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.