Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1624
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì937726CÎ937726                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/02/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Fiscal Policy (Calatayud) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 558 and 559
    4  insert:
    5         Section 15. Paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of section
    6  1005.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
    7         1005.06 Institutions not under the jurisdiction or purview
    8  of the commission.—
    9         (1) Except as otherwise provided in law, the following
   10  institutions are not under the jurisdiction or purview of the
   11  commission and are not required to obtain licensure:
   12         (f)1. A nonpublic religious postsecondary educational
   13  institution religious college may operate without licensure
   14  governmental oversight if the institution college annually
   15  verifies by sworn affidavit to the commission each of the
   16  following affirmations that:
   17         a.1. The name of the institution includes a religious
   18  modifier or the name of a religious patriarch, saint, person, or
   19  symbol of the church.
   20         b. An explanation of the religious modifier, religious
   21  name, or religious symbol used in the institution’s name.
   22         c.2. The institution offers only educational programs that
   23  prepare students for religious vocations as ministers,
   24  professionals, or laypersons in the categories of ministry,
   25  counseling, theology, education, administration, music, fine
   26  arts, media communications, or social work.
   27         d.3. The titles of degrees issued by the institution cannot
   28  be confused with secular degree titles. For this purpose, each
   29  degree title must include a religious modifier that immediately
   30  precedes, or is included within, any of the following degrees:
   31  Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts,
   32  Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor
   33  of Philosophy, and Doctor of Education. The religious modifier
   34  must be placed on the title line of the degree, on the
   35  transcript, and whenever the title of the degree appears in
   36  official school documents or publications.
   37         e. The titles and majors of every degree program offered by
   38  the institution as they appear on degrees and transcripts issued
   39  by the institution.
   40         f.4. The duration of all degree programs offered by the
   41  institution is consistent with the standards of the commission.
   42         g.5. The institution’s consumer practices are consistent
   43  with those required by s. 1005.04.
   44         2. If requested by the commission, the institution must
   45  submit documentation demonstrating compliance with the
   46  requirements of this paragraph and with s. 1005.04. The
   47  institution must submit such documentation within 30 days after
   48  the request.
   49         3. The commission shall review for approval or denial, in a
   50  public meeting, affidavits submitted pursuant to this paragraph.
   51  The commission shall approve an affidavit unless the affidavit
   52  is facially invalid, the affidavit is contradicted by the
   53  institution’s public advertisements or by other evidence, or the
   54  institution has failed to comply with the requirements of
   55  subparagraph 2. The commission may provide such a religious
   56  institution a letter stating that the institution has met the
   57  requirements of state law and is not subject to licensure by the
   58  commission governmental oversight.
   59         a. If a nonpublic religious postsecondary educational
   60  institution that has been issued a written notice of exemption
   61  from licensure by the commission subsequently fails to comply
   62  with the requirements of this paragraph, the commission must
   63  revoke its approval of the institution’s affidavit in a public
   64  meeting.
   65         b. If an affidavit is denied by the commission, the
   66  commission may take any of the actions specified in s. 1005.38
   67  unless the institution applies for a license pursuant to s.
   68  1005.31(1)(a), ceases operating in this state, or submits
   69  documentation indicating compliance with this paragraph.
   70         c. The commission may adopt rules to administer this
   71  paragraph.
   72  
   73  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   74  And the title is amended as follows:
   75         Delete line 60
   76  and insert:
   77         coursework simultaneously; amending s. 1005.06, F.S.;
   78         authorizing certain institutions to operate without
   79         licensure; specifying affirmations required as a part
   80         of an affidavit; requiring submission of requested
   81         documentation in a specified timeframe; requiring the
   82         Commission for Independent Education to review such
   83         affidavit in a public meeting; specifying commission
   84         actions for noncompliance; authorizing the commission
   85         to adopt rules; amending s. 1006.73, F.S.;