including, but not
   55  limited to, equivalency and alignment of military coursework
   56  with appropriate postsecondary college courses, and course
   57  descriptions, type and amount of college credit that may be
   58  awarded, and transfer of credit.
   59         (2)The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall convene a
   60  workgroup by July 15, 2020, to establish a process for
   61  developing a uniform process for determining postsecondary
   62  course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit that
   63  must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by
   64  individuals during their service in the military. For the
   65  purposes of determining course equivalencies and minimum
   66  postsecondary credit, the workgroup shall review the courses and
   67  occupations evaluated by the American Council on Education and
   68  listed on its Military Guide since January 1, 2000.
   69         (a)The workgroup shall be composed of the following 13
   70  members:
   71         1.The chair of the Articulation Coordinating Committee, or
   72  his or her designee, who shall serve as chair.
   73         2.Four members representing academic affairs
   74  administrators and faculty from state universities, appointed by
   75  the chair of the Board of Governors.
   76         3.Four members representing academic affairs
   77  administrators and faculty from Florida College System
   78  institutions, appointed by the chair of the State Board of
   79  Education.
   80         4.Two members representing faculty from career centers,
   81  appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.
   82         5.Two members representing veterans, appointed by the
   83  executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
   84         (b)The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide
   85  administrative support for the workgroup.
   86         (c) The workgroup shall submit to the Articulation
   87  Coordinating Committee a recommended list of postsecondary
   88  course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit that
   89  must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by
   90  individuals during their service in the military.
   91         (d) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall review
   92  the list submitted under paragraph (c) for approval by September
   93  1, 2021.
   94         (e) By December 1, 2021, the Board of Governors in
   95  regulation and the State Board of Education in rule shall adopt
   96  the list approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee.
   97         (f)Beginning on January 1, 2022, state universities,
   98  Florida College System institutions, and career centers must
   99  award postsecondary credit for courses taken and occupations
  100  held by individuals during their service in the military
  101  pursuant to the list adopted under paragraph (c), if the credit
  102  is applicable toward the student’s degree or certificate.
  103  Institutions may award additional postsecondary credit if
  104  appropriate. Credit awarded in accordance with minimum credit
  105  requirements is guaranteed to transfer to other state
  106  universities, Florida College System institutions, and career
  107  centers as if the credit were earned at the receiving
  108  institution.
  109         Section 2. Subsection (17) is added to section 1009.26,
  110  Florida Statutes, to read:
  111         1009.26 Fee waivers.—
  112         (17)(a)A state university, Florida College System
  113  institution, career center operated by a school district under
  114  s. 1001.44, or charter technical career center shall waive the
  115  transcript fee for a person who is an active duty member or an
  116  honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces
  117  and his or her spouse and dependents.
  118         (b)Each state university, Florida College System
  119  institution, career center operated by a school district under
  120  s. 1001.44, and charter technical career center shall report to
  121  the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education,
  122  respectively, the number and value of fee waivers granted
  123  annually under this subsection.
  124         (c)The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education
  125  shall adopt regulations and rules, respectively, to administer
  126  this subsection.
  127         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.