Florida Senate - 2021                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1672
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì440644%Î440644                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/23/2021           .                                
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       The Committee on Education (Diaz) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (18) is added to section 1009.26,
    6  Florida Statutes, to read:
    7         1009.26 Fee waivers.—
    8         (18) The State University Free Seat Program is created to
    9  encourage veterans, active duty members of the United States
   10  Armed Forces, active drilling members of the Florida National
   11  Guard, and nontraditional students to enroll in an online
   12  baccalaureate degree program at a state university.
   13         (a) A state university shall waive the tuition and fees,
   14  including lab fees, for one online course for a student who is a
   15  resident for tuition purposes under s. 1009.21 and enrolled in
   16  an online baccalaureate degree program, provided the student
   17  meets one of the following eligibility requirements:
   18         1. Is a veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14);
   19         2. Is an active duty member of the United States Armed
   20  Forces;
   21         3. Is an active drilling member of the Florida National
   22  Guard; or
   23         4. Has not been enrolled in a postsecondary institution for
   24  more than five years.
   25         (b) For all other courses in the program, a state
   26  university may not charge a student specified in paragraph (a)
   27  more than 75 percent of the tuition rate as specified in s.
   28  1009.24(4) and 75 percent of the tuition differential pursuant
   29  to s. 1009.24(16), if the student remains enrolled in at least
   30  one online course during each academic year.
   31         (c) A student who qualifies for the tuition discount under
   32  paragraph (b) is eligible to receive the discount for up to 110
   33  percent of the number of required credit hours of the degree
   34  program for which the student is enrolled.
   35         (d) Each state university shall report to the Board of
   36  Governors the number and value of all fee waivers granted
   37  annually under this subsection.
   38         (e) The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations to
   39  administer this subsection.
   40         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.
   41  
   42  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   43  And the title is amended as follows:
   44         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   45  and insert:
   46                        A bill to be entitled                      
   47         An act relating to the State University Free Seat
   48         Program; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; creating the State
   49         University Free Seat Program; providing a purpose;
   50         providing an exemption from tuition and fees,
   51         including lab fees, for one online course at a state
   52         university for certain resident students; prohibiting
   53         a state university from charging such students more
   54         than a specified percentage of the tuition rate and
   55         the tuition differential under certain circumstances;
   56         providing a limitation on the application of such
   57         tuition discount; requiring each state university to
   58         report certain information regarding waivers under the
   59         program to the Board of Governors annually; requiring
   60         the board to adopt regulations; providing an effective
   61         date.