Bill Text: FL S0266 | 2023 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Higher Education
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-16 - Chapter No. 2023-82, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 1035 (Ch. 2023-38) [S0266 Detail]
Download: Florida-2023-S0266-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Higher Education
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-16 - Chapter No. 2023-82, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 1035 (Ch. 2023-38) [S0266 Detail]
Download: Florida-2023-S0266-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2023 CS for SB 266
By the Committee on Education Postsecondary; and Senator Grall
589-02628-23 2023266c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to higher education; amending s.
3 1001.706, F.S.; revising requirements in the Board of
4 Governors duties relating to the mission of each state
5 university; revising requirements for the Board of
6 Governors’ strategic plan relating to the goals and
7 objectives of the State University System; requiring
8 the Board of Governors to annually require each state
9 university to include certain information in its
10 economic security report; authorizing a Board of
11 Governors regulation to include a post-tenure review
12 of state university faculty at any time, with cause;
13 amending s. 1001.7065, F.S.; requiring each state
14 university to annually report certain research
15 expenditures of a specified amount; creating s.
16 1001.725, F.S.; providing that each state university
17 board of trustees is responsible for hiring full-time
18 faculty; authorizing the board to delegate hiring
19 authority to the president; prohibiting the president
20 from delegating hiring authority except as specified;
21 prohibiting a university from using specified methods
22 in its admissions or personnel processes; requiring
23 each state university board of trustees to confirm
24 specified employee reappointments and contracts;
25 requiring each state university president to annually
26 present specified performance evaluations and salaries
27 to the board of trustees; amending s. 1004.06, F.S.;
28 expanding definition of discrimination; prohibiting
29 specified educational institutions from expending
30 funds to promote specified concepts; providing
31 exceptions; requiring the State Board of Education and
32 the Board of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
33 respectively; amending s. 1004.6496, F.S.; authorizing
34 the Board of Trustees of the University of Florida to
35 use funds to establish and fund the Hamilton College
36 for Classical and Civic Education; revising the goals
37 of the college; providing powers of the college;
38 amending s. 1004.6499, F.S.; renaming the Florida
39 Institute of Politics at the Florida State University
40 as the Florida Institute for Governance and Civics;
41 providing the goals of the institute; amending s.
42 1004.64991, F.S.; authorizing the Adam Smith Center
43 for the Study of Economic Freedom to perform certain
44 tasks in order to carry out its established purpose;
45 amending s. 1007.25, F.S.; revising how general
46 education core courses are established; requiring the
47 Commissioner of Education and Chancellor of the State
48 University System to consider approval of certain
49 courses; requiring faculty committees to review and
50 submit recommendations to the Articulation
51 Coordinating Committee and the commissioner relating
52 to certain courses by a specified date and every 3
53 years thereafter; prohibiting general education core
54 courses from teaching certain topics or presenting
55 information in specified ways; providing requirements
56 for general education core courses; requiring
57 specified educational institutions to offer certain
58 courses; prohibiting public postsecondary educational
59 institutions from requiring students to take certain
60 additional general education core courses; creating s.
61 1007.55, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
62 requiring the Articulation Coordinating Committee to
63 submit an annual report to specified entities relating
64 to courses that have been approved as meeting
65 specified requirements to be used by public
66 postsecondary educational institutions; providing
67 requirements for general education courses; requiring
68 public postsecondary educational institution boards of
69 trustees and presidents to annually review and approve
70 general education requirements; providing a penalty
71 for failing to meet such review and approval
72 requirements; requiring public postsecondary
73 educational institutions to report certain courses to
74 the department; prohibiting public postsecondary
75 educational institutions from requiring students to
76 take certain additional general education courses;
77 requiring the State Board of Education and the Board
78 of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
79 respectively; amending s. 1008.47, F.S.; specifying a
80 one-time limit on the requirement to change
81 accrediting agencies; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.;
82 providing that certain postsecondary fee waivers
83 continue until specified criteria are met; providing
84 an effective date.
85
86 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
87
88 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (5) and
89 paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 1001.706, Florida
90 Statutes, are amended to read:
91 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
92 (5) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO ACCOUNTABILITY.—
93 (a) The Legislature intends that the Board of Governors
94 shall align the missions of each constituent university with the
95 academic success of its students; the existing and emerging
96 economic development needs of the state; the national reputation
97 of its faculty and its academic and research programs; the
98 quantity of externally generated research, patents, and
99 licenses; and the strategic and accountability plans required in
100 paragraphs (b) and (c). The Board of Governors shall
101 periodically review the mission of each constituent university
102 and make updates or revisions as needed. Upon completion of a
103 review of the mission, the board shall review existing academic
104 programs to ensure alignment with the mission. The board shall
105 include in its review direction to each constituent university
106 to examine its programs for any violation of s. 1000.05(4)(a).
107 The mission alignment and strategic plan shall consider peer
108 institutions at the constituent universities. The mission
109 alignment and strategic plan shall acknowledge that universities
110 that have a national and international impact have the greatest
111 capacity to promote the state’s economic development through:
112 new discoveries, patents, licenses, and technologies that
113 generate state businesses of global importance; research
114 achievements through external grants and contracts that are
115 comparable to nationally recognized and ranked universities; the
116 creation of a resource rich academic environment that attracts
117 high-technology business and venture capital to the state; and
118 this generation’s finest minds focusing on solving the state’s
119 economic, social, environmental, and legal problems in the areas
120 of life sciences, water, sustainability, energy, and health
121 care. A nationally recognized and ranked university that has a
122 global perspective and impact shall be afforded the opportunity
123 to enable and protect the university’s competitiveness on the
124 global stage in fair competition with other institutions of
125 other states in the highest Carnegie Classification.
126 (b) The Board of Governors shall develop a strategic plan
127 specifying goals and objectives for the State University System
128 and each constituent university, including each university’s
129 contribution to overall system goals and objectives. The
130 strategic plan must:
131 1. Include performance metrics and standards common for all
132 institutions and metrics and standards unique to institutions
133 depending on institutional core missions, including, but not
134 limited to, student admission requirements, retention,
135 graduation, percentage of graduates who have attained
136 employment, percentage of graduates enrolled in continued
137 education, licensure passage, nondegree credential attainment,
138 average wages of employed graduates, average cost per graduate,
139 excess hours, student loan burden and default rates, faculty
140 awards, total annual research expenditures, patents, licenses
141 and royalties, intellectual property, startup companies, annual
142 giving, endowments, and well-known, highly respected national
143 rankings for institutional and program achievements.
144 2. Consider reports and recommendations of the Florida
145 Talent Development Council under s. 1004.015 and the
146 Articulation Coordinating Committee under s. 1007.01.
147 3. Include student enrollment and performance data
148 delineated by method of instruction, including, but not limited
149 to, traditional, online, and distance learning instruction.
150 4. Include criteria for designating baccalaureate degree
151 and master’s degree programs at specified universities as high
152 demand programs of emphasis. The programs of emphasis list
153 adopted by the Board of Governors before July 1, 2021, shall be
154 used for the 2021-2022 academic year. Beginning in the 2022-2023
155 academic year, the Board of Governors shall adopt the criteria
156 to determine value for and prioritization of degree credentials
157 and degree programs established by the Credentials Review
158 Committee under s. 445.004 for designating high-demand programs
159 of emphasis. The Board of Governors must review designated
160 programs of emphasis, at a minimum, every 3 years to ensure
161 alignment with the prioritization of degree credentials and
162 degree programs identified by the Credentials Review Committee.
163 5. Include criteria for nondegree credentials.
164 (c) The Board of Governors shall develop an accountability
165 plan for the State University System and each constituent
166 university. The accountability plan must address institutional
167 and system achievement of goals and objectives specified in the
168 strategic plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) and must be
169 submitted as part of its legislative budget request. Each
170 university shall submit, as a component of the university’s
171 annual accountability plan:,
172 1. Information on the effectiveness of its plan for
173 improving 4-year graduation rates; and
174 2. The level of financial assistance provided to students
175 pursuant to paragraph (h).
176 (d) Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year and annually
177 thereafter, The Board of Governors shall annually require a
178 state university prior to registration to provide each enrolled
179 student electronic access to the economic security report of
180 employment and earning outcomes prepared by the Department of
181 Economic Opportunity pursuant to s. 445.07. In addition, the
182 Board of Governors shall require a state university to provide
183 each student electronic access to the following information each
184 year prior to registration using the data described in s.
185 1008.39:
186 1. The top 25 percent of degrees reported by the university
187 in terms of highest full-time job placement and highest average
188 annualized earnings in the year after earning the degree.
189 2. The bottom 10 percent of degrees reported by the
190 university in terms of lowest full-time job placement and lowest
191 average annualized earnings in the year after earning the
192 degree.
193 (6) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PERSONNEL.—
194 (b) The Board of Governors may adopt a regulation requiring
195 each tenured state university faculty member to undergo a
196 comprehensive post-tenure review every 5 years. The regulation
197 must include a process and criteria for each university to
198 initiate a post-tenure review of a faculty member at any time,
199 with cause. The board may include other considerations in the
200 regulation, but the regulation must address:
201 1. Accomplishments and productivity;
202 2. Assigned duties in research, teaching, and service;
203 3. Performance metrics, evaluations, and ratings; and
204 4. Recognition and compensation considerations, as well as
205 improvement plans and consequences for underperformance.
206 Section 2. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (2) of
207 section 1001.7065, Florida Statutes, to read:
208 1001.7065 Preeminent state research universities program.—
209 (2) ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE STANDARDS.—The
210 following academic and research excellence standards are
211 established for the preeminent state research universities
212 program and shall be reported annually in the Board of Governors
213 Accountability Plan:
214 (m) Total annual research expenditures of $50 million or
215 more benefiting STEM-related occupations, businesses, or
216 industry partners located in this state and currently employing,
217 or seeking to employ, residents of this state.
218 Section 3. Section 1001.725, Florida Statutes, is created
219 to read:
220 1001.725 University boards of trustees; personnel.—
221 (1) Each university board of trustees is responsible for
222 hiring full-time faculty. The president may provide hiring
223 recommendations to the board. The president and the board are
224 not bound by recommendations or opinions of faculty or other
225 individuals or groups.
226 (a) The board may delegate its hiring authority to the
227 president; however, the president may not delegate hiring
228 authority to anyone outside the executive management team within
229 the president’s office.
230 (b) A university is prohibited from using diversity,
231 equity, and inclusion statements, critical race theory, or other
232 forms of political identity filters that violate s.
233 1000.05(4)(a) in any university admissions, hiring, promotion,
234 tenure, or evaluation process.
235 (2) Each university board of trustees shall confirm its
236 president’s selection and reappointment of the university’s
237 executive management team members and their respective contracts
238 and annual salaries, in accordance with the university’s
239 personnel program established by the Board of Governors.
240 Contracts and responsibilities of the president and executive
241 team members, including, but not limited to, provost positions,
242 must explicitly delineate that the duties of positions, other
243 than the president, are limited to administrative oversight and
244 operational supervision of curricular, instructional, and
245 research affairs, as applicable to the position.
246 (3) Each university president shall annually present to his
247 or her board of trustees for review the results of performance
248 evaluations and associated salaries of all evaluated personnel
249 earning an annual compensation of $200,000 or more, regardless
250 of fund source.
251 Section 4. Section 1004.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to
252 read:
253 1004.06 Prohibited expenditures.—
254 (1) No Florida College System institution, state
255 university, Florida College System institution direct-support
256 organization, or state university direct-support organization
257 shall expend any funds, regardless of source, to purchase
258 membership in, or goods and services from, any organization that
259 discriminates on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,
260 disability gender, or religion.
261 (2)(a) No Florida College System institution, state
262 university, Florida College System institution direct-support
263 organization, or state university direct-support organization
264 may expend any funds, regardless of source, to promote, support,
265 or maintain any programs or campus activities that violate s.
266 1000.05(4)(a).
267 (b) Programs required for compliance with federal
268 regulations, or access programs for military veterans, Pell
269 Grant recipients, first generation college students,
270 nontraditional students, “2+2” transfer students from the
271 Florida College System, students from low-income families, or
272 students with unique abilities, are not prohibited by this
273 subsection.
274 (3) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
275 shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
276 this section.
277 Section 5. Section 1004.6496, Florida Statutes, is amended
278 to read:
279 1004.6496 Hamilton College Center for Classical and Civic
280 Education.—
281 (1) By July 1, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the
282 University of Florida may use funds as provided in the General
283 Appropriations Act and charitable donations to establish and
284 fund the Hamilton College Center for Classical and Civic
285 Education as an academic unit within the University of Florida.
286 The purpose of the college center is to support teaching and
287 research concerning the ideas, traditions, and texts that form
288 the foundations of Western and American civilization.
289 (2) The goals of the college center are to:
290 (a) Educate university students in core texts and great
291 debates of Western civilization and the Great Books.
292 (b) Educate university students in the principles, ideals,
293 and institutions of the American political order.
294 (c) Educate university students in the foundations of
295 responsible leadership and informed citizenship.
296 (d) Provide programming and training related to civic
297 education and the values of open inquiry and civil discourse to
298 support the K-20 system.
299 (e) Coordinate with the Florida Institute for Governance
300 and Civics of Politics created pursuant to s. 1004.6499 and the
301 Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic Freedom created
302 pursuant to s. 1004.64991 and assist in the curation and
303 implementation of Portraits in Patriotism created pursuant to s.
304 1003.44.
305 (3) In order to carry out the purposes set forth in
306 subsection (2), the college is authorized to:
307 (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
308 1001.725;
309 (b) Enroll students;
310 (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
311 honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
312 (d) Award degrees;
313 (e) Hold events, including fundraisers;
314 (f) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
315 university; and
316 (g) Generate resources based on student credit hour
317 enrollment, in the same manner as any other college within the
318 institution.
319 (4) The president of the university may hire a dean for the
320 college, subject to the approval of the board of trustees.
321 (a) If at any time the position of dean becomes vacant, the
322 president of the university may appoint a faculty member of the
323 college to serve as the acting dean. The president of the
324 university may remove the dean in accordance with the policies
325 and procedures established at the university.
326 (b) The dean of the college must report directly to the
327 president of the university.
328 (c) The dean of the college has the same delegated
329 authority, in the same manner, as any other dean at the
330 university.
331 (5) Faculty of the college may be awarded tenure subject to
332 the tenure policies of the university.
333 (6) Funds appropriated specifically to the college may not
334 be used for any other purpose at the university; however, the
335 university can provide additional funding as available to the
336 college.
337 Section 6. Section 1004.6499, Florida Statutes, is amended
338 to read:
339 1004.6499 Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
340 Politics.—
341 (1) The Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
342 Politics is established at the Florida State University within
343 the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The purpose of
344 the institute is to provide the southeastern region of the
345 United States with a world class, bipartisan, nationally
346 renowned institute of politics.
347 (2) The goals of the institute are to:
348 (a) Provide students with access to an interdisciplinary
349 hub that will develop academically rigorous scholarship and
350 coursework on the origins of the American system of government,
351 its foundational documents, its subsequent political traditions
352 and evolutions, and its impact on comparative political systems
353 Motivate students throughout the Florida State University to
354 become aware of the significance of government and civic
355 engagement at all levels and politics in general.
356 (b) Encourage civic literacy in this state through the
357 development of educational tools and resources for K-12 and
358 postsecondary students which foster an understanding of how
359 individual rights, constitutionalism, separation of powers, and
360 federalism function within the American system Provide students
361 with an opportunity to be politically active and civically
362 engaged.
363 (c) Model civic discourse that recognizes the importance of
364 viewpoint diversity, intellectual rigor, and an evidence-based
365 approach to history Nurture a greater awareness of and passion
366 for public service and politics.
367 (d) Plan and host forums to allow students and guests to
368 hear from exceptional individuals who have excelled in a wide
369 range of sectors of American life, to highlight the
370 possibilities created by individual achievement and
371 entrepreneurial vision and interact with experts from
372 government, politics, policy, and journalism on a frequent
373 basis.
374 (e) Become a national and state resource on using polling
375 instruments and other assessments to measure civic literacy and
376 make recommendations for improving civic education information
377 and survey methodology.
378 (f) Provide fellowships and internship opportunities to
379 students in government, nonprofit organizations, and community
380 organizations.
381 (g) Create through scholarship, original research,
382 publications, symposia, testimonials, and other means a body of
383 resources that can be accessed by students, scholars, and
384 government officials to understand the innovations in public
385 policy in this state over a rolling 30-year time period Provide
386 training sessions for newly elected state and local public
387 officials.
388 (h) Organize and sponsor conferences, symposia, and
389 workshops throughout this state to educate and inform citizens,
390 elected officials, and appointed policymakers regarding
391 effective policymaking techniques and processes.
392 (i) Create and promote research and awareness regarding
393 politics, citizen involvement, and public service.
394 (j) Collaborate with related policy institutes and research
395 activities at the Florida State University and other
396 institutions of higher education to motivate, increase, and
397 sustain citizen involvement in public affairs.
398 Section 7. Subsection (3) is added to section 1004.64991,
399 Florida Statutes, to read:
400 1004.64991 The Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic
401 Freedom.—
402 (3) In order to carry out the purpose set forth in this
403 section, the institute is authorized to:
404 (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
405 1001.725;
406 (b) Enroll students;
407 (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
408 honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
409 (d) Award degrees;
410 (e) Hold events, including fundraisers;
411 (f) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
412 university; and
413 (g) Generate resources based on student credit hour
414 enrollment, in the same manner as any other college within the
415 institution.
416 Section 8. Subsection (3) of section 1007.25, Florida
417 Statutes, is amended to read:
418 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
419 other degree requirements.—
420 (3) The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair
421 of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall jointly
422 appoint faculty committees to review and recommend to the
423 Articulation Coordinating Committee for approval by the
424 Commissioner of Education and Chancellor of the State University
425 System identify statewide general education core course options
426 for inclusion in the statewide course numbering system
427 established under s. 1007.24. Faculty committees shall, by
428 December 1, 2023, and by December 1 every 3 years thereafter,
429 review and submit recommendations to the Articulation
430 Coordinating Committee and the commissioner for the removal,
431 alignment, realignment, or addition of general education core
432 courses that satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
433 (a) General education core course options shall consist of
434 a maximum of five courses within each of the subject areas of
435 communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and
436 natural sciences. The core courses may be revised, or the five
437 course maximum within each subject area may be exceeded, if
438 approved by the State Board of Education and the Board of
439 Governors, as recommended by the subject area faculty committee
440 and approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee as
441 necessary for a subject area.
442 (b) Each general education core course option must contain
443 high-level academic and critical thinking skills and common
444 competencies that students must demonstrate to successfully
445 complete the course.
446 (c) General education core courses may not distort
447 significant historical events or include a curriculum that
448 teaches identity politics, violates s. 1000.05(4)(a), or defines
449 American history as contrary to the creation of a new nation
450 based on universal principles stated in the Declaration of
451 Independence.
452 (d) General education core courses must meet the following
453 standards:
454 1. Communication courses must afford students the ability
455 to communicate effectively, including the ability to write
456 clearly and engage in public speaking.
457 2. Humanities courses must afford students the ability to
458 think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned
459 with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music,
460 and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western
461 canon.
462 3. Social science courses must afford students an
463 understanding of the basic social and behavioral science
464 concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and
465 past and present social, political, and economic issues.
466 4. Natural science courses must afford students the ability
467 to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the
468 scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific
469 method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.
470 5. Mathematics courses must afford students a mastery of
471 foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by
472 applying such models and methods in problem solving.
473 (e) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida
474 College System institution or state university in 2015-2016 and
475 thereafter, each student must complete at least one identified
476 core course in each subject area as part of the general
477 education course requirements. Beginning in the 2022-2023
478 academic year and thereafter, students entering a technical
479 degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13) must
480 complete at least one identified core course in each subject
481 area as part of the general education course requirements before
482 a degree is awarded.
483 (f) All public postsecondary educational institutions shall
484 offer at least one general education core course in each of the
485 identified subject areas and accept these courses as meeting
486 general education core course requirements upon transfer,
487 regardless of whether the receiving institution offers the
488 identical general education core courses. The remaining general
489 education course requirements shall be identified by each
490 institution as approved in accordance with this section and
491 listed in the statewide course numbering system and reported to
492 the department by their statewide course number.
493 (g) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
494 require a student to complete an additional course to meet a
495 subject area distribution requirement that was completed by the
496 student with a course that has since been removed as a general
497 education core course.
498 (h) The general education core course options shall be
499 adopted in rule by the State Board of Education and in
500 regulation by the Board of Governors.
501 Section 9. Section 1007.55, Florida Statutes, is created to
502 read:
503 1007.55 General education course principles, standards, and
504 content.—
505 (1) The Legislature finds it necessary to ensure that every
506 undergraduate student of a Florida public postsecondary
507 educational institution graduates as an informed citizen through
508 participation in rigorous general education courses that promote
509 and preserve the constitutional republic through traditional,
510 historically accurate, and high-quality coursework. Courses with
511 a curriculum based on unproven, speculative, or exploratory
512 content are best suited as elective or specific program
513 prerequisite credit, not general education credit.
514 (2) In performing its duties under ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25,
515 by July 1, 2024, and each July 1 thereafter, the Articulation
516 Coordinating Committee shall submit to the State Board of
517 Education and the Board of Governors courses that have been
518 approved to be used by public postsecondary educational
519 institutions as meeting the additional general education
520 requirements.
521 (3) General education courses must meet the following
522 criteria:
523 (a) Be in the general education core subject areas and meet
524 the course standards as provided in s. 1007.25;
525 (b) Be offered by at least half of all public postsecondary
526 educational institutions;
527 (c) Be identified as lower level in the statewide course
528 numbering system; and
529 (d) Whenever applicable, provide instruction on the
530 historical background and philosophical foundation of Western
531 civilization and this nation’s historical documents, such as the
532 Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the
533 Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, and the Federalist
534 Papers.
535 (4) If a course is approved as a general education course,
536 that course must be accepted as a general education course, in
537 the same subject area and regardless of whether it is offered by
538 the institution, by all public postsecondary educational
539 institutions.
540 (5) Public postsecondary educational institution boards of
541 trustees and presidents are responsible for annually reviewing
542 and approving, at a public meeting, general education course
543 requirements, as authorized and approved in accordance with ss.
544 1007.24 and 1007.25 and this section, at their respective
545 institutions. Public postsecondary educational institutions that
546 fail to comply with the requirements of this section are not
547 eligible to receive performance-based funding pursuant to ss.
548 1001.66 and 1001.92.
549 (6) Public postsecondary educational institutions must
550 report courses meeting institutional general education subject
551 requirements to the department by their statewide course number.
552 (7) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
553 require a student to take an additional course to meet a subject
554 area distribution requirement that was completed by the student
555 with a course that has since been removed as a general education
556 course.
557 (8) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
558 shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
559 this section.
560 Section 10. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
561 1008.47, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
562 1008.47 Postsecondary education institution accreditation.—
563 (2) ACCREDITATION.—
564 (a) By September 1, 2022, the Board of Governors or the
565 State Board of Education, as applicable, shall identify and
566 determine the accrediting agencies or associations best suited
567 to serve as an accreditor for public postsecondary institutions.
568 Such accrediting agencies or associations must be recognized by
569 the database created and maintained by the United States
570 Department of Education. A public postsecondary institution may
571 not be accredited by the same accrediting agency or association
572 for consecutive accreditation cycles. In the year following
573 reaffirmation or fifth-year review by its accrediting agencies
574 or associations, each public postsecondary institution must seek
575 and obtain accreditation from an accrediting agency or
576 association identified by the Board of Governors or State Board
577 of Education, respectively, before its next reaffirmation or
578 fifth-year review date. The requirements in this section are
579 limited to a one-time change in accreditation. The requirements
580 of this subsection are not applicable to those professional,
581 graduate, departmental, or certificate programs at public
582 postsecondary institutions that have specific accreditation
583 requirements or best practices, including, but not limited to,
584 law, pharmacy, engineering, or other similarly situated
585 educational programs.
586 Section 11. Paragraph (b) of subsection (18) of section
587 1009.26, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
588 1009.26 Fee Waivers.—
589 (18)
590 (b) A waiver granted under this subsection is applicable
591 only for upper-level courses and up to 110 percent of the number
592 of required credit hours of the baccalaureate degree program for
593 which the student is enrolled. A student granted a waiver under
594 this subsection shall continue receiving the waiver until the
595 student graduates, exceeds the number of allowable credit hours,
596 or withdraws from an eligible program, regardless of whether the
597 program is removed from the approved list of eligible programs
598 subsequent to the student’s enrollment.
599 Section 12. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
