Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1730
       
       
        
       By Senator Bracy
       
       
       
       
       
       11-01554A-22                                          20221730__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Groveland Four business loans and
    3         scholarships; amending s. 288.7102, F.S.; requiring
    4         the Department of Economic Opportunity to prioritize
    5         certain applications for the Black Business Loan
    6         Program; creating s. 1009.551, F.S.; creating the
    7         Groveland Four Scholarship Program for specified
    8         recipients; directing the Department of Education to
    9         administer the program; specifying annual award
   10         amounts to students participating in the program;
   11         requiring the department to rank applicants; providing
   12         for transmittal of an award payment to a participating
   13         postsecondary institution; prescribing eligibility
   14         criteria for award recipients; authorizing the State
   15         Board of Education to adopt rules; providing for
   16         program funding; providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 288.7102, Florida
   21  Statutes, is amended to read:
   22         288.7102 Black Business Loan Program.—
   23         (2) The department shall establish an application and
   24  annual certification process for entities seeking funds to
   25  participate in providing loans, loan guarantees, or investments
   26  in black business enterprises pursuant to the Florida Black
   27  Business Investment Act. The department shall process all
   28  applications and recertifications submitted by June 1 on or
   29  before July 31. The department shall prioritize any applications
   30  for black business enterprises in areas directly impacted by the
   31  Groveland Four injustice.
   32         Section 2. Section 1009.551, Florida Statutes, is created
   33  to read:
   34         1009.551 Groveland Four Scholarship Program.—
   35         (1) The Groveland Four Scholarship Program is created for
   36  the direct descendants of victims of the Groveland Four
   37  injustice which occurred in July 1949 and for current African
   38  American residents of Groveland.
   39         (2) The Groveland Four Scholarship Program shall be
   40  administered by the Department of Education.
   41         (3) The annual award to a student under the program may be
   42  an amount of up to $6,100, but may not exceed the annual amount
   43  of the student’s tuition and registration fees. The department
   44  may award up to 50 scholarships per academic year. If funds are
   45  insufficient to provide a full scholarship to each eligible
   46  applicant, the department may prorate available funds and make a
   47  partial award to each eligible applicant.
   48         (4) The department shall rank eligible initial applicants
   49  for the purposes of awarding scholarships based on need, as
   50  determined by the department.
   51         (5) Payment of an award shall be transmitted in advance of
   52  the registration period each semester on behalf of the student
   53  to the president of the state university or Florida College
   54  System institution, or his or her representative, or to the
   55  director of the career center that the recipient is attending.
   56         (6) Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, the
   57  department is authorized to make awards for undergraduate study
   58  to students who:
   59         (a) Meet the general requirements for student eligibility
   60  as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this
   61  section.
   62         (b) File an application for the scholarship within the
   63  established time limits, as determined by the department.
   64         (c) Enroll as certificate-seeking or degree-seeking
   65  students at a state university, Florida College System
   66  institution, or career center authorized by law.
   67         (7) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
   68  necessary to implement and administer this section.
   69         (8) Funding for the program shall be as provided in the
   70  General Appropriations Act.
   71         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.