Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1654
By Senator Ingoglia
11-00855A-23 20231654__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s. 1007.2616,
3 F.S.; requiring high schools to offer certain computer
4 science courses; requiring such courses to satisfy
5 specified instruction requirements; requiring Florida
6 College System institutions and state universities to
7 recognize credits from such courses as foreign
8 language credits; requiring such courses to be
9 included in the Course Code Directory; amending s.
10 1009.53, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
11 by the act; requiring the Department of Education to
12 include specified information in an annual
13 notification to certain individuals; amending s.
14 1009.532, F.S.; beginning in a specified academic
15 year, authorizing students who earn a Florida Gold
16 Seal Vocational Scholars award to enroll in certain
17 programs; amending s. 1009.533, F.S.; providing that
18 entities that operate apprenticeship programs are
19 considered a postsecondary education institution
20 eligible for participation in the program; amending
21 ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535, F.S.; authorizing students
22 to use a combination of volunteer service hours and
23 paid work hours to meet certain program eligibility
24 requirements; providing that paid work hours completed
25 on or after a specified date shall be used to meet
26 certain program eligibility requirements; amending s.
27 1009.536, F.S.; authorizing the department to identify
28 aptitude tests students may use to demonstrate
29 readiness for postsecondary education for specified
30 purposes; authorizing students to use a combination of
31 volunteer service hours and paid work hours to meet
32 certain program eligibility requirements; providing
33 that paid work hours completed on or after a specified
34 date shall be used to meet certain program eligibility
35 requirements; authorizing students who earn a Florida
36 Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award to enroll in
37 certain programs; providing an effective date.
38
39 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
40
41 Section 1. Present subsections (7) and (8) of section
42 1007.2616, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (8)
43 and (9), respectively, and a new subsection (7) is added to that
44 section, to read:
45 1007.2616 Computer science and technology instruction.—
46 (7) High schools must provide students opportunities to
47 take computer science courses of sufficient rigor, as identified
48 by the commissioner, such that two credits in such courses and
49 the earning of a related industry certification or technical
50 certificate satisfies two credits of sequential foreign language
51 instruction. Florida College System institutions and state
52 universities must recognize the credits as foreign language
53 credits. Computer science courses identified by the commissioner
54 and computer science courses taken to earn the related industry
55 certification or technical certificate shall be included in the
56 Course Code Directory.
57 Section 2. Subsections (1), (3), and (6) of section
58 1009.53, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
59 1009.53 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.—
60 (1) The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program is
61 created to establish a lottery-funded scholarship program to
62 reward any Florida high school graduate who merits recognition
63 of high academic achievement and who enrolls in a degree
64 program, certificate program, or applied technology program, or
65 apprenticeship program, as defined in s. 446.021(6), at an
66 eligible Florida public or private postsecondary education
67 institution.
68 (3) The Department of Education shall administer the Bright
69 Futures Scholarship Program according to rules and procedures
70 established by the State Board of Education. A single
71 application must be sufficient for a student to apply for any of
72 the awards. The department shall advertise the availability of
73 the scholarship program and shall notify students, teachers,
74 parents, certified school counselors, and principals or other
75 relevant school administrators of the criteria and application
76 procedures. The notification must also include a list of
77 approved apprenticeship programs, eligible postsecondary
78 educational institutions, high-demand jobs and critical skill
79 sets in the state, and a wage breakdown of jobs in the state.
80 The department must begin this process of notification no later
81 than January 1 of each year beginning with a student’s freshman
82 year.
83 (6) A student enrolled in 6 to 8 semester credit hours or
84 the equivalent clock hours may receive up to one-half of the
85 maximum award; a student enrolled in 9 to 11 credit hours or the
86 equivalent clock hours may receive up to three-fourths of the
87 maximum award; and a student enrolled in 12 or more credit hours
88 or the equivalent clock hours may receive up to the full award.
89 Section 3. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1),
90 subsection (2), and paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
91 1009.532, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
92 1009.532 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
93 student eligibility requirements for renewal awards.—
94 (1) To be eligible to renew a scholarship from any of the
95 scholarships under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
96 Program, a student must:
97 (a) Effective for students funded in the 2009-2010 academic
98 year and thereafter, earn at least 24 semester credit hours or
99 the equivalent clock hours in the last academic year in which
100 the student earned a scholarship if the student was enrolled
101 full time, or a prorated number of credit hours or clock hours
102 as determined by the Department of Education if the student was
103 enrolled less than full time for any part of the academic year.
104 (b) Maintain the cumulative grade point average or the
105 equivalent required by the scholarship program, except that:
106 1. If a recipient’s grades fall beneath the average
107 required to renew a Florida Academic Scholarship, but are
108 sufficient to renew a Florida Medallion Scholarship, a Florida
109 Gold Seal CAPE Scholarship, or a Florida Gold Seal Vocational
110 Scholarship, the Department of Education may grant a renewal
111 from one of those other scholarship programs, if the student
112 meets the renewal eligibility requirements; or
113 2. For students initially eligible in the 2010-2011
114 academic term and thereafter, if at any time during a student’s
115 first academic year the student’s grades or the equivalent are
116 insufficient to renew the scholarship, the student may restore
117 eligibility by improving the grade point average or the
118 equivalent to the required level. A student is eligible for such
119 a restoration one time. The Legislature encourages education
120 institutions to assist students to calculate whether or not it
121 is possible to raise the grade point average or the equivalent
122 during the summer term. If the education institution determines
123 that it is possible, the institution may so inform the
124 department, which may reserve the student’s award if funds are
125 available. The renewal, however, must not be granted until the
126 student achieves the required cumulative grade point average or
127 the equivalent. If the summer term is not sufficient to raise
128 the grade point average or the equivalent to the required
129 renewal level, the student’s next opportunity for renewal is the
130 fall semester of the following academic year.
131 (2) For students initially eligible in the 2010-2011
132 academic term and thereafter, and unless otherwise provided in
133 this section, if a student does not meet the requirements for
134 renewal of a scholarship because of lack of completion of
135 sufficient credit hours or insufficient grades or the
136 equivalent, the scholarship shall be renewed only if the student
137 failed to complete sufficient credit hours or to meet sufficient
138 grade requirements or the equivalent due to verifiable illness
139 or other documented emergency, in which case the student may be
140 granted an exception from academic requirements pursuant to s.
141 1009.40(1)(b)4.
142 (3)(a) A student who is initially eligible in the 2023-2024
143 2012-2013 academic year and thereafter may receive an award for
144 a maximum of 100 percent of the number of credit hours required
145 to complete an associate degree program, a baccalaureate degree
146 program, or a postsecondary career certificate program or, for a
147 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, may receive an
148 award for a maximum of 100 percent of the number of credit hours
149 or equivalent clock hours required to complete one of the
150 following at a Florida public or nonpublic education institution
151 that offers these specific programs: for an applied technology
152 diploma program as defined in s. 1004.02(7), up to 60 credit
153 hours or equivalent clock hours; for a technical degree
154 education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13), up to the number
155 of hours required for a specific degree not to exceed 72 credit
156 hours or equivalent clock hours; or for a career certificate
157 program as defined in s. 1004.02(20), up to the number of hours
158 required for a specific certificate not to exceed 72 credit
159 hours or equivalent clock hours; for an industry certification,
160 up to the number of hours required for a specific certificate
161 not to exceed 36 credit hours or equivalent clock hours; for a
162 technical certificate, up to the number of hours required for a
163 specific certificate not to exceed 15 credit hours or equivalent
164 clock hours; for an applied technology diploma, up to the number
165 of hours required for a specific diploma not to exceed 50 credit
166 hours or equivalent clock hours; for a career and technical
167 certificate, up to the number of hours required for a specific
168 certificate not to exceed 19 credit hours or equivalent clock
169 hours; or for an apprenticeship program, as defined in s.
170 446.021(6), up to the number of credit hours or equivalent clock
171 hours required for a registered apprenticeship certificate of
172 completion if the student is not exempt from paying tuition and
173 fees, including lab fees, under s. 1009.25, and 100 percent of
174 the tools, books, and materials necessary to complete the
175 apprenticeship program not to exceed $2,000. A student who
176 transfers from one of these program levels to another program
177 level becomes eligible for the higher of the two credit hour
178 limits.
179 Section 4. Subsection (6) is added to section 1009.533,
180 Florida Statutes, to read:
181 1009.533 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
182 eligible postsecondary education institutions.—A student is
183 eligible for an award or the renewal of an award from the
184 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program if the student meets
185 the requirements for the program as described in this act and is
186 enrolled in a postsecondary education institution that meets the
187 description in any one of the following subsections:
188 (6) An entity that operates an apprenticeship program, as
189 defined in s. 446.021(6).
190 Section 5. Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
191 Statutes, is amended to read:
192 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
193 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
194 award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
195 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
196 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
197 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
198 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
199 Education as college-preparatory academic courses and has
200 attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(a) on
201 the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
202 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
203 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
204 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
205 (b) Has attended a home education program according to s.
206 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12, has completed the International
207 Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the International
208 Baccalaureate Diploma, or has completed the Advanced
209 International Certificate of Education curriculum but failed to
210 earn the Advanced International Certificate of Education
211 Diploma, and has attained at least the score required under s.
212 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of
213 the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
214 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
215 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
216 Assessment Program;
217 (c) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma
218 from the International Baccalaureate Office or an Advanced
219 International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
220 University of Cambridge International Examinations Office;
221 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
222 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
223 scholar or finalist; or
224 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
225 Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
226
227 The student must complete a program of volunteer service or,
228 beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022-2023
229 academic year and thereafter, paid work, as approved by the
230 district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic school,
231 or the Department of Education for home education program
232 students, which must include 100 hours of volunteer service, or
233 paid work, or a combination of both. Eligible paid work
234 completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be included in the
235 student’s total of paid work hours. The student may identify a
236 social or civic issue or a professional area that interests him
237 or her and develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in
238 addressing the issue or learning about the area. The student
239 must, through papers or other presentations, evaluate and
240 reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid work
241 experience. Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but
242 is not limited to, a business or governmental internship, work
243 for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on
244 behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer
245 service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the
246 document must be signed by the student, the student’s parent or
247 guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the
248 student performed the volunteer service or paid work.
249 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida
250 Statutes, is amended to read:
251 1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
252 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
253 award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
254 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
255 (a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as
256 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high
257 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
258 Education as college-preparatory academic courses and has
259 attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on
260 the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
261 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
262 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
263 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
264 (b) Has completed the International Baccalaureate
265 curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate
266 Diploma or has completed the Advanced International Certificate
267 of Education curriculum but failed to earn the Advanced
268 International Certificate of Education Diploma, and has attained
269 at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the
270 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
271 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
272 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
273 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
274 (c) Has attended a home education program according to s.
275 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 and has attained at least the
276 score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal
277 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
278 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
279 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
280 equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
281 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement program
282 of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a scholar or
283 finalist but has not completed the program of volunteer service
284 or paid work required under s. 1009.534; or
285 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
286 Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed the
287 program of volunteer service or paid work required under s.
288 1009.534.
289
290 A high school student must complete a program at least 75 hours
291 of volunteer service or, beginning with a high school student
292 graduating in the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, 100
293 hours of paid work approved by the district school board, the
294 administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of
295 Education for home education program students, which must
296 include 75 hours of volunteer service, 100 hours of paid work,
297 or 100 hours of a combination of both. Eligible paid work
298 completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be included in a
299 student’s total of required paid work hours. The student may
300 identify a social or civic issue or a professional area that
301 interests him or her and develop a plan for his or her personal
302 involvement in addressing the issue or learning about the area.
303 The student must, through papers or other presentations,
304 evaluate and reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid
305 work experience. Such volunteer service or paid work may
306 include, but is not limited to, a business or governmental
307 internship, work for a nonprofit community service organization,
308 or activities on behalf of a candidate for public office. The
309 hours of volunteer service or paid work must be documented in
310 writing, and the document must be signed by the student, the
311 student’s parent or guardian, and a representative of the
312 organization for which the student performed the volunteer
313 service or paid work.
314 Section 7. Paragraphs (b) and (e) of subsection (1),
315 paragraph (b) of subsection (2), and paragraph (a) of subsection
316 (5) of section 1009.536, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
317 1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars and Florida
318 Gold Seal CAPE Scholars awards.—The Florida Gold Seal Vocational
319 Scholars award and the Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award are
320 created within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to
321 recognize and reward academic achievement and career preparation
322 by high school students who wish to continue their education.
323 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal
324 Vocational Scholars award if he or she meets the general
325 eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures
326 Scholarship Program and:
327 (b) Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education by
328 earning a passing score on:
329 1. The Florida College Entry Level Placement Test or its
330 equivalent as identified by the Department of Education; or
331 2. Other aptitude tests identified by the department,
332 including, but not limited to, the Armed Services Vocational
333 Aptitude Battery and ACT WorkKeys Assessments.
334 (e) Completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service or,
335 beginning with high school students graduating in the 2022-2023
336 academic year and thereafter, 100 hours of paid work, approved
337 by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
338 school, or the Department of Education for home education
339 program students, or 100 hours of a combination of both.
340 Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be
341 included in a student’s total of required paid work hours. The
342 student may identify a social or civic issue or a professional
343 area that interests him or her and develop a plan for his or her
344 personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about
345 the area. The student must, through papers or other
346 presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her volunteer
347 service or paid work experience. Such volunteer service or paid
348 work may include, but is not limited to, a business or
349 governmental internship, work for a nonprofit community service
350 organization, or activities on behalf of a candidate for public
351 office. The hours of volunteer service or paid work must be
352 documented in writing, and the document must be signed by the
353 student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative
354 of the organization for which the student performed the
355 volunteer service or paid work.
356 (2) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal CAPE
357 Scholars award if he or she meets the general eligibility
358 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program,
359 and the student:
360 (b) Completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service or,
361 beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022-2023
362 academic year and thereafter, 100 hours of paid work, approved
363 by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
364 school, or the Department of Education for home education
365 program students, or 100 hours of a combination of both.
366 Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be
367 included in a student’s total required paid work hours. The
368 student may identify a social or civic issue or a professional
369 area that interests him or her and develop a plan for his or her
370 personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about
371 the area. The student must, through papers or other
372 presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her experience.
373 Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but is not
374 limited to, a business or governmental internship, work for a
375 nonprofit community service organization, or activities on
376 behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer
377 service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the
378 document must be signed by the student, the student’s parent or
379 guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the
380 student performed the volunteer service or paid work.
381 (5)(a) A student who is initially eligible in the 2023-2024
382 2012-2013 academic year and thereafter may earn a Florida Gold
383 Seal Vocational Scholarship for a maximum of 100 percent of the
384 number of credit hours or equivalent clock hours required to
385 complete one of the following at a Florida public or nonpublic
386 education institution that offers these specific programs: for
387 an applied technology diploma program as defined in s.
388 1004.02(7), up to 60 credit hours or equivalent clock hours; for
389 a technical degree education program as defined in s.
390 1004.02(13), up to the number of hours required for a specific
391 degree not to exceed 72 credit hours or equivalent clock hours;
392 or for a career certificate program as defined in s.
393 1004.02(20), up to the number of hours required for a specific
394 certificate not to exceed 72 credit hours or equivalent clock
395 hours; for an industry certification, up to the number of hours
396 required for a specific certificate not to exceed 36 credit
397 hours or equivalent clock hours; for a technical certificate, up
398 to the number of hours required for a specific certificate not
399 to exceed 15 credit hours or equivalent clock hours; for an
400 applied technology diploma, up to the number of hours required
401 for a specific diploma not to exceed 50 credit hours or
402 equivalent clock hours; for a career and technical certificate,
403 up to the number of hours required for a specific certificate
404 not to exceed 19 credit hours or equivalent clock hours; or for
405 an apprenticeship program, as defined in s. 446.021(6), up to
406 the number of credit hours or equivalent clock hours required
407 for a registered apprenticeship certificate of completion if the
408 student is not exempt from paying tuition and fees, including
409 lab fees, under s. 1009.25, and 100 percent of the tools, books,
410 and materials necessary to complete the apprenticeship program
411 not to exceed $2,000.
412 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.