Florida Senate - 2024                       CS for CS for SB 494
       
       
        
       By the Committees on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
       Domestic Security; and Education Postsecondary; and Senators
       Avila, Perry, and Collins
       
       
       
       583-02124-24                                           2024494c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to graduate program admissions;
    3         creating s. 1004.032, F.S.; defining terms; requiring
    4         an institution of higher education to waive certain
    5         examination requirements for a servicemember or a
    6         person who served in the United States Armed Forces,
    7         the Florida National Guard, or the United States
    8         Reserve Forces and was discharged or released under
    9         any condition other than dishonorable and who applies
   10         for admission to a graduate program that requires such
   11         examination; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 1004.032, Florida Statutes, is created
   16  to read:
   17         1004.032 Graduate program admission for servicemembers.—
   18         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   19         (a) “GMAT” means the Graduate Management Admission Test.
   20         (b) “Graduate program” means an advanced academic degree
   21  program in a specialized field of study, including, but not
   22  limited to, a master’s or doctoral degree program, which degree
   23  is pursued after one has obtained a bachelor’s degree.
   24         (c) “GRE” means the Graduate Record Examination.
   25         (d) “Institution of higher education” means a state
   26  university as defined in s. 1000.21(8).
   27         (e) “Servicemember” has the same meaning as in s. 250.01.
   28         (2)(a) An institution of higher education shall waive the
   29  GRE or GMAT requirement for a servicemember who applies for
   30  admission to a graduate program that requires such examination.
   31         (b) An institution of higher education shall waive the GRE
   32  or GMAT requirement for a person who served in the United States
   33  Armed Forces, the Florida National Guard, or the United States
   34  Reserve Forces and was discharged or released under any
   35  condition other than dishonorable and who applies for admission
   36  to a graduate program that requires such examination.
   37         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.