Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 926
       
       
        
       By Senator Thompson
       
       
       
       
       
       15-00325-24                                            2024926__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots;
    3         amending s. 288.7102, F.S.; requiring the Department
    4         of Commerce to prioritize certain applications for the
    5         Black Business Loan Program; creating s. 1009.551,
    6         F.S.; creating the Ocoee Scholarship Program for
    7         specified recipients; requiring the Department of
    8         Education to administer the program; specifying limits
    9         on annual award amounts to recipients participating in
   10         the program; requiring the department to rank
   11         applicants; providing for transmittal of an award
   12         payment to a participating institution; providing
   13         eligibility criteria for award recipients; authorizing
   14         the State Board of Education to adopt rules; providing
   15         for program funding; providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 288.7102, Florida
   20  Statutes, is amended to read:
   21         288.7102 Black Business Loan Program.—
   22         (2) The department shall establish an application and
   23  annual certification process for entities seeking funds to
   24  participate in providing loans, loan guarantees, or investments
   25  in black business enterprises pursuant to the Florida Black
   26  Business Investment Act. The department shall process all
   27  applications and recertifications submitted by June 1 on or
   28  before July 31. The department shall prioritize any applications
   29  for black business enterprises in areas directly impacted by the
   30  1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots.
   31         Section 2. Section 1009.551, Florida Statutes, is created
   32  to read:
   33         1009.551 Ocoee Scholarship Program.—
   34         (1) The Ocoee Scholarship Program is created for the direct
   35  descendants of victims of the Ocoee Election Day Riots in
   36  November 1920 and for current African-American residents of
   37  Ocoee.
   38         (2) The Department of Education shall administer the
   39  program.
   40         (3) The annual award to a student under the program may be
   41  an amount of up to $6,100 but may not exceed the annual amount
   42  of the student’s tuition and registration fees. The department
   43  may award up to 50 scholarships per academic year. If funds are
   44  insufficient to provide a full scholarship to each eligible
   45  applicant, the department may prorate available funds and make a
   46  partial award to each eligible applicant.
   47         (4) The department shall rank eligible initial applicants
   48  for the purposes of awarding scholarships based on need, as
   49  determined by the department.
   50         (5) Payment of an award must be transmitted in advance of
   51  the registration period each semester on behalf of the student
   52  to the president of the accredited college or university, or his
   53  or her representative, or to the director of the career center
   54  the recipient is attending.
   55         (6) Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the
   56  department may make awards under the program for undergraduate
   57  study to students who meet all of the following criteria:
   58         (a) Meet the general requirements for student eligibility
   59  as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this
   60  section.
   61         (b) Timely file an application for the scholarship.
   62         (c) Enroll as certificate-seeking or degree-seeking
   63  students at an accredited college or university or a career
   64  center authorized by law.
   65         (7) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
   66  necessary to implement and administer this section.
   67         (8) Funding for the program shall be as provided in the
   68  General Appropriations Act.
   69         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.