Bill Text: FL H1041 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: College and Career Transition Assistance Act

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on PreK-12 Policy (EPC) [H1041 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-H1041-Introduced.html

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HB 1041

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the College and Career Transition
3	Assistance Act; providing a short title; providing
4	definitions; providing legislative findings and intent;
5	establishing a school-to-work program to be operated in
6	any school, Department of Juvenile Justice facility, or
7	charter school; providing requirements for participation
8	in the program; creating an endowment fund within the
9	Florida Endowment Foundation for Florida's Graduates;
10	providing for the investment and deposit of funds in the
11	foundation's operating account; creating the Florida
12	Endowment Foundation for Florida's Graduates as a direct-
13	support organization; establishing a board of directors to
14	administer the foundation; providing for membership;
15	providing for ex officio members of the board; providing
16	terms; providing powers and duties; providing for the
17	distribution of earnings on the endowment fund principal;
18	requiring an annual audit report; requiring that the board
19	submit a report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the
20	Commissioner of Education; requiring that the Department
21	of Education adopt rules; providing an effective date.
22
23	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25	Section 1. College and Career Transition Assistance Act.-
26	(1) SHORT TITLE.-This section may be cited as the "College
27	and Career Transition Assistance Act."
28	(2) DEFINITIONS.-For the purposes of this section, the
29	term:
30	(a) "Board" means the board of directors of the Florida
31	Endowment Foundation for Florida's Graduates.
32	(b) "Department" means the Department of Education.
33	(c) "Endowment fund" means an account established within
34	the Florida Endowment Foundation for Florida's Graduates to
35	provide a continuing and growing source of revenue for efforts
36	relating to the transition from school to work.
37	(d) "Foundation" means the Florida Endowment Foundation
38	for Florida's Graduates.
39	(e) "Operating account" means an account established under
40	paragraph (8)(h) in order to carry out the purposes provided in
41	this section.
42	(3) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.-The Legislature finds
43	that it is in the best interest of the state to have a well-
44	educated and skilled workforce in order to be competitive in a
45	changing economy. It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure
46	a skilled workforce by creating a formal program that
47	facilitates the important transition from school to work and
48	provide additional funding to achieve this goal. Therefore, the
49	Legislature finds that it is:
50	(a) Important to increase each student's understanding of
51	postsecondary educational opportunities and career and work-
52	readiness skills.
53	(b) Appropriate to encourage individual and corporate
54	support and involvement, as well as state support and
55	involvement, to promote employment opportunities for Florida's
56	students.
57	(4) SCHOOL-TO-WORK PROGRAMS.-Except as otherwise provided
58	by law or by department rule, there is established a school-to-
59	work program that shall be operated according to the process and
60	outcome standards of the department's initiatives.
61	(a) A school-to-work program may be operated in any school
62	district, Department of Juvenile Justice facility, or charter
63	school.
64	(b) Participating organizations must be demographically
65	balanced to include urban and rural schools and be comprised of
66	schools in all geographic areas of the state. Each school that
67	is selected to participate in a school-to-work program shall
68	enter into a formal written agreement with the State Board of
69	Education which, at a minimum, details the responsibilities of
70	each party and the process and goals of the program.
71	(c) Each participating school, Department of Juvenile
72	Justice facility, or charter school shall select and approve
73	each student for participation in the school-to-work program
74	based on a student's classification as an at-risk student.
75	(5) REVENUE FOR THE ENDOWMENT FUND.-
76	(a) An endowment fund is created as a long-term, stable,
77	and growing source of revenue which shall be administered by the
78	foundation pursuant to rules adopted by the department.
79	(b) The principal of the endowment fund shall consist of
80	legislative appropriations and bequests, gifts, grants, or
81	donations solicited from public or private sources by the
82	foundation.
83	(c) The foundation shall invest and reinvest moneys from
84	the principal of the endowment fund pursuant to ss. 215.44-
85	215.53, Florida Statutes. Interest and investment income earned
86	from moneys in the endowment fund shall be annually transmitted
87	to the foundation, based upon a fiscal year beginning July 1 and
88	ending June 30, and shall be deposited in the foundation's
89	operating account for distribution as provided in this section.
90	(6) THE FLORIDA ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION FOR FLORIDA'S
91	GRADUATES.-
92	(a) The Florida Endowment Foundation for Florida's
93	Graduates is created as a direct-support organization within the
94	Department of Education to encourage public and private support
95	and enhance the transition of students from school to work. As a
96	direct-support organization, the foundation shall operate under
97	contract with the department and shall be:
98	1. A Florida corporation, not for profit, incorporated
99	under chapter 617, Florida Statutes, and approved by the
100	Department of State.
101	2. Organized and operated exclusively to raise funds;
102	submit requests and receive grants from the Federal Government,
103	the state, private foundations, and individuals; receive, hold,
104	and administer property; and make expenditures to or for the
105	benefit of school-to-work transition programs approved by the
106	board of directors of the foundation.
107	(b) As a direct-support organization, the foundation
108	shall:
109	1. Maintain articles of incorporation.
110	2. Maintain a board of directors recommended by the
111	Commissioner of Education and appointed by the Governor.
112	3. Maintain an external annual audit.
113	4. Provide a mechanism for the reversion to the state of
114	moneys in the foundation and in any other funds and accounts
115	held in trust by the foundation if the foundation is dissolved.
116	(7) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.-The foundation shall be
117	administered by a board of directors, as follows:
118	(a) The board shall consist of 15 members, at least 9 of
119	whom must be from the private sector. The remaining members may
120	be from the public sector and must include representatives from
121	secondary education, vocational education, and job-training
122	programs. The chair may be from the private sector or the public
123	sector.
124	(b) Each member shall have an interest in the transition
125	of students from school to work and, if practicable, shall have:
126	1. Skills relating to work in a foundation or fundraising
127	activities, financial consulting, investment banking, or other
128	related experience; or
129	2. Experience in policymaking or executive-level positions
130	or have distinguished themselves in the fields of education,
131	business, or industry.
132	(c) The Governor, the Commissioner of Education, the
133	director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the Secretary
134	of Juvenile Justice, the Secretary of Children and Family
135	Services, and the chairs of the legislative education
136	appropriations committees shall be ex officio members of board.
137	1. The chair shall be appointed for a term of 2 years and
138	may be reappointed. However, a chair may not serve more than 6
139	consecutive years.
140	2. Board members shall be appointed to serve 3-year terms
141	or until resignation or removal for cause, except that members
142	appointed to serve initial terms shall be appointed to staggered
143	terms of 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively.
144	(d) A new member shall be appointed if a vacancy occurs on
145	the board because of an occurrence other than the expiration of
146	a term.
147	(e) Each member is accountable to the Commissioner of
148	Education for the proper performance of his or her duties. The
149	commissioner may remove any member from office for malfeasance,
150	misfeasance, neglect of duty, incompetence, or the permanent
151	inability to perform official duties or for pleading nolo
152	contendere to, or being found guilty of, a crime.
153	(8) ORGANIZATION, POWERS, AND DUTIES.-Within the limits
154	prescribed in this section or by department rule:
155	(a) Upon appointment of its members, the board shall meet
156	and organize. Thereafter, the board shall hold such meetings as
157	are necessary to administer this section and shall conduct its
158	business in accordance with rules adopted by the department.
159	(b) The board may solicit and receive bequests, gifts,
160	grants, donations, goods, and services. Any gift that is
161	restricted as to its purpose may be used only for the purpose or
162	purposes stated by the donor.
163	(c) The board may enter into contracts with the Federal
164	Government, the state, local agencies, private entities, or
165	individuals in order to carry out the purposes of this section.
166	(d) The board may identify, initiate, and fund programs to
167	carry out the purposes of this section.
168	(e) The board may make gifts or grants to:
169	1. The state, or any political subdivision thereof, or any
170	public agency of state or local government.
171	2. A corporation, trust, association, or foundation
172	organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational,
173	or scientific purposes.
174	3. The Department of Education, for purposes of program
175	recognition and marketing, public relations and education,
176	professional development, and technical assistance and workshops
177	for grant applicants and recipients and the business community.
178	(f) The board may advertise and solicit applications for
179	funding and shall evaluate applications and program proposals
180	submitted to the board.
181	(g) The board shall monitor, review, and annually evaluate
182	funded programs to determine whether funding should be
183	continued, terminated, reduced, or increased.
184	(h) The board shall establish an operating account for the
185	deposit of funds to be used in carrying out the purposes of this
186	section.
187	(i) The board shall operate the programs to ensure that
188	the goals of this section are met and shall recommend to the
189	Department of Education the adoption of rules as may be
190	necessary.
191	(j) The board may take such additional actions, including
192	independently organizing and conducting hiring, as are deemed
193	necessary and appropriate to administer the provisions of this
194	section. An employment position with the board is not state
195	employment.
196	(9) DISTRIBUTION OF EARNINGS ON ENDOWMENT FUND PRINCIPAL.-
197	The board shall use the moneys in the operating account, by
198	whatever means necessary, to provide for:
199	(a) Planning, research, and policy development for issues
200	related to school-to-work transition and publications and
201	dissemination of such information as may serve the objectives of
202	this section.
203	(b) Promotion of initiatives for school-to-work
204	transition.
205	(c) Funding of programs that engage in, contract for,
206	foster, finance, or aid in job training and counseling for
207	school-to-work transition research, education, or demonstration,
208	or other related activities.
209	(d) Funding of programs that engage in, contract for,
210	foster, finance, or aid in activities designed to advance better
211	public understanding and appreciation of the school-to-work
212	transition.
213	(10) ANNUAL AUDIT.-The board shall cause to be conducted
214	an annual audit of the foundation's financial accounts by an
215	independent certified public accountant in accordance with rules
216	adopted by the department. The annual audit report shall be
217	submitted to the Auditor General and the department for review.
218	The Auditor General and the department may require and receive
219	from the foundation, or from its independent auditor, any
220	relevant detail or supplemental data.
221	(11) ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAM RESULTS.-The success of the
222	programs shall be assessed as follows:
223	(a) The foundation shall review the program's activities
224	and submit a report to the Department of Education and the
225	Legislature on or before August 1 of each year.
226	(b) The foundation shall coordinate an ongoing
227	longitudinal study of participants to determine the overall
228	efficacy of the program.
229	(12) ANNUAL REPORT.-The board shall submit a report to the
230	Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
231	of Representatives, and the Commissioner of Education on or
232	before January 1 of each year, which summarizes the performance
233	of the endowment fund for the previous fiscal year and the
234	foundation's fundraising activities and performance, and details
235	those activities and programs supported by the earnings on the
236	endowment principal or by bequests, gifts, grants, donations,
237	and other valued goods and services received.
238	(13) RULES.-The Department of Education shall adopt rules
239	to administer this section.
240	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.