Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 742
By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Simon
581-03084-25 2025742c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to workforce education; amending s.
3 1011.801, F.S.; providing that charter schools are
4 eligible for the Workforce Development Capitalization
5 Incentive Grant Program; amending s. 1011.803, F.S.;
6 revising the number of programs school districts and
7 Florida College System institutions must offer money
8 back guarantees for through the money-back guarantee
9 program by a specified date; requiring school
10 districts and Florida College System institutions to
11 report such programs to the State Board of Education;
12 providing requirements for specified student
13 eligibility criteria for tuition reimbursement under
14 the program; revising reporting requirements;
15 providing an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Section 1011.801, Florida Statutes, is amended
20 to read:
21 1011.801 Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive
22 Grant Program.—The Legislature recognizes that the need for
23 school districts, charter schools, and Florida College System
24 institutions to be able to respond to emerging local or
25 statewide economic development needs is critical to the
26 workforce development system. The Workforce Development
27 Capitalization Incentive Grant Program is created to provide
28 grants to school districts, charter schools, and Florida College
29 System institutions to fund some or all of the costs associated
30 with the creation or expansion of career and technical education
31 programs that lead to industry certifications included on the
32 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. The programs may serve
33 secondary students or postsecondary students if the
34 postsecondary career and technical education program also serves
35 secondary students.
36 (1) Funds awarded for a workforce development
37 capitalization incentive grant may be used for instructional
38 equipment, laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, student
39 services, or other expenses associated with the creation or
40 expansion of a career and technical education program that
41 serves secondary students. Expansion of a program may include
42 either the expansion of enrollments in a program or expansion
43 into new areas of specialization within a program. No grant
44 funds may be used for recurring instructional costs or for
45 institutions’ indirect costs.
46 (2) The Department of Education shall administer the
47 program. The State Board of Education may adopt rules for
48 program administration. The State Board of Education shall
49 consider the statewide geographic dispersion of grant funds in
50 ranking the applications and shall give priority to applications
51 from education agencies that are making maximum use of their
52 workforce development funding by offering high-performing, high
53 demand programs.
54 Section 2. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 1011.803,
55 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
56 1011.803 Money-back Guarantee Program.—
57 (2) Each school district and Florida College System
58 institution shall establish a money-back guarantee program to:
59 (a) Offer a money-back guarantee on at least three
60 programs. However, by July 1, 2026, each school district and
61 Florida College System institution must offer a money-back
62 guarantee on at least three additional programs and notify the
63 State Board of Education of such programs.
64 (b) Establish student eligibility criteria for the
65 reimbursement of tuition under the money-back guarantee program
66 that includes:
67 1. Student attendance.
68 2. Student program performance.
69 3. Career Service or Career Day attendance.
70 4. Participation in internship or work-study programs.
71 5. Job search documentation.
72 6. Development of a student career plan with the
73 institution’s career services department.
74
75 Enrollment in a program established pursuant to this subsection
76 constitutes enrollment in the money-back guarantee program.
77 Eligibility criteria for the reimbursement of tuition
78 established by the school district or Florida College System
79 institution pursuant to subparagraphs 4. and 5. may not exceed
80 the work search requirements under s. 443.091.
81 (4) By November 1 of each year, the Department of Education
82 shall report performance results and eligibility criteria for
83 the reimbursement of tuition by school district, Florida College
84 System institution, and program to the Governor, the President
85 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
86 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.