Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 262
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00252-24                                            2024262__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
    3         Scholarship Program; amending ss. 1009.534 and
    4         1009.535, F.S.; revising the student eligibility
    5         criteria for specified awards within the Florida
    6         Bright Futures Scholarship Program; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
   12  1009.534, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
   14         (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
   15  award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
   16  for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
   17         (e) Has been recognized by the College Board National
   18  Hispanic Recognition Programs Program as a scholar recipient.
   19  
   20  The student must complete a program of volunteer service or,
   21  beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022-2023
   22  academic year and thereafter, paid work, as approved by the
   23  district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic school,
   24  or the Department of Education for home education program
   25  students, which must include 100 hours of volunteer service,
   26  paid work, or a combination of both. Eligible paid work
   27  completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be included in the
   28  student’s total of paid work hours. The student may identify a
   29  social or civic issue or a professional area that interests him
   30  or her and develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in
   31  addressing the issue or learning about the area. The student
   32  must, through papers or other presentations, evaluate and
   33  reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid work
   34  experience. Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but
   35  is not limited to, a business or governmental internship, work
   36  for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on
   37  behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer
   38  service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the
   39  document must be signed by the student, the student’s parent or
   40  guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the
   41  student performed the volunteer service or paid work.
   42         Section 2. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
   43  1009.535, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   44         1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
   45         (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
   46  award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
   47  for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
   48         (e) Has been recognized by the College Board National
   49  Hispanic Recognition Programs Program as a scholar, but has not
   50  completed the program of volunteer service or paid work required
   51  under s. 1009.534.
   52  
   53  A high school student must complete a program of volunteer
   54  service or, beginning with a high school student graduating in
   55  the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, paid work approved
   56  by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
   57  school, or the Department of Education for home education
   58  program students, which must include 75 hours of volunteer
   59  service, 100 hours of paid work, or 100 hours of a combination
   60  of both. Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022,
   61  shall be included in a student’s total of required paid work
   62  hours. The student may identify a social or civic issue or a
   63  professional area that interests him or her and develop a plan
   64  for his or her personal involvement in addressing the issue or
   65  learning about the area. The student must, through papers or
   66  other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her
   67  volunteer service or paid work experience. Such volunteer
   68  service or paid work may include, but is not limited to, a
   69  business or governmental internship, work for a nonprofit
   70  community service organization, or activities on behalf of a
   71  candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer service or
   72  paid work must be documented in writing, and the document must
   73  be signed by the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and
   74  a representative of the organization for which the student
   75  performed the volunteer service or paid work.
   76         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.