Florida Senate - 2023              PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
       Bill No. SB 266
       
       
       
       
       
                               Ì562218)Î562218                          
       
       HE.HE.02443                                                     
       Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Education
       Postsecondary
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to higher education; amending s.
    3         1001.706, F.S.; revising requirements in the Board of
    4         Governors duties relating to the mission of each state
    5         university; revising requirements for the Board of
    6         Governors’ strategic plan relating to the goals and
    7         objectives of the State University System; requiring
    8         the Board of Governors to annually require each state
    9         university to include certain information in its
   10         economic security report; authorizing a Board of
   11         Governors regulation to include a post-tenure review
   12         of state university faculty at any time, with cause;
   13         amending s. 1001.7065, F.S.; requiring each state
   14         university to annually report certain research
   15         expenditures of a specified amount; creating s.
   16         1001.725, F.S.; providing that each state university
   17         board of trustees is responsible for hiring full-time
   18         faculty; authorizing the board to delegate hiring
   19         authority to the president; prohibiting the president
   20         from delegating hiring authority except as specified;
   21         prohibiting a university from using specified methods
   22         in its admissions or personnel processes; requiring
   23         each state university board of trustees to confirm
   24         specified employee reappointments and contracts;
   25         requiring each state university president to annually
   26         present specified performance evaluations and salaries
   27         to the board of trustees; amending s. 1004.06, F.S.;
   28         expanding definition of discrimination; prohibiting
   29         specified educational institutions from expending
   30         funds to promote specified concepts; providing
   31         exceptions; amending s. 1004.6496, F.S.; authorizing
   32         the Board of Trustees of the University of Florida to
   33         use funds to establish and fund the Hamilton College
   34         for Classical and Civic Education; revising the goals
   35         of the college; providing powers of the college;
   36         amending s. 1004.6499, F.S.; renaming the Florida
   37         Institute of Politics at the Florida State University
   38         as the Florida Institute for Governance and Civics;
   39         providing the goals of the institute; amending s.
   40         1004.64991, F.S.; authorizing the Adam Smith Center
   41         for the Study of Economic Freedom to perform certain
   42         tasks in order to carry out its established purpose;
   43         amending s. 1007.25, F.S.; revising how general
   44         education core courses are established; requiring the
   45         Commissioner of Education and Chancellor of the State
   46         University System to consider approval of certain
   47         courses; requiring faculty committees to submit
   48         recommendations to the Articulation Coordinating
   49         Committee and the commissioner relating to certain
   50         courses by a specified date and every three years
   51         thereafter; prohibiting general education core courses
   52         from teaching certain topics or presenting information
   53         in specified ways; providing requirements for general
   54         education core courses; requiring specified
   55         educational institutions to offer certain courses;
   56         prohibiting public postsecondary educational
   57         institutions from requiring students to take certain
   58         additional general education core courses; creating s.
   59         1007.55, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
   60         requiring the Articulation Coordinating Committee to
   61         submit an annual report to specified entities relating
   62         to courses that have been approved as meeting
   63         specified requirements to be used by public
   64         postsecondary educational institutions; providing
   65         requirements for general education courses; requiring
   66         public postsecondary educational institution boards of
   67         trustees and presidents to annually review and approve
   68         general education requirements; providing a penalty
   69         for failing to meet such review and approval
   70         requirements; requiring public postsecondary
   71         educational institutions to report certain courses to
   72         the department; prohibiting public postsecondary
   73         educational institutions from requiring students to
   74         take certain additional general education courses;
   75         amending s. 1008.47, F.S.; specifying a one-time limit
   76         on the requirement to change accrediting agencies;
   77         amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; providing that certain
   78         postsecondary fee waivers continue until specified
   79         criteria are met; providing an effective date.
   80          
   81  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   82  
   83         Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (5) and
   84  paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 1001.706, Florida
   85  Statutes, are amended to read:
   86         1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
   87         (5) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO ACCOUNTABILITY.—
   88         (a) The Legislature intends that the Board of Governors
   89  shall align the missions of each constituent university with the
   90  academic success of its students; the existing and emerging
   91  economic development needs of the state; the national reputation
   92  of its faculty and its academic and research programs; the
   93  quantity of externally generated research, patents, and
   94  licenses; and the strategic and accountability plans required in
   95  paragraphs (b) and (c). The Board of Governors shall
   96  periodically review the mission of each constituent university
   97  and make updates or revisions as needed. Upon completion of a
   98  review of the mission, the board shall review existing academic
   99  programs to ensure alignment with the mission. The board shall
  100  include in its review direction to each constituent university
  101  to examine its programs for any violation of s. 1000.05(4)(a).
  102  The mission alignment and strategic plan shall consider peer
  103  institutions at the constituent universities. The mission
  104  alignment and strategic plan shall acknowledge that universities
  105  that have a national and international impact have the greatest
  106  capacity to promote the state’s economic development through:
  107  new discoveries, patents, licenses, and technologies that
  108  generate state businesses of global importance; research
  109  achievements through external grants and contracts that are
  110  comparable to nationally recognized and ranked universities; the
  111  creation of a resource rich academic environment that attracts
  112  high-technology business and venture capital to the state; and
  113  this generation’s finest minds focusing on solving the state’s
  114  economic, social, environmental, and legal problems in the areas
  115  of life sciences, water, sustainability, energy, and health
  116  care. A nationally recognized and ranked university that has a
  117  global perspective and impact shall be afforded the opportunity
  118  to enable and protect the university’s competitiveness on the
  119  global stage in fair competition with other institutions of
  120  other states in the highest Carnegie Classification.
  121         (b) The Board of Governors shall develop a strategic plan
  122  specifying goals and objectives for the State University System
  123  and each constituent university, including each university’s
  124  contribution to overall system goals and objectives. The
  125  strategic plan must:
  126         1. Include performance metrics and standards common for all
  127  institutions and metrics and standards unique to institutions
  128  depending on institutional core missions, including, but not
  129  limited to, student admission requirements, retention,
  130  graduation, percentage of graduates who have attained
  131  employment, percentage of graduates enrolled in continued
  132  education, licensure passage, nondegree credential attainment,
  133  average wages of employed graduates, average cost per graduate,
  134  excess hours, student loan burden and default rates, faculty
  135  awards, total annual research expenditures, patents, licenses
  136  and royalties, intellectual property, startup companies, annual
  137  giving, endowments, and well-known, highly respected national
  138  rankings for institutional and program achievements.
  139         2. Consider reports and recommendations of the Florida
  140  Talent Development Council under s. 1004.015 and the
  141  Articulation Coordinating Committee under s. 1007.01.
  142         3. Include student enrollment and performance data
  143  delineated by method of instruction, including, but not limited
  144  to, traditional, online, and distance learning instruction.
  145         4. Include criteria for designating baccalaureate degree
  146  and master’s degree programs at specified universities as high
  147  demand programs of emphasis. The programs of emphasis list
  148  adopted by the Board of Governors before July 1, 2021, shall be
  149  used for the 2021-2022 academic year. Beginning in the 2022-2023
  150  academic year, the Board of Governors shall adopt the criteria
  151  to determine value for and prioritization of degree credentials
  152  and degree programs established by the Credentials Review
  153  Committee under s. 445.004 for designating high-demand programs
  154  of emphasis. The Board of Governors must review designated
  155  programs of emphasis, at a minimum, every 3 years to ensure
  156  alignment with the prioritization of degree credentials and
  157  degree programs identified by the Credentials Review Committee.
  158         5. Include criteria for nondegree credentials.
  159         (c) The Board of Governors shall develop an accountability
  160  plan for the State University System and each constituent
  161  university. The accountability plan must address institutional
  162  and system achievement of goals and objectives specified in the
  163  strategic plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) and must be
  164  submitted as part of its legislative budget request. Each
  165  university shall submit, as a component of the university’s
  166  annual accountability plan:,
  167         1. Information on the effectiveness of its plan for
  168  improving 4-year graduation rates; and
  169         2. The level of financial assistance provided to students
  170  pursuant to paragraph (h).
  171         (d) Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year and annually
  172  thereafter, The Board of Governors shall annually require a
  173  state university prior to registration to provide each enrolled
  174  student electronic access to the economic security report of
  175  employment and earning outcomes prepared by the Department of
  176  Economic Opportunity pursuant to s. 445.07. In addition, the
  177  Board of Governors shall require a state university to provide
  178  each student electronic access to the following information each
  179  year prior to registration using the data described in s.
  180  1008.39:
  181         1. The top 25 percent of degrees reported by the university
  182  in terms of highest full-time job placement and highest average
  183  annualized earnings in the year after earning the degree.
  184         2. The bottom 10 percent of degrees reported by the
  185  university in terms of lowest full-time job placement and lowest
  186  average annualized earnings in the year after earning the
  187  degree.
  188         (6) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PERSONNEL.—
  189         (b) The Board of Governors may adopt a regulation requiring
  190  each tenured state university faculty member to undergo a
  191  comprehensive post-tenure review every 5 years. The regulation
  192  must include a process and criteria for each university to
  193  initiate a post-tenure review of a faculty member at any time,
  194  with cause. The board may include other considerations in the
  195  regulation, but the regulation must address:
  196         1. Accomplishments and productivity;
  197         2. Assigned duties in research, teaching, and service;
  198         3. Performance metrics, evaluations, and ratings; and
  199         4. Recognition and compensation considerations, as well as
  200  improvement plans and consequences for underperformance.
  201         Section 2. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (2) of
  202  section 1001.7065, Florida Statutes, to read:
  203         1001.7065 Preeminent state research universities program.—
  204         (2) ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE STANDARDS.—The
  205  following academic and research excellence standards are
  206  established for the preeminent state research universities
  207  program and shall be reported annually in the Board of Governors
  208  Accountability Plan:
  209         (m) Total annual research expenditures of $50 million or
  210  more benefiting STEM-related occupations, businesses, or
  211  industry partners located in this state and currently employing,
  212  or seeking to employ, residents of this state
  213         Section 3. Section 1001.725, Florida Statutes, is created
  214  to read:
  215         1001.725 University boards of trustees; personnel.—
  216         (1)Each university board of trustees is responsible for
  217  hiring full-time faculty. The president may provide hiring
  218  recommendations to the board. The president and the board are
  219  not bound by recommendations or opinions of faculty or other
  220  individuals or groups.
  221         (a) The board may delegate its hiring authority to the
  222  president; however, the president may not delegate hiring
  223  authority, to anyone outside the executive management team
  224  within the president's office.
  225         (b)A university is prohibited from using diversity,
  226  equity, and inclusion statements, critical race theory, or other
  227  forms of political identity filters that violate s.
  228  1000.05(4)(a) in any university admissions, hiring, promotion,
  229  tenure, or evaluation process.
  230         (2)Each university board of trustees shall confirm its
  231  president’s selection and reappointment of the university’s
  232  executive management team members and their respective contracts
  233  and annual salaries, in accordance with the university’s
  234  personnel program established by the Board of Governors.
  235  Contracts and responsibilities of the president and executive
  236  team members, including, but not limited to, provost positions,
  237  must explicitly delineate that the duties of positions, other
  238  than the president, are limited to administrative oversight and
  239  operational supervision of curricular, instructional, and
  240  research affairs, as applicable to the position.
  241         (4)Each university president shall annually present to his
  242  or her board of trustees for review the results of performance
  243  evaluations and associated salaries of all evaluated personnel
  244  earning an annual compensation of $200,000 or more, regardless
  245  of fund source.
  246         Section 4. Section 1004.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  247  read:
  248         1004.06 Prohibited expenditures.—
  249         (1) No Florida College System institution, state
  250  university, Florida College System institution direct-support
  251  organization, or state university direct-support organization
  252  shall expend any funds, regardless of source, to purchase
  253  membership in, or goods and services from, any organization that
  254  discriminates on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,
  255  disability gender, or religion.
  256         (2)(a) No Florida College System institution, state
  257  university, Florida College System institution direct-support
  258  organization, or state university direct-support organization
  259  may expend any funds, regardless of source, to promote, support,
  260  or maintain any programs or campus activities that violate s.
  261  1000.05(4)(a).
  262         (b) Programs required for compliance with federal
  263  regulations, or access programs for military veterans, Pell
  264  Grant recipients, first generation college students,
  265  nontraditional students, “2+2” transfer students from the
  266  Florida College System, students from low-income families, or
  267  students with unique abilities, are not prohibited by this
  268  subsection.
  269         (3)The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
  270  shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
  271  this section.
  272         Section 5. Section 1004.6496, Florida Statutes, is amended
  273  to read:
  274         1004.6496 Hamilton College Center for Classical and Civic
  275  Education.—
  276         (1) By July 1, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the
  277  University of Florida may use funds as provided in the General
  278  Appropriations Act and charitable donations to establish and
  279  fund the Hamilton College Center for Classical and Civic
  280  Education as an academic unit within the University of Florida.
  281  The purpose of the college center is to support teaching and
  282  research concerning the ideas, traditions, and texts that form
  283  the foundations of Western and American civilization.
  284         (2) The goals of the college center are to:
  285         (a) Educate university students in core texts and great
  286  debates of Western civilization and the Great Books.
  287         (b) Educate university students in the principles, ideals,
  288  and institutions of the American political order.
  289         (c) Educate university students in the foundations of
  290  responsible leadership and informed citizenship.
  291         (d) Provide programming and training related to civic
  292  education and the values of open inquiry and civil discourse to
  293  support the K-20 system.
  294         (e) Coordinate with the Florida Institute for Governance
  295  and Civics of Politics created pursuant to s. 1004.6499 and the
  296  Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic Freedom created
  297  pursuant to s. 1004.64991 and assist in the curation and
  298  implementation of Portraits in Patriotism created pursuant to s.
  299  1003.44.
  300         (3) In order to carry out the purposes set forth in
  301  subsection (2), the college is authorized to:
  302         (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
  303  1001.725;
  304         (b)Enroll students;
  305         (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
  306  honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
  307         (d) Award degrees;
  308         (e) Hold events, including fundraisers;
  309         (f) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
  310  university; and
  311         (g) Generate resources based on student credit hour
  312  enrollment, in the same manner as any other college within the
  313  institution.
  314         (4)The president of the university may hire a dean for the
  315  college, subject to the approval of the board of trustees.
  316         (a) If at any time the position of dean becomes vacant, the
  317  president of the university may appoint a faculty member of the
  318  college to serve as the acting dean. The president of the
  319  university may remove the dean in accordance with the policies
  320  and procedures established at the university.
  321         (b) The dean of the college must report directly to the
  322  president of the university.
  323         (c) The dean of the college has the same delegated
  324  authority, in the same manner, as any other dean at the
  325  university.
  326         (5) Faculty of the college may be awarded tenure subject to
  327  the tenure policies of the university.
  328         (6) Funds appropriated specifically to the college may not
  329  be used for any other purpose at the university; however, the
  330  university can provide additional funding as available to the
  331  college.
  332         Section 6. Section 1004.6499, Florida Statutes, is amended
  333  to read:
  334         1004.6499 Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
  335  Politics.—
  336         (1) The Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
  337  Politics is established at the Florida State University within
  338  the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The purpose of
  339  the institute is to provide the southeastern region of the
  340  United States with a world class, bipartisan, nationally
  341  renowned institute of politics.
  342         (2) The goals of the institute are to:
  343         (a) Provide students with access to an interdisciplinary
  344  hub that will develop academically rigorous scholarship and
  345  coursework on the origins of the American system of government,
  346  its foundational documents, its subsequent political traditions
  347  and evolutions, and its impact on comparative political systems
  348  Motivate students throughout the Florida State University to
  349  become aware of the significance of government and civic
  350  engagement at all levels and politics in general.
  351         (b) Encourage civic literacy in this state through the
  352  development of educational tools and resources for K-12 and
  353  postsecondary students which foster an understanding of how
  354  individual rights, constitutionalism, separation of powers, and
  355  federalism function within the American system Provide students
  356  with an opportunity to be politically active and civically
  357  engaged.
  358         (c) Model civic discourse that recognizes the importance of
  359  viewpoint diversity, intellectual rigor, and an evidence-based
  360  approach to history Nurture a greater awareness of and passion
  361  for public service and politics.
  362         (d) Plan and host forums to allow students and guests to
  363  hear from exceptional individuals who have excelled in a wide
  364  range of sectors of American life, to highlight the
  365  possibilities created by individual achievement and
  366  entrepreneurial vision and interact with experts from
  367  government, politics, policy, and journalism on a frequent
  368  basis.
  369         (e) Become a national and state resource on using polling
  370  instruments and other assessments to measure civic literacy and
  371  make recommendations for improving civic education information
  372  and survey methodology.
  373         (f) Provide fellowships and internship opportunities to
  374  students in government, nonprofit organizations, and community
  375  organizations.
  376         (g) Create through scholarship, original research,
  377  publications, symposia, testimonials, and other means a body of
  378  resources that can be accessed by students, scholars, and
  379  government officials to understand the innovations in public
  380  policy in this state over a rolling 30-year time period Provide
  381  training sessions for newly elected state and local public
  382  officials.
  383         (h) Organize and sponsor conferences, symposia, and
  384  workshops throughout this state to educate and inform citizens,
  385  elected officials, and appointed policymakers regarding
  386  effective policymaking techniques and processes.
  387         (i) Create and promote research and awareness regarding
  388  politics, citizen involvement, and public service.
  389         (j) Collaborate with related policy institutes and research
  390  activities at the Florida State University and other
  391  institutions of higher education to motivate, increase, and
  392  sustain citizen involvement in public affairs.
  393         Section 7. Subsection (3) is added to section 1004.64991,
  394  Florida Statutes, to read:
  395         1004.64991 The Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic
  396  Freedom.—
  397         (3) In order to carry out the purpose set forth in this
  398  section, the institute is authorized to:
  399         (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
  400  1001.725;
  401         (b) Enroll students;
  402         (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
  403  honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
  404         (d) Award degrees;
  405         (e) Hold events, including fundraisers;
  406         (f) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
  407  university; and
  408         (g) Generate resources based on student credit hour
  409  enrollment, in the same manner as any other college within the
  410  institution
  411         Section 8. Subsection (3) of section 1007.25, Florida
  412  Statutes, is amended to read:
  413         1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
  414  other degree requirements.—
  415         (3) The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair
  416  of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall jointly
  417  appoint faculty committees to review and recommend to the
  418  Articulation Coordinating Committee for approval by the
  419  Commissioner of Education and Chancellor of the State University
  420  System identify statewide general education core course options
  421  for inclusion in the statewide course numbering system
  422  established under s. 1007.24. Faculty committees shall, by
  423  December 1, 2023, and by December 1 every 3 years thereafter,
  424  review and submit recommendations to the Articulation
  425  Coordinating Committee and the commissioner for the removal,
  426  alignment, realignment, or addition of general education core
  427  courses that satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
  428         (a) General education core course options shall consist of
  429  a maximum of five courses within each of the subject areas of
  430  communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and
  431  natural sciences. The core courses may be revised, or the five
  432  course maximum within each subject area may be exceeded, if
  433  approved by the State Board of Education and the Board of
  434  Governors, as recommended by the subject area faculty committee
  435  and approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee as
  436  necessary for a subject area.
  437         (b) Each general education core course option must contain
  438  high-level academic and critical thinking skills and common
  439  competencies that students must demonstrate to successfully
  440  complete the course.
  441         (c) General education core courses may not distort
  442  significant historical events or include a curriculum that
  443  teaches identity politics, violates s. 1000.05(4)(a), or defines
  444  American history as contrary to the creation of a new nation
  445  based on universal principles stated in the Declaration of
  446  Independence.
  447         (d)General education core courses must meet the following
  448  standards:
  449         1.Communication courses must afford students the ability
  450  to communicate effectively, including the ability to write
  451  clearly and engage in public speaking.
  452         2.Humanities courses must afford students the ability to
  453  think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned
  454  with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music,
  455  and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western
  456  canon.
  457         3.Social science courses must afford students an
  458  understanding of the basic social and behavioral science
  459  concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and
  460  past and present social, political, and economic issues.
  461         4.Natural science courses must afford students the ability
  462  to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the
  463  scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific
  464  method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.
  465         5.Mathematics courses must afford students a mastery of
  466  foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by
  467  applying such models and methods in problem solving.
  468         (e) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida
  469  College System institution or state university in 2015-2016 and
  470  thereafter, each student must complete at least one identified
  471  core course in each subject area as part of the general
  472  education course requirements. Beginning in the 2022-2023
  473  academic year and thereafter, students entering a technical
  474  degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13) must
  475  complete at least one identified core course in each subject
  476  area as part of the general education course requirements before
  477  a degree is awarded.
  478         (f) All public postsecondary educational institutions shall
  479  offer at least one general education core course in each of the
  480  identified subject areas and accept these courses as meeting
  481  general education core course requirements upon transfer,
  482  regardless of whether the receiving institution offers the
  483  identical general education core courses. The remaining general
  484  education course requirements shall be identified by each
  485  institution as approved in accordance with this section and
  486  listed in the statewide course numbering system and reported to
  487  the department by their statewide course number.
  488         (g) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
  489  require a student to complete an additional course to meet a
  490  subject area distribution requirement that was completed by the
  491  student with a course that has since been removed as a general
  492  education core course.
  493         (h) The general education core course options shall be
  494  adopted in rule by the State Board of Education and in
  495  regulation by the Board of Governors.
  496         Section 9. Section 1007.55, Florida Statutes, is created to
  497  read:
  498         1007.55 General education course principles, standards, and
  499  content.—
  500         (1) The Legislature finds it necessary to ensure that every
  501  undergraduate student of a Florida public postsecondary
  502  educational institution graduates as an informed citizen through
  503  participation in rigorous general education courses that promote
  504  and preserve the constitutional republic through traditional,
  505  historically accurate, and high-quality coursework. Courses with
  506  a curriculum based on unproven, speculative, or exploratory
  507  content are best suited as elective or specific program
  508  prerequisite credit, not general education credit.
  509         (2) In performing its duties under ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25,
  510  by July 1, 2024, and each July 1 thereafter, the Articulation
  511  Coordinating Committee shall submit to the State Board of
  512  Education and Board of Governors courses that have been approved
  513  to be used by public postsecondary educational institutions as
  514  meeting the additional general education requirements.
  515         (3)General education courses must meet the following
  516  criteria:
  517         (a)Be in the general education core subject areas and meet
  518  the course standards as provided in s. 1007.25;
  519         (b) Be offered by at least half of all public postsecondary
  520  educational institutions;
  521         (c)Be identified as lower level in the statewide course
  522  numbering system; and
  523         (d) Whenever applicable, provide instruction on the
  524  historical background and philosophical foundation of Western
  525  civilization and this nation’s historical documents, such as the
  526  Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the
  527  Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, and the Federalist
  528  Papers.
  529         (4)If a course is approved as a general education course,
  530  that course must be accepted as a general education course, in
  531  the same subject area and regardless of whether it is offered by
  532  the institution, by all public postsecondary educational
  533  institutions.
  534         (5) Public postsecondary educational institution boards of
  535  trustees and presidents are responsible for annually reviewing
  536  and approving, at a public meeting, general education course
  537  requirements, as authorized and approved in accordance with ss.
  538  1007.24 and 1007.25 and this section, at their respective
  539  institutions. Public postsecondary educational institutions that
  540  fail to comply with the requirements of this section are not
  541  eligible to receive performance-based funding pursuant to ss.
  542  1001.66 and 1001.92.
  543         (6) Public postsecondary educational institutions must
  544  report courses meeting institutional general education subject
  545  requirements to the department by their statewide course number.
  546         (7) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
  547  require a student to take an additional course to meet a subject
  548  area distribution requirement that was completed by the student
  549  with a course that has since been removed as a general education
  550  course.
  551         (8) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
  552  shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
  553  this section.
  554         Section 10. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
  555  1008.47, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  556         1008.47 Postsecondary education institution accreditation.—
  557         (2) ACCREDITATION.—
  558         (a) By September 1, 2022, the Board of Governors or the
  559  State Board of Education, as applicable, shall identify and
  560  determine the accrediting agencies or associations best suited
  561  to serve as an accreditor for public postsecondary institutions.
  562  Such accrediting agencies or associations must be recognized by
  563  the database created and maintained by the United States
  564  Department of Education. A public postsecondary institution may
  565  not be accredited by the same accrediting agency or association
  566  for consecutive accreditation cycles. In the year following
  567  reaffirmation or fifth-year review by its accrediting agencies
  568  or associations, each public postsecondary institution must seek
  569  and obtain accreditation from an accrediting agency or
  570  association identified by the Board of Governors or State Board
  571  of Education, respectively, before its next reaffirmation or
  572  fifth-year review date. The requirements in this section are
  573  limited to a one-time change in accreditation. The requirements
  574  of this subsection are not applicable to those professional,
  575  graduate, departmental, or certificate programs at public
  576  postsecondary institutions that have specific accreditation
  577  requirements or best practices, including, but not limited to,
  578  law, pharmacy, engineering, or other similarly situated
  579  educational programs.
  580         Section 11. Paragraph (b) of subsection (18) of section
  581  1009.26, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  582         1009.26 Fee Waivers.—
  583         (18)
  584         (b) A waiver granted under this subsection is applicable
  585  only for upper-level courses and up to 110 percent of the number
  586  of required credit hours of the baccalaureate degree program for
  587  which the student is enrolled. A student granted a waiver under
  588  this subsection shall continue receiving the waiver until the
  589  student graduates, exceeds the number of allowable credit hours,
  590  or withdraws from an eligible program, regardless of whether the
  591  program is removed from the approved list of eligible programs
  592  subsequent to the student's enrollment.
  593         Section 12. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.