Florida Senate - 2023                                     SB 660
       
       
        
       By Senator Collins
       
       
       
       
       
       14-01313-23                                            2023660__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to state lottery funding for veterans’
    3         assistance education programs; amending s. 24.103,
    4         F.S.; defining the term “veterans’ assistance
    5         education programs”; amending s. 24.105, F.S.;
    6         requiring the Department of the Lottery to create an
    7         instant-ticket lottery game that benefits veterans’
    8         assistance education programs; amending s. 24.121,
    9         F.S.; providing that veterans’ assistance education
   10         programs may be funded by the Educational Enhancement
   11         Trust Fund; amending s. 24.1215, F.S.; requiring the
   12         department to provide certain information to the
   13         public; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Present subsections (2), (4), and (5) of section
   18  24.103, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5),
   19  (2), and (4), respectively, and subsection (7) is added to that
   20  section, to read:
   21         24.103 Definitions.—As used in this act:
   22         (7) “Veterans’ assistance education programs” means
   23  programs that provide education and training opportunities for
   24  veterans.
   25         Section 2. Subsection (20) is added to section 24.105,
   26  Florida Statutes, to read:
   27         24.105 Powers and duties of department.—The department
   28  shall:
   29         (20) Establish an instant-ticket lottery game that benefits
   30  veterans’ assistance education programs. The ticket of any such
   31  lottery game must contain notice that the game proceeds will be
   32  used to benefit veterans’ assistance education programs.
   33         Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
   34  24.121, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   35         24.121 Allocation of revenues and expenditure of funds for
   36  public education.—
   37         (5)(a) Public educational programs and purposes funded by
   38  the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund may include, but are not
   39  limited to, endowment, scholarship, matching funds, direct
   40  grants, research and economic development related to education,
   41  salary enhancement, contracts with independent institutions to
   42  conduct programs consistent with the state master plan for
   43  postsecondary education, veterans’ assistance education
   44  programs, or any other educational program or purpose deemed
   45  desirable by the Legislature. Before Prior to the expenditure of
   46  these funds, each school district shall establish policies and
   47  procedures that define enhancement and the types of expenditures
   48  consistent with that definition.
   49         Section 4. Section 24.1215, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   50  read:
   51         24.1215 Duty to inform public of lottery’s significance to
   52  education.—The Department of the Lottery shall inform the public
   53  about:
   54         (1) The significance of lottery funding in general to the
   55  state’s overall system of public education.
   56         (2) The significance of lottery funding for veterans’
   57  assistance education programs.
   58         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.