Bill Text: FL S0072 | 2020 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Higher Education
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2020-06-30 - Chapter No. 2020-117 [S0072 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S0072-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Higher Education
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2020-06-30 - Chapter No. 2020-117 [S0072 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S0072-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2020 CS for SB 72 By the Committee on Appropriations; and Senator Stargel 576-04578-20 202072c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to postsecondary education; amending 3 s. 287.057, F.S.; authorizing state agencies to 4 contract with independent, nonprofit colleges and 5 universities that meet specified requirements; 6 amending s. 1001.03, F.S.; clarifying requirements for 7 new construction, remodeling, or renovation projects; 8 amending s. 1001.706, F.S.; requiring that selection 9 of a president by a university board of trustees be 10 from among at least three candidates; amending s. 11 1001.7065, F.S.; requiring that certain academic and 12 research excellence standards be reported annually in 13 the accountability plan prepared by the Board of 14 Governors; revising the academic and research 15 excellence standards established for the preeminent 16 state research universities program; establishing 17 criteria for identifying state universities of 18 distinction, rather than programs of excellence, 19 throughout the State University System; authorizing 20 the Board of Governors to annually submit, by a 21 specified date, the programs for funding by the 22 Legislature; amending s. 1004.085, F.S.; requiring 23 certain innovative pricing techniques and payment 24 options to contain an opt-out provision for students; 25 amending s. 1004.346, F.S.; deleting a provision 26 related to terms of Phosphate Research and Activities 27 Board members; creating s. 1004.6499, F.S.; creating 28 the Florida Institute of Politics within the Florida 29 State University College of Social Sciences and Public 30 Policy; providing the purpose and goals of the 31 institute; amending s. 1009.50, F.S.; revising a 32 provision relating to the maximum annual grant amount; 33 providing that students who receive a grant award in 34 the fall or spring term may also receive an award in 35 the summer term, subject to availability of funds; 36 prohibiting institutions from dispensing grants to 37 students whose expected family contribution exceeds a 38 certain amount; requiring the formula used to 39 distribute funds for the program to account for 40 changes in the number of eligible students across all 41 student assistance grant programs; requiring 42 institutions to certify the amount of funds disbursed 43 within a certain timeframe; requiring institutions to 44 remit any undisbursed advances within a specified 45 timeframe; providing an exception; requiring 46 institutions that receive moneys through the program 47 to submit to the department by a specified date a 48 biennial report that includes a financial audit 49 conducted by the Auditor General; authorizing the 50 department to conduct its own annual or biennial audit 51 under certain circumstances; authorizing the 52 department to suspend or revoke an institution’s 53 eligibility or request a refund of moneys overpaid to 54 the institution under certain circumstances; providing 55 a timeframe for such refunds; amending s. 1009.505, 56 F.S.; requiring that grant awards administered through 57 the Florida Public Postsecondary Career Education 58 Student Assistance Grant Program not exceed a certain 59 amount; providing that students who receive a grant 60 award in the fall or spring term may also receive an 61 award in the summer term, subject to the availability 62 of funds; requiring the formula used to distribute 63 funds for the program to account for changes in the 64 number of eligible students across all student 65 assistance grant programs; requiring institutions to 66 certify within a certain timeframe the amount of funds 67 disbursed; requiring institutions to remit within a 68 specified timeframe any undisbursed advances; 69 providing an exception; requiring institutions that 70 receive moneys through the program to submit to the 71 department by a specified date a biennial report that 72 includes a financial audit conducted by the Auditor 73 General; authorizing the department to conduct its own 74 annual or biennial audit under certain circumstances; 75 authorizing the department to suspend or revoke an 76 institution’s eligibility or to request a refund of 77 moneys overpaid to the institution under certain 78 circumstances; authorizing funds appropriated for 79 state student assistance grants to be deposited in a 80 specified trust fund; requiring that any balance in 81 the trust fund at the end of a fiscal year which has 82 been allocated to the Florida Public Postsecondary 83 Career Education Student Assistance Grant Program 84 remain therein, subject to certain statutory 85 exceptions; amending s. 1009.51, F.S.; requiring that 86 grant awards administered through the Florida Private 87 Student Assistance Grant Program not exceed a certain 88 annual award amount; providing that students who 89 receive an award in the fall or spring term may also 90 receive an award in the summer term, subject to the 91 availability of funds; prohibiting institutions from 92 dispensing grants to students whose expected family 93 contribution exceeds a certain amount; requiring that 94 the formula used to distribute funds for the program 95 account for changes in the number of eligible students 96 across all student assistance grant programs; 97 requiring institutions to certify within a certain 98 timeframe the amount of funds disbursed; requiring 99 institutions to remit within a specified timeframe any 100 undisbursed advances; providing an exception; revising 101 a requirement for a biennial report; amending s. 102 1009.52, F.S.; requiring that grants administered 103 through the Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance 104 Grant Program not exceed a certain annual award 105 amount; providing that students who receive a grant 106 award in the fall or spring term may also receive an 107 award in the summer term, subject to the availability 108 of funds; prohibiting institutions from dispensing 109 grants to students whose expected family contribution 110 exceeds a certain amount; requiring that the formula 111 used to distribute funds for the program account for 112 changes in the number of eligible students across all 113 student assistance grant programs; requiring 114 institutions to certify within a certain timeframe the 115 amount of funds disbursed; requiring institutions to 116 remit within a specified timeframe any undisbursed 117 advances; providing an exception; revising a 118 requirement for a biennial report; amending s. 119 1009.893, F.S.; specifying eligibility for initial 120 awards under the Benacquisto Scholarship Program; 121 revising requirements for a student to receive a 122 renewal award; providing a timeframe within which 123 students can receive an award; providing an exception 124 to renewal requirements; amending s. 1011.45, F.S.; 125 revising the date by which a spending plan must be 126 submitted to a university’s board of trustees for 127 approval; revising the date by which the Board of 128 Governors must review and approve such spending plan; 129 authorizing certain expenditures in a carry forward 130 spending plan to include a commitment of funds to a 131 contingency reserve for certain purposes; amending s. 132 1012.976, F.S.; deleting a provision relating to 133 applicability; requiring the Board of Governors to 134 adopt regulations defining university faculty and 135 administrative personnel classifications; amending s. 136 1013.841, F.S.; revising the dates by which a spending 137 plan must be submitted to a Florida College System 138 institution’s board of trustees for approval; revising 139 the dates by which the State Board of Education shall 140 review and publish such plan; authorizing certain 141 expenditures in a carry forward spending plan to 142 include a commitment of funds to a contingency reserve 143 for certain purposes; providing an effective date. 144 145 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 146 147 Section 1. Section (21) of section 287.057, Florida 148 Statutes, is amended to read: 149 287.057 Procurement of commodities or contractual 150 services.— 151 (21) An agency may contract for services with any 152 independent, nonprofit college or university which is located 153 within the state on the same basis as it may contract with any 154 state university and college if the independent, nonprofit 155 college or university: 156 (a)andIs accredited by the Southern Association of 157 Colleges and Schools; or, on the same basis as it may contract158with any state university and college159 (b) Is authorized to operate within this state pursuant to 160 chapter 1005, offers a professional degree, and is accredited by 161 the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. 162 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (18) of section 163 1001.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 164 1001.03 Specific powers of State Board of Education.— 165 (18) PUBLIC EDUCATION CAPITAL OUTLAY.—The State Board of 166 Education shall develop and submit the prioritized list required 167 by s. 1013.64(4). Projects considered for prioritization shall 168 be chosen from a preliminary selection group which shall include 169 the list of projects maintained pursuant to paragraph (d) and 170 the top two priorities of each Florida College System 171 institution. 172 (c) A new construction, remodeling, or renovation project 173 that has not received an appropriation in a previous year shall 174 not be considered for inclusion on the prioritized list required 175 by s. 1013.64(4), unless: 176 1. A plan is provided to reserve funds in an escrow 177 account, specific to the project, into which shall be deposited 178 each year an amount of funds equal to 0.5 percent of the total 179 value of the building for future maintenance; 180 2. There existsaresufficient capacity within the cash and 181 bonding estimate of funds by the Revenue Estimating Conference 182 to accommodate the projectexcess funds from the allocation183provided pursuant to s. 1013.60within the 3-year Public 184 Education Capital Outlay funding cycleplanning period which are185not needed to complete the projects listed pursuant to paragraph186(d); and 187 3. The project has been recommended pursuant to s. 1013.31. 188 Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section 189 1001.706, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 190 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.— 191 (6) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PERSONNEL.— 192 (a) The Board of Governors, or the board’s designee, shall 193 establish the personnel program for all employees of a state 194 university. The Board of Governors shall confirm the 195 presidential selection and reappointment by a university board 196 of trustees as a means of acknowledging that system cooperation 197 is expected. The selection of a president by a university board 198 of trustees must be from among at least three candidates. 199 Section 4. Subsections (2), (5), and (7) of section 200 1001.7065, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 201 1001.7065 Preeminent state research universities program.— 202 (2) ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE STANDARDS.—The 203 following academic and research excellence standards are 204 established for the preeminent state research universities 205 program and must be reported annually in the Board of Governors 206 Accountability Plan: 207 (a) An average weighted grade point average of 4.0 or 208 higher on a 4.0 scale and an average SAT score of1800 or higher209on a 2400-point scale or1200 or higher on a 1600-point scale or 210 an average ACT score of 25 or higher on a 36 score scale, using 211 the latest published national concordance table developed 212 jointly by the College Board and ACT, Inc., for fall semester 213 incoming freshmen, as reported annually. 214 (b) A top-50 ranking on at least two well-known and highly 215 respected national public university rankings, including, but 216 not limited to, the U.S. News and World Report rankings, 217 reflecting national preeminence, using most recent rankings. 218 (c) A freshman retention rate of 90 percent or higher for 219 full-time, first-time-in-college students, as reported annually220to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). 221 (d) A 4-year graduation rate of 60 percent or higher for 222 full-time, first-time-in-college students, as reported annually223to the IPEDS.However, for the 2018 determination of a state224university’s preeminence designation and the related225distribution of the 2018-2019 fiscal year appropriation226associated with preeminence and emerging preeminence, a227university is considered to have satisfied this graduation rate228measure by attaining a 6-year graduation rate of 70 percent or229higher by October 1, 2017, for full-time, first-time-in-college230students, as reported to the IPEDS and confirmed by the Board of231Governors.232 (e) Six or more faculty members at the state university who 233 are members of a national academy, as reported by the Center for234Measuring University Performance in the Top American Research235Universities (TARU) annual report or the official membership236directories maintained by each national academy. 237 (f) Total annual research expenditures, including federal 238 research expenditures, of $200 million or more, as reported239annually by the National Science Foundation (NSF). 240 (g) Total annual research expenditures in diversified 241 nonmedical sciences of $150 million or more, based on data242reported annually by the NSF. 243 (h) A top-100 university national ranking for research 244 expenditures in five or more science, technology, engineering, 245 or mathematics fields of study, as reported annually by the NSF. 246 (i) One hundred or more total patents awarded by the United 247 States Patent and Trademark Office for the most recent 3-year 248 period. 249 (j) Four hundred or more doctoral degrees awarded annually, 250 including professional doctoral degrees awarded in medical and 251 health care disciplines, as reported in the Board of Governors252Annual Accountability Report. 253 (k) Two hundred or more postdoctoral appointees annually,254as reported in the TARU annual report. 255 (l) An endowment of $500 million or more, as reported in256the Board of Governors Annual Accountability Report. 257 (5) PREEMINENT STATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM 258 SUPPORT.— 259 (a) A state university that is designated as a preeminent 260 state research university shall submit to the Board of Governors 261 a 5-year benchmark plan with target rankings on key performance 262 metrics for national excellence. Upon approval by the Board of 263 Governors, and upon the university’s meeting the benchmark plan 264 goals annually, the Board of Governors shall award the 265 university its proportionate share of any funds provided 266 annually to support the program created under this section. 267 (b) A state university designated as an emerging preeminent 268 state research university shall submit for approval to the Board 269 of Governors a 5-year benchmark plan with target rankings on key 270 performance metrics for national excellence.Upon approval by271the Board of Governors, and upon the university’s meeting the272benchmark plan goals annually, the Board of Governors shall273award the university its proportionate share of any funds274provided annually to support the program created under this275section.276 (c) The award of funds under this subsection is contingent 277 upon funding provided by the Legislature to support the 278 preeminent state research universities program created under 279 this section. Funding increases appropriated beyond the amounts 280 funded in the previous fiscal year shall be distributed as 281 determined annually by the Legislature toas follows:2821.each designated preeminent state research university 283 that meets the criteria in paragraph (a)shall receive an equal284amount of funding. 2852. Each designated emerging preeminent state research286university that meets the criteria in paragraph (b) shall,287beginning in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, receive an amount of288funding that is equal to one-fourth of the total increased289amount awarded to each designated preeminent state research290university.291 (7) STATE UNIVERSITIESPROGRAMSOF DISTINCTIONEXCELLENCE292 THROUGHOUT THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.—The Board of Governors 293 shall establish standards and measures that may be used in 294 identifying state universities that focus on one core competency 295 unique to the State University System and that achieve 296 excellence at the national or state level, meet state workforce 297 needs, and foster an innovation economy that focuses on such 298 areas as health care, security, transportation, and science, 299 technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including 300 supply chain management. By each January 1, the Board of 301 Governors may submit such programswherebyindividual302undergraduate, graduate, and professional degreeprograms in303state universities which objectively reflectnational excellence304can be identifiedand make recommendationsto the Legislature 305 for fundingbySeptember 1, 2018, as tohow any such programs306could be enhanced and promoted. 307 Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 1004.085, Florida 308 Statutes, is amended to read: 309 1004.085 Textbook and instructional materials 310 affordability.— 311 (4) Each Florida College System institution and state 312 university board of trustees is authorized to adopt policies in 313 consultation with providers, including bookstores, which allow 314 for the use of innovative pricing techniques and payment options 315 for textbooks and instructional materials. Such policies may 316 include bulk pricing arrangements that enable students to 317 purchase course materials or texts that are delivered digitally; 318 delivered through other technologies that are, or the licenses 319 of which are, required for use within a course; or delivered in 320 a print format. Innovative pricing techniques and payment 321 options must include an opt-in or opt-out provision for students 322 and may be approved only if there is documented evidence that 323 the options reduce the cost of textbooks and instructional 324 materials for students taking a course. 325 Section 6. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 326 1004.346, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 327 1004.346 Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research 328 Institute.— 329 (2) PHOSPHATE RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES BOARD.—The Phosphate 330 Research and Activities Board is created to monitor the 331 expenditure of funds appropriated to the university from the 332 Phosphate Research Trust Fund. 333 (c) Members of the board appointed by the Governor shall be 334 appointed to 3-year terms. A board member may continue to serve 335 until a successor is appointed, but not more than 180 daysafter336the expiration of his or her term. A board member is eligible 337 for reappointment to subsequent terms. 338 Section 7. Section 1004.6499, Florida Statutes, is created 339 to read: 340 1004.6499 Florida Institute of Politics.— 341 (1) The Florida Institute of Politics is established at the 342 Florida State University within the College of Social Sciences 343 and Public Policy. The purpose of the institute is to provide 344 the southeastern region of the United States with a world class, 345 bipartisan, nationally renowned institute of politics. 346 (2) The goals of the institute are to: 347 (a) Motivate students throughout the Florida State 348 University to become aware of the significance of government and 349 civic engagement at all levels and politics in general. 350 (b) Provide students with an opportunity to be politically 351 active and civically engaged. 352 (c) Nurture a greater awareness and passion for public 353 service and politics. 354 (d) Plan and host forums to allow students and guests to 355 hear from and interact with experts from government, politics, 356 policy, and journalism on a frequent basis. 357 (e) Become a national and state resource on polling 358 information and survey methodology. 359 (f) Provide fellowships and internship opportunities to 360 students in government, nonprofit organizations, and community 361 organizations. 362 (g) Provide training sessions for newly elected state and 363 local public officials. 364 (h) Organize and sponsor conferences, symposia, and 365 workshops throughout this state to educate and inform citizens, 366 elected officials, and appointed policymakers regarding 367 effective policymaking techniques and processes. 368 (i) Create and promote research and awareness regarding 369 politics, citizen involvement, and public service. 370 (j) Collaborate with related policy institutes and research 371 activities at the Florida State University and other 372 institutions of higher education to motivate, increase, and 373 sustain citizen involvement in public affairs. 374 Section 8. Section 1009.50, Florida Statutes, is amended to 375 read: 376 1009.50 Florida Public Student Assistance Grant Program; 377 eligibility for grants.— 378 (1) There is hereby created a Florida Public Student 379 Assistance Grant Program. The program shall be administered by 380 the participating institutions in accordance with rules of the 381 state board. 382 (2)(a) State student assistance grants through the program 383 may be made only to degree-seeking students who enroll in at 384 least 6 semester hours, or the equivalent per term, and who meet 385 the general requirements for student eligibility as provided in 386 s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this section. The 387 grants shall be awarded annually for the amount of demonstrated 388 unmet need for the cost of education and may not exceed the 389 maximum annual awardanamountequal to the average prior390academic year cost of tuition fees and other registration fees391for 30 credit hours at state universities or such other amount392asspecified in the General Appropriations Act, to any393recipient. A demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 shall 394 render the applicant ineligible for a state student assistance 395 grant. Recipients of the grants must have been accepted at a 396 state university or Florida College System institution 397 authorized by Florida law. If funds are available, a student who 398 received an award in the fall or spring term may receive a 399 summer term award. A student is eligible for the award for 110 400 percent of the number of credit hours required to complete the 401 program in which enrolled, except as otherwise provided in s. 402 1009.40(3). 403 (b) A student applying for a Florida public student 404 assistance grant shall be required to apply for the Pell Grant. 405 The Pell Grant entitlement shall be considered when conducting 406 an assessment of the financial resources available to each 407 student. 408 (c)Priority in the distribution of grant moneys shall be409given to students with the lowest total family resources, in410accordance with a nationally recognized system of need analysis.411Using the system of need analysis, the department shall412establish a maximum expected family contribution.An institution 413 may not make a grant from this program to a student whose 414 expected family contribution exceeds one and one-half times the 415 maximum Pell Grant-eligible family contributionlevel416establishedby the department. An institution may not impose 417 additional criteria to determine a student’s eligibility to 418 receive a grant award. 419 (d) Each participating institution shall report,to the 420 department by the established date,theeligiblestudents 421 eligible for the program forto whom grant moneys are disbursed422 each academic term. Each institution shall also report to the 423 department necessary demographic and eligibility data for such 424 students. 425 (3) Based on the unmet financial need of an eligible 426 applicant, the amount of a Florida public student assistance 427 grant must be between $200 and theweighted average of the cost428of tuition and other registration fees for 30 credit hours at429state universities per academic year or theamount specified in 430 the General Appropriations Act. 431 (4)(a) The funds appropriated for the Florida Public 432 Student Assistance Grant shall be distributed to eligible 433 institutions in accordance with a formula approved by the State 434 Board of Education. The formula mustshallconsider at least the 435 prior year’s distribution of funds, the number offull-time436 eligible applicants who did not receive awards, the 437 standardization of the expected family contribution, and 438 provisions for unused funds. The formula must account for 439 changes in the number of eligible students across all student 440 assistance grant programs established pursuant to this section 441 and ss. 1009.505, 1009.51, and 1009.52. 442 (b) Payment of Florida public student assistance grants 443 shall be transmitted to the president of the state university or 444 Florida College System institution, or to his or her 445 representative, in advance of the registration period. 446 Institutions shall notify students of the amount of their 447 awards. 448 (c) The eligibility status of each student to receive a 449 disbursement shall be determined by each institution as of the 450 end of its regular registration period, inclusive of a drop-add 451 period. Institutions shall not be required to reevaluate a 452 student’s eligibility status after this date for purposes of 453 changing eligibility determinations previously made. 454 (d) Institutions shall certify to the department within 30 455 days after the end of regular registration each term the amount 456 of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit to the 457 department any undisbursed advances within 60 days after the end 458 of regular registration each spring termany advances by June 1459of each year. An exception to the remittance deadline may be 460 granted if the institution documents to the department how it 461 plans to disburse awards to students for the subsequent summer 462 term. An institution that uses funds for the summer term shall 463 certify to the department the amount of funds disbursed to each 464 student and shall remit to the department any undisbursed 465 advances within 30 days after the end of the summer term. 466 (e) Each institution that receives moneys through the 467 Florida Public Student Assistance Grant Program shall prepare a 468 biennial report that includes a financial audit, conducted by 469 the Auditor General, of the institution’s administration of the 470 program and a complete accounting of moneys allocated to the 471 institution for the program. Such report shall be submitted to 472 the department by March 1 every other year. The department may 473 conduct its own annual or biennial audit of an institution’s 474 administration of the program and its allocated funds in lieu of 475 the required biennial report and financial audit report. The 476 department may suspend or revoke an institution’s eligibility to 477 receive future moneys for the program or may request a refund of 478 any moneys overpaid to the institution for the program if the 479 department finds that an institution has not complied with this 480 section. Any refund requested pursuant to this paragraph shall 481 be remitted within 60 days after notification by the department. 482 (5) Funds appropriated by the Legislature for state student 483 assistance grants may be deposited in the State Student 484 Financial Assistance Trust Fund. Notwithstandingthe provisions485ofs. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the 486 trust fund at the end of any fiscal year which has been 487 allocated to the Florida Public Student Assistance Grant Program 488 shall remain therein and shall be available for carrying out the 489 purposes of this section. 490 (6) The State Board of Education shall establish rules 491 necessary to implement this section. 492 Section 9. Present subsections (5) and (6) of section 493 1009.505, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (6) 494 and (7), respectively, a new subsection (5) is added to that 495 section, and subsections (3) and (4) of that section are 496 amended, to read: 497 1009.505 Florida Public Postsecondary Career Education 498 Student Assistance Grant Program.— 499 (3)(a) Student assistance grants through the program may be 500 made only to certificate-seeking students enrolled at least 501 half-time in a public postsecondary career certificate program 502 who meet the general requirements for student eligibility as 503 provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this 504 section. The grants shall be awarded annually to any recipient 505 for the amount of demonstrated unmet need for the cost of 506 education and may not exceed theaverage annual cost of tuition507and registration fees or such otheramountasspecified in the 508 General Appropriations Act. A demonstrated unmet need of less 509 than $200 shall render the applicant ineligible for a grant 510 under this section. Recipients of the grants must have been 511 accepted at a Florida College System institution authorized by 512 Florida law or a career center operated by a district school 513 board under s. 1001.44. If funds are available, a student who 514 received an award in the fall or spring term may receive a 515 summer term award. A student is eligible for the award for 110 516 percent of the number of clock hours required to complete the 517 program in which enrolled. 518 (b) A student applying for a Florida public postsecondary 519 career education student assistance grant shall be required to 520 apply for the Pell Grant. A Pell Grant entitlement shall be 521 considered when conducting an assessment of the financial 522 resources available to each student; however, a Pell Grant 523 entitlement shall not be required as a condition of receiving a 524 grant under this section. 525 (c) Each participating institution shall report,to the 526 department by the established date,theeligiblestudents 527 eligible for the program forto whom grant moneys are disbursed528 each academic term. Each institution shall also report to the 529 department necessary demographic and eligibility data for such 530 students. 531 (4)(a) The funds appropriated for the Florida Public 532 Postsecondary Career Education Student Assistance Grant Program 533 shall be distributed to eligible Florida College System 534 institutions and district school boards in accordance with a 535 formula approved by the department. The formula must account for 536 changes in the number of eligible students across all student 537 assistance grant programs established pursuant to this section 538 and ss. 1009.50, 1009.51, and 1009.52. 539 (b) Payment of Florida public postsecondary career 540 education student assistance grants shall be transmitted to the 541 president of the Florida College System institution or to the 542 district school superintendent, or to the designee thereof, in 543 advance of the registration period. Institutions shall notify 544 students of the amount of their awards. 545 (c) The eligibility status of each student to receive a 546 disbursement shall be determined by each institution as of the 547 end of its regular registration period, inclusive of a drop-add 548 period. Institutions shall not be required to reevaluate a 549 student’s eligibility status after this date for purposes of 550 changing eligibility determinations previously made. 551 (d) Participating institutions shall certify to the 552 department within 30 days after the end of regular registration 553 each term the amount of funds disbursed to each student and 554 shall remit to the department any undisbursed advances within 60 555 days after the end of regular registration each spring termby556June 1 of each year. An exception to the remittance deadline may 557 be granted if the institution documents to the department how it 558 plans to disburse awards to students for the subsequent summer 559 term. An institution that uses funds for the summer term shall 560 certify to the department the amount of funds disbursed to each 561 student and shall remit to the department any undisbursed 562 advances within 30 days after the end of the summer term. 563 (e) Each institution that receives moneys through the 564 Florida Public Postsecondary Career Education Student Assistance 565 Grant Program shall prepare a biennial report that includes a 566 financial audit, conducted by the Auditor General, of the 567 institution’s administration of the program and a complete 568 accounting of moneys allocated to the institution for the 569 program. Such report shall be submitted to the department by 570 March 1 every other year. The department may conduct its own 571 annual or biennial audit of an institution’s administration of 572 the program and its allocated funds in lieu of the required 573 biennial report and financial audit report. The department may 574 suspend or revoke an institution’s eligibility to receive future 575 moneys for the program or may request a refund of any moneys 576 overpaid to the institution if the department finds that an 577 institution has not complied with this section. Any refund 578 requested pursuant to this paragraph shall be remitted within 60 579 days after notification by the department. 580 (5) Funds appropriated by the Legislature for state student 581 assistance grants may be deposited in the State Student 582 Financial Assistance Trust Fund. Notwithstanding s. 216.301, and 583 pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the end 584 of any fiscal year which has been allocated to the Florida 585 Public Postsecondary Career Education Student Assistance Grant 586 Program shall remain therein and shall be available for carrying 587 out the purposes of this section. 588 Section 10. Section 1009.51, Florida Statutes, is amended 589 to read: 590 1009.51 Florida Private Student Assistance Grant Program; 591 eligibility for grants.— 592 (1) There is created a Florida Private Student Assistance 593 Grant Program. The program shall be administered by the 594 participating institutions in accordance with rules of the State 595 Board of Education. 596 (2)(a) Florida private student assistance grantsfrom the597State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fundmay be made only 598 to full-time degree-seeking students who meet the general 599 requirements for student eligibility as provided in s. 1009.40, 600 except as otherwise provided in this section. Such grants shall 601 be awarded for the amount of demonstrated unmet need for tuition 602 and fees and may not exceed the maximum annual awardanamount 603equal to the average tuition and other registration fees for 30604credit hours at state universities plus $1,000 per academic605year, or asspecified in the General Appropriations Act, to any606applicant. A demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 shall 607 render the applicant ineligible for a Florida private student 608 assistance grant. Recipients of such grants must have been 609 accepted at a baccalaureate-degree-granting independent 610 nonprofit college or university, which is accredited by the 611 Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges 612 and Schools and which is located in and chartered as a domestic 613 corporation by the state. If funds are available, a student who 614 received an award in the fall or spring term may receive a 615 summer term award. No student may receive an award for more than 616 the equivalent of 9 semesters or 14 quarters of full-time 617 enrollment, except as otherwise provided in s. 1009.40(3). 618 (b) A student applying for a Florida private student 619 assistance grant shall be required to apply for the Pell Grant. 620 The Pell Grant entitlement shall be considered when conducting 621 an assessment of the financial resources available to each 622 student. 623 (c)Priority in the distribution of grant moneys shall be624given to students with the lowest total family resources, in625accordance with a nationally recognized system of need analysis.626Using the system of need analysis, the department shall627establish a maximum expected family contribution.An institution 628 may not make a grant from this program to a student whose 629 expected family contribution exceeds one and one-half times the 630 maximum Pell Grant-eligible family contributionlevel631established by the department. An institution may not impose 632 additional criteria to determine a student’s eligibility to 633 receive a grant award. 634 (d) Each participating institution shall report,to the 635 department by the established date,theeligiblestudents 636 eligible for the program forto whom grant moneys are disbursed637 each academic term. Each institution shall also report to the 638 department necessary demographic and eligibility data for such 639 students. 640 (3) Based on the unmet financial need of an eligible 641 applicant, the amount of a Florida private student assistance 642 grant must be between $200 andthe average cost of tuition and643other registration fees for 30 credit hours at state644universities plus $1,000 per academic year orthe amount 645 specified in the General Appropriations Act. 646 (4)(a) The funds appropriated for the Florida Private 647 Student Assistance Grant shall be distributed to eligible 648 institutions in accordance with a formula approved by the State 649 Board of Education. The formula mustshallconsider at least the 650 prior year’s distribution of funds, the number offull-time651 eligible applicants who did not receive awards, the 652 standardization of the expected family contribution, and 653 provisions for unused funds. The formula must account for 654 changes in the number of eligible students across all student 655 assistance grant programs established pursuant to this section 656 and ss. 1009.50, 1009.505, and 1009.52. 657 (b) Payment of Florida private student assistance grants 658 shall be transmitted to the president of the college or 659 university, or to his or her representative, in advance of the 660 registration period. Institutions shall notify students of the 661 amount of their awards. 662 (c) The eligibility status of each student to receive a 663 disbursement shall be determined by each institution as of the 664 end of its regular registration period, inclusive of a drop-add 665 period. Institutions shall not be required to reevaluate a 666 student’s eligibility status after this date for purposes of 667 changing eligibility determinations previously made. 668 (d) Institutions shall certify to the department within 30 669 days after the end of regular registration each term the amount 670 of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit to the 671 department any undisbursed advances within 60 days after the end 672 of regular registration each spring termby June 1 of each year. 673 An exception to the remittance deadline may be granted if the 674 institution documents to the department how it plans to disburse 675 awards to students for the subsequent summer term. An 676 institution that uses funds for the summer term shall certify to 677 the department the amount of funds disbursed to each student and 678 shall remit to the department any undisbursed advances within 30 679 days after the end of the summer term. 680 (e) Each institution that receives moneys through the 681 Florida Private Student Assistance Grant Program shall prepare a 682 biennial report that includes a financial audit, conducted by an 683 independent certified public accountant, of the institution’s 684 administration of the program and a complete accounting of 685 moneysin the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund686 allocated to the institution for the program. Such report shall 687 be submitted to the department by March 1 every other year. The 688 department may conduct its own annual or biennial audit of an 689 institution’s administration of the program and its allocated 690 funds in lieu of the required biennial report and financial 691 audit report. The department may suspend or revoke an 692 institution’s eligibility to receive future moneysfrom the693trust fundfor the program or request a refund of any moneys 694 overpaid to the institutionthrough the trust fundfor the 695 program if the department finds that an institution has not 696 complied withthe provisions ofthis section. Any refund 697 requested pursuant to this paragraph shall be remitted within 60 698 days after notification by the department. 699 (5) Funds appropriated by the Legislature for Florida 700 private student assistance grants may be deposited in the State 701 Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund. Notwithstandingthe702provisions ofs. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance 703 in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year which has been 704 allocated to the Florida Private Student Assistance Grant 705 Program shall remain therein and shall be available for carrying 706 out the purposes of this section and as otherwise provided by 707 law. 708 (6) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules 709 necessary to implement this section. 710 Section 11. Section 1009.52, Florida Statutes, is amended 711 to read: 712 1009.52 Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant 713 Program; eligibility for grants.— 714 (1) There is created a Florida Postsecondary Student 715 Assistance Grant Program. The program shall be administered by 716 the participating institutions in accordance with rules of the 717 State Board of Education. 718 (2)(a) Florida postsecondary student assistance grants 719through the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fundmay be 720 made only to full-time degree-seeking students who meet the 721 general requirements for student eligibility as provided in s. 722 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this section. Such 723 grants shall be awarded for the amount of demonstrated unmet 724 need for tuition and fees and may not exceed the maximum annual 725 awardanamountequal to the average prior academic year cost of726tuition and other registration fees for 30 credit hours at state727universities plus $1,000 per academic year, or asspecified in 728 the General Appropriations Act, to any applicant. A demonstrated 729 unmet need of less than $200 shall render the applicant 730 ineligible for a Florida postsecondary student assistance grant. 731 Recipients of such grants must have been accepted at a 732 postsecondary institution that is located in thisthestate and 733 that is: 734 1. A private nursing diploma school approved by the Florida 735 Board of Nursing; or 736 2. A college or university licensed by the Commission for 737 Independent Education, excluding those institutions the students 738 of which are eligible to receive a Florida private student 739 assistance grant pursuant to s. 1009.51. 740 741 If funds are available, a student who received an award in the 742 fall or spring term may receive a summer term award. No student 743 may receive an award for more than the equivalent of 9 semesters 744 or 14 quarters of full-time enrollment, except as otherwise 745 provided in s. 1009.40(3). 746 (b) A student applying for a Florida postsecondary student 747 assistance grant shall be required to apply for the Pell Grant. 748 The Pell Grant entitlement shall be considered when conducting 749 an assessment of the financial resources available to each 750 student. 751 (c)Priority in the distribution of grant moneys shall be752given to students with the lowest total family resources, in753accordance with a nationally recognized system of need analysis.754Using the system of need analysis, the department shall755establish a maximum expected family contribution.An institution 756 may not make a grant from this program to a student whose 757 expected family contribution exceeds one and one-half times the 758 maximum Pell Grant-eligible family contributionlevel759established by the department. An institution may not impose 760 additional criteria to determine a student’s eligibility to 761 receive a grant award. 762 (d) Each participating institution shall report,to the 763 department by the established date,theeligiblestudents 764 eligible for the program forto whom grant moneys are disbursed765 each academic term. Each institution shall also report to the 766 department necessary demographic and eligibility data for such 767 students. 768 (3) Based on the unmet financial need of an eligible 769 applicant, the amount of a Florida postsecondary student 770 assistance grant must be between $200 andthe average cost of771tuition and other registration fees for 30 credit hours at state772universities plus $1,000 per academic year orthe amount 773 specified in the General Appropriations Act. 774 (4)(a) The funds appropriated for the Florida Postsecondary 775 Student Assistance Grant shall be distributed to eligible 776 institutions in accordance with a formula approved by the State 777 Board of Education. The formula mustshallconsider at least the 778 prior year’s distribution of funds, the number offull-time779 eligible applicants who did not receive awards, the 780 standardization of the expected family contribution, and 781 provisions for unused funds. The formula must account for 782 changes in the number of eligible students across all student 783 assistance grant programs established pursuant to this section 784 and ss. 1009.50, 1009.505, and 1009.51. 785 (b) Payment of Florida postsecondary student assistance 786 grants shall be transmitted to the president of the eligible 787 institution, or to his or her representative, in advance of the 788 registration period. Institutions shall notify students of the 789 amount of their awards. 790 (c) The eligibility status of each student to receive a 791 disbursement shall be determined by each institution as of the 792 end of its regular registration period, inclusive of a drop-add 793 period. Institutions shall not be required to reevaluate a 794 student’s eligibility status after this date for purposes of 795 changing eligibility determinations previously made. 796 (d) Institutions shall certify to the department within 30 797 days after the end of regular registration each term the amount 798 of funds disbursed to each student and shall remit to the 799 department any undisbursed advances within 60 days after the end 800 of regular registration each spring termby June 1 of each year. 801 An exception to the remittance deadline may be granted if the 802 institution documents to the department how it plans to disburse 803 awards to students for the subsequent summer term. An 804 institution that uses funds for the summer term shall certify to 805 the department the amount of funds disbursed to each student and 806 shall remit to the department any undisbursed advances within 30 807 days after the end of the summer term. 808 (e) Each institution that receives moneys through the 809 Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant Program shall 810 prepare a biennial report that includes a financial audit, 811 conducted by an independent certified public accountant, of the 812 institution’s administration of the program and a complete 813 accounting of moneysin the State Student Financial Assistance814Trust Fund allocated to the institutionfor the program. Such 815 report shall be submitted to the department by March 1 every 816 other year. The department may conduct its own annual or 817 biennial audit of an institution’s administration of the program 818 and its allocated funds in lieu of the required biennial report 819 and financial audit report. The department may suspend or revoke 820 an institution’s eligibility to receive future moneysfrom the821trust fundfor the program or request a refund of any moneys 822 overpaid to the institutionthrough the trust fundfor the 823 program if the department finds that an institution has not 824 complied withthe provisions ofthis section. Any refund 825 requested pursuant to this paragraph shall be remitted within 60 826 days after notification by the department. 827 (5) Any institution that was eligible to receive state 828 student assistance grants on January 1, 1989, and that is not 829 eligible to receive grants pursuant to s. 1009.51 is eligible to 830 receive grants pursuant to this section. 831 (6) Funds appropriated by the Legislature for Florida 832 postsecondary student assistance grants may be deposited in the 833 State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund. Notwithstanding 834the provisions ofs. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any 835 balance in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year which 836 has been allocated to the Florida Postsecondary Student 837 Assistance Grant Program shall remain therein and shall be 838 available for carrying out the purposes of this section and as 839 otherwise provided by law. 840 (7) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules 841 necessary to implement this section. 842 Section 12. Subsections (2), (4), (5), and (6) of section 843 1009.893, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 844 1009.893 Benacquisto Scholarship Program.— 845 (2) The Benacquisto Scholarship Program is created to 846 reward a high school graduate who receives recognition as a 847 National Merit ScholarorNational Achievement Scholarand who 848 initially enrolls in the 2014-2015 academic year or, later, in a 849 baccalaureate degree program at an eligible Florida public or 850 independent postsecondary educational institution. 851 (4) In order to be eligible for an initial award under the 852 scholarship program, a student must meet the requirements of 853 paragraph (a) or paragraph (b). 854 (a) A student who is a resident of this state, as 855 determined in s. 1009.40 and rules of the State Board of 856 Education, must: 857 1. Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its 858 equivalent pursuant to s. 1002.3105, s. 1003.4281, s. 1003.4282, 859 or s. 1003.435 unless: 860 a. The student completes a home education program according 861 to s. 1002.41; or 862 b. The student earns a high school diploma from a non 863 Florida school while living with a parent who is on military or 864 public service assignment out of this state; 865 2. Be accepted by and enroll in a Florida public or 866 independent postsecondary educational institution that is 867 regionally accredited; and 868 3. Be enrolled full-time in a baccalaureate degree program 869 at an eligible regionally accredited Florida public or 870 independent postsecondary educational institution during the 871 fall academic term following high school graduation. 872 (b) A student who initially enrolls in a baccalaureate 873 degree program in the 2018-2019 academic year or later and who 874 is not a resident of this state, as determined in s. 1009.40 and 875 rules of the State Board of Education, must: 876 1. Physically reside in this state on or near the campus of 877 the postsecondary educational institution in which the student 878 is enrolled; 879 2. Earn a high school diploma from a school outside Florida 880 which is comparable to a standard Florida high school diploma or 881 its equivalent pursuant to s. 1002.3105, s. 1003.4281, s. 882 1003.4282, or s. 1003.435 or must complete a home education 883 program in another state; and 884 3. Be accepted by and enrolled full-time in a baccalaureate 885 degree program at an eligible regionally accredited Florida 886 public or independent postsecondary educational institution 887 during the fall academic term following high school graduation. 888 (5)(a)1. An eligible student who meets the requirements of 889 paragraph (4)(a), who is a National Merit Scholaror National890Achievement Scholar, and who attends a Florida public 891 postsecondary educational institution shall receive a 892 scholarship award equal to the institutional cost of attendance 893 minus the sum of the student’s Florida Bright Futures 894 Scholarship and National Merit Scholarshipor National895Achievement Scholarship. 896 2. An eligible student who meets the requirements of 897 paragraph (4)(b), who is a National Merit Scholar, and who 898 attends a Florida public postsecondary educational institution 899 shall receive a scholarship award equal to the institutional 900 cost of attendance for a resident of this state minus the 901 student’s National Merit Scholarship. Such student is exempt 902 from the payment of out-of-state fees. 903 (b) An eligible student who is a National Merit Scholaror904National Achievement Scholarand who attends a Florida 905 independent postsecondary educational institution shall receive 906 a scholarship award equal to the highest cost of attendance for 907 a resident of this state enrolled at a Florida public 908 university, as reported by the Board of Governors of the State 909 University System, minus the sum of the student’s Florida Bright 910 Futures Scholarship and National Merit Scholarshipor National911Achievement Scholarship. 912 (6)(a) To be eligible for a renewal award, a student must 913 be enrolled full time, earn all credits for which he or she was 914 enrolled, and maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average. An 915 eligible Benacquisto Scholar who has fewer than 12 credits 916 remaining to complete his or her first baccalaureate degree may 917 receive funding for one term in order to complete the degree. 918 (b) A student’s renewal status is not affected by 919 subsequent changes in the residency status of the student or the 920 residency status of the student’s family. 921 (c)(b)A student may receive the scholarship award for a 922 maximum of 100 percent of the number of credit hours required to 923 complete a baccalaureate degree program, or until completion of 924 a baccalaureate degree program, whichever comes first. 925 (d) A student may receive an award for up to 5 years 926 following high school graduation and may not receive the award 927 for more than 10 semesters. 928 (e) A student who receives an award under this program and 929 fails to meet the renewal requirements due to a verifiable 930 illness or other documented emergency may be granted an 931 exception pursuant to s. 1009.40(1)(b)4. 932 Section 13. Section 1011.45, Florida Statutes, is amended 933 to read: 934 1011.45 End of year balance of funds.—Unexpended amounts in 935 any fund in a university current year operating budget shall be 936 carried forward and included as the balance forward for that 937 fund in the approved operating budget for the following year. 938 (1) Each university shall maintain a minimum carry forward 939 balance of at least 7 percent of its state operating budget. If 940 a university fails to maintain a 7 percent balance in state 941 operating funds, the university shall submit a plan to the Board 942 of Governors to attain the 7 percent balance of state operating 943 funds within the next fiscal year. 944 (2) Each university that retains a state operating fund 945 carry forward balance in excess of the 7 percent minimum shall 946 submit a spending plan for its excess carry forward balance. The 947 spending plan shall be submitted to the university’s board of 948 trustees for review, approval, or, if necessary, amendment by 949 September 301, 2020, and each September 301thereafter. The 950 Board of Governors shall review, approve, and amend, if 951 necessary, each university’s carry forward spending plan by 952 November 15October1, 2020, and each November 15October1953 thereafter. 954 (3) A university’s carry forward spending plan shall 955 include the estimated cost per planned expenditure and a 956 timeline for completion of the expenditure. Authorized 957 expenditures in a carry forward spending plan may include: 958 (a) Commitment of funds to a public education capital 959 outlay project for which an appropriation has previously been 960 provided that requires additional funds for completion and which 961 is included in the list required by s. 1001.706(12)(d); 962 (b) Completion of a renovation, repair, or maintenance 963 project that is consistent withthe provisions ofs. 1013.64(1), 964 up to $5 million per project, and replacement of a minor 965 facility that does not exceed 10,000 gross square feet in size 966 up to $2 million; 967 (c) Completion of a remodeling or infrastructure project, 968 including a project for a development research school, up to $10 969 million per project, if such project is survey recommended 970 pursuant to s. 1013.31; 971 (d) Completion of a repair or replacement project necessary 972 due to damage caused by a natural disaster for buildings 973 included in the inventory required pursuant to s. 1013.31; 974 (e) Operating expenditures that support the university 975 missionand that are nonrecurring;and976 (f) Any purpose specified by the board or in the General 977 Appropriations Act; and 978 (g) A commitment of funds to a contingency reserve to 979 assist in addressing unforeseen circumstances that may arise, 980 including natural disasters and other emergencies. 981 (4) Annually, by September 30, the chief financial officer 982 of each university shall certify the unexpended amount of funds 983 appropriated to the university from the General Revenue Fund, 984 the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, and the 985 Education/General Student and Other Fees Trust Fund as of June 986 30 of the previous fiscal year. 987 (5) A university may spend the minimum carry forward 988carryforwardbalance of 7 percent if a demonstrated emergency 989 exists and the plan is approved by the university’s board of 990 trustees and the Board of Governors. 991 Section 14. Subsection (3) of section 1012.976, Florida 992 Statutes, is amended to read: 993 1012.976 Remuneration of state university administrative 994 employees; limitations.— 995 (3) EXCEPTIONS.—This section does not prohibit any party 996 from providing cash or cash-equivalent compensation from funds 997 that are not appropriated state funds to a state university 998 administrative employee in excess of the limit in subsection 999 (2). If a party is unable or unwilling to fulfill an obligation 1000 to provide cash or cash-equivalent compensation to a state 1001 university administrative employee as permitted under this 1002 subsection, appropriated state funds may not be used to fulfill 1003 such obligation. This section does not apply to university 1004teachingfaculty or medical school faculty or staff. The Board 1005 of Governors shall define in regulation the university faculty 1006 and administrative personnel classifications. 1007 Section 15. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2), paragraph (b) 1008 of subsection (3), and subsection (4) of section 1013.841, 1009 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1010 1013.841 End of year balance of Florida College System 1011 institution funds.— 1012 (2)(b) Each Florida College System institution with a final 1013 FTE less than 15,000 for the prior year that retains a state 1014 operating fund carry forward balance in excess of the 5 percent 1015 minimum shall submit a spending plan for its excess carry 1016 forward balance. The spending plan shall include all excess 1017 carry forward funds from state operating funds. The spending 1018 plan shall be submitted to the Florida College System 1019 institution’s board of trustees for approval by September 301, 1020 2020, and each September 301thereafter. The State Board of 1021 Education shall review and publish each Florida College System 1022 institution’s carry forward spending plan by November 15October10231, 2020, and each November 15October 1thereafter. 1024 (3)(b) Each Florida College System institution with a final 1025 FTE of 15,000 or greater for the prior year that retains a state 1026 operating fund carry forward balance in excess of the 7 percent 1027 minimum shall submit a spending plan for its excess carry 1028 forward balance. The spending plan shall include all excess 1029 carry forward funds from state operating funds. The spending 1030 plan shall be submitted to the Florida College System 1031 institution’s board of trustees for approval by September 301, 1032 2020, and each September 301thereafter. The State Board of 1033 Education shall review and publish each Florida College System 1034 institution’s carry forward spending plan by November 15October10351, 2020, and each November 15October1thereafter. 1036 (4) A Florida College System institution identified in 1037 paragraph (3)(a) must include in its carry forward spending plan 1038 the estimated cost per planned expenditure and a timeline for 1039 completion of the expenditure. Authorized expenditures in a 1040 carry forward spending plan may include: 1041 (a) Commitment of funds to a public education capital 1042 outlay project for which an appropriation was previously 1043 provided, which requires additional funds for completion, and 1044 which is included in the list required by s. 1001.03(18)(d); 1045 (b) Completion of a renovation, repair, or maintenance 1046 project that is consistent withthe provisions ofs. 1013.64(1), 1047 up to $5 million per project; 1048 (c) Completion of a remodeling or infrastructure project, 1049 up to $10 million per project, if such project is survey 1050 recommended pursuant to s. 1013.31; 1051 (d) Completion of a repair or replacement project necessary 1052 due to damage caused by a natural disaster for buildings 1053 included in the inventory required pursuant to s. 1013.31; 1054 (e) Operating expenditures that support the Florida College 1055 System institution’s missionwhich are nonrecurring;and1056 (f) Any purpose approved by the state board or specified in 1057 the General Appropriations Act; and 1058 (g) A commitment of funds to a contingency reserve to 1059 assist in addressing unforeseen circumstances that may arise, 1060 including natural disasters and other emergencies. 1061 Section 16. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.