Bill Text: FL S2042 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: College and Career Transition Assistance Act [SPSC]

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Finance and Tax [S2042 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S2042-Introduced.html

---

 
Florida Senate - 2010                                    SB 2042 
 
By Senator Wise 
5-01036-10                                            20102042__ 
1                        A bill to be entitled 
2         An act relating to the College and Career Transition 
3         Assistance Act; providing a short title; providing 
4         definitions; providing legislative findings and 
5         intent; establishing a school-to-work program to be 
6         operated in any school, Department of Juvenile Justice 
7         facility, or charter school; providing requirements 
8         for participation in the program; creating an 
9         endowment fund within the Florida Endowment Foundation 
10         for Florida’s Graduates; providing for the investment 
11         and deposit of funds in the foundation’s operating 
12         account; creating the Florida Endowment Foundation for 
13         Florida’s Graduates as a direct-support organization; 
14         establishing a board of directors to administer the 
15         foundation; providing for membership; providing for ex 
16         officio members of the board; providing terms; 
17         providing powers and duties; providing for the 
18         distribution of earnings on the endowment fund 
19         principal; requiring an annual audit report; requiring 
20         that the board submit a report to the Governor, the 
21         Legislature, and the Commissioner of Education; 
22         requiring that the Department of Education adopt 
23         rules; providing an effective date. 
24 
25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
26 
27         Section 1. College and Career Transition Assistance Act.— 
28         (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “College 
29  and Career Transition Assistance Act.” 
30         (2) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, the 
31  term: 
32         (a) “Board” means the board of directors of the Florida 
33  Endowment Foundation for Florida’s Graduates. 
34         (b) “Department” means the Department of Education. 
35         (c) “Endowment fund” means an account established within 
36  the Florida Endowment Foundation for Florida’s Graduates to 
37  provide a continuing and growing source of revenue for efforts 
38  relating to the transition from school to work. 
39         (d) “Foundation” means the Florida Endowment Foundation for 
40  Florida’s Graduates. 
41         (e) “Operating account” means an account established under 
42  paragraph (8)(h) in order to carry out the purposes provided in 
43  this section. 
44         (3) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds 
45  that it is in the best interest of the state to have a well 
46  educated and skilled workforce in order to be competitive in a 
47  changing economy. It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure 
48  a skilled workforce by creating a formal program that 
49  facilitates the important transition from school to work and 
50  provide additional funding to achieve this goal. Therefore, the 
51  Legislature finds that it is: 
52         (a) Important to increase each student’s understanding of 
53  postsecondary educational opportunities and career and work 
54  readiness skills. 
55         (b) Appropriate to encourage individual and corporate 
56  support and involvement, as well as state support and 
57  involvement, to promote employment opportunities for Florida’s 
58  students. 
59         (4) SCHOOL-TO-WORK PROGRAMS.—Except as otherwise provided 
60  by law or by department rule, there is established a school-to 
61  work program that shall be operated according to the process and 
62  outcome standards of the department’s initiatives. 
63         (a) A school-to-work program may be operated in any school 
64  district, Department of Juvenile Justice facility, or charter 
65  school. 
66         (b) Participating organizations must be demographically 
67  balanced to include urban and rural schools and be comprised of 
68  schools in all geographic areas of the state. Each school that 
69  is selected to participate in a school-to-work program shall 
70  enter into a formal written agreement with the State Board of 
71  Education which, at a minimum, details the responsibilities of 
72  each party and the process and goals of the program. 
73         (c) Each participating school, Department of Juvenile 
74  Justice facility, or charter school shall select and approve 
75  each student for participation in the school-to-work program 
76  based on a student’s classification as an at-risk student. 
77         (5) REVENUE FOR THE ENDOWMENT FUND.— 
78         (a) An endowment fund is created as a long-term, stable, 
79  and growing source of revenue which shall be administered by the 
80  foundation pursuant to rules adopted by the department. 
81         (b) The principal of the endowment fund shall consist of 
82  legislative appropriations and bequests, gifts, grants, or 
83  donations solicited from public or private sources by the 
84  foundation. 
85         (c) The foundation shall invest and reinvest moneys from 
86  the principal of the endowment fund pursuant to ss. 215.44 
87  215.53, Florida Statutes. Interest and investment income earned 
88  from moneys in the endowment fund shall be annually transmitted 
89  to the foundation, based upon a fiscal year beginning July 1 and 
90  ending June 30, and shall be deposited in the foundation’s 
91  operating account for distribution as provided in this section. 
92         (6) THE FLORIDA ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION FOR FLORIDA’S 
93  GRADUATES.— 
94         (a) The Florida Endowment Foundation for Florida’s 
95  Graduates is created as a direct-support organization within the 
96  Department of Education to encourage public and private support 
97  and enhance the transition of students from school to work. As a 
98  direct-support organization, the foundation shall operate under 
99  contract with the department and shall be: 
100         1. A Florida corporation, not for profit, incorporated 
101  under chapter 617, Florida Statutes, and approved by the 
102  Department of State. 
103         2. Organized and operated exclusively to raise funds; 
104  submit requests and receive grants from the Federal Government, 
105  the state, private foundations, and individuals; receive, hold, 
106  and administer property; and make expenditures to or for the 
107  benefit of school-to-work transition programs approved by the 
108  board of directors of the foundation. 
109         (b) As a direct-support organization, the foundation shall: 
110         1. Maintain articles of incorporation. 
111         2. Maintain a board of directors recommended by the 
112  Commissioner of Education and appointed by the Governor. 
113         3. Maintain an external annual audit. 
114         4. Provide a mechanism for the reversion to the state of 
115  moneys in the foundation and in any other funds and accounts 
116  held in trust by the foundation if the foundation is dissolved. 
117         (7) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—The foundation shall be 
118  administered by a board of directors, as follows: 
119         (a) The board shall consist of 15 members, at least 9 of 
120  whom must be from the private sector. The remaining members may 
121  be from the public sector and must include representatives from 
122  secondary education, vocational education, and job-training 
123  programs. The chair may be from the private sector or the public 
124  sector. 
125         (b) Each member shall have an interest in the transition of 
126  students from school to work and, if practicable, shall have: 
127         1. Skills relating to work in a foundation or fundraising 
128  activities, financial consulting, investment banking, or other 
129  related experience; or 
130         2. Experience in policymaking or executive-level positions 
131  or have distinguished themselves in the fields of education, 
132  business, or industry. 
133         (c) The Governor, the Commissioner of Education, the 
134  director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the Secretary 
135  of Juvenile Justice, the Secretary of Children and Family 
136  Services, and the chairs of the legislative education 
137  appropriations committees shall be ex officio members of board. 
138         1. The chair shall be appointed for a term of 2 years and 
139  may be reappointed. However, a chair may not serve more than 6 
140  consecutive years. 
141         2. Board members shall be appointed to serve 3-year terms 
142  or until resignation or removal for cause, except that members 
143  appointed to serve initial terms shall be appointed to staggered 
144  terms of 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. 
145         (d) A new member shall be appointed if a vacancy occurs on 
146  the board because of an occurrence other than the expiration of 
147  a term. 
148         (e) Each member is accountable to the Commissioner of 
149  Education for the proper performance of his or her duties. The 
150  commissioner may remove any member from office for malfeasance, 
151  misfeasance, neglect of duty, incompetence, or the permanent 
152  inability to perform official duties or for pleading nolo 
153  contendere to, or being found guilty of, a crime. 
154         (8) ORGANIZATION, POWERS, AND DUTIES.—Within the limits 
155  prescribed in this section or by department rule: 
156         (a) Upon appointment of its members, the board shall meet 
157  and organize. Thereafter, the board shall hold such meetings as 
158  are necessary to administer this section and shall conduct its 
159  business in accordance with rules adopted by the department. 
160         (b) The board may solicit and receive bequests, gifts, 
161  grants, donations, goods, and services. Any gift that is 
162  restricted as to its purpose may be used only for the purpose or 
163  purposes stated by the donor. 
164         (c) The board may enter into contracts with the Federal 
165  Government, the state, local agencies, private entities, or 
166  individuals in order to carry out the purposes of this section. 
167         (d) The board may identify, initiate, and fund programs to 
168  carry out the purposes of this section. 
169         (e) The board may make gifts or grants to: 
170         1. The state, or any political subdivision thereof, or any 
171  public agency of state or local government. 
172         2. A corporation, trust, association, or foundation 
173  organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, 
174  or scientific purposes. 
175         3. The Department of Education, for purposes of program 
176  recognition and marketing, public relations and education, 
177  professional development, and technical assistance and workshops 
178  for grant applicants and recipients and the business community. 
179         (f) The board may advertise and solicit applications for 
180  funding and shall evaluate applications and program proposals 
181  submitted to the board. 
182         (g) The board shall monitor, review, and annually evaluate 
183  funded programs to determine whether funding should be 
184  continued, terminated, reduced, or increased. 
185         (h) The board shall establish an operating account for the 
186  deposit of funds to be used in carrying out the purposes of this 
187  section. 
188         (i) The board shall operate the programs to ensure that the 
189  goals of this section are met and shall recommend to the 
190  Department of Education the adoption of rules as may be 
191  necessary. 
192         (j) The board may take such additional actions, including 
193  independently organizing and conducting hiring, as are deemed 
194  necessary and appropriate to administer the provisions of this 
195  section. An employment position with the board is not state 
196  employment. 
197         (9) DISTRIBUTION OF EARNINGS ON ENDOWMENT FUND PRINCIPAL. 
198  The board shall use the moneys in the operating account, by 
199  whatever means necessary, to provide for: 
200         (a) Planning, research, and policy development for issues 
201  related to school-to-work transition and publications and 
202  dissemination of such information as may serve the objectives of 
203  this section. 
204         (b) Promotion of initiatives for school-to-work transition. 
205         (c) Funding of programs that engage in, contract for, 
206  foster, finance, or aid in job training and counseling for 
207  school-to-work transition research, education, or demonstration, 
208  or other related activities. 
209         (d) Funding of programs that engage in, contract for, 
210  foster, finance, or aid in activities designed to advance better 
211  public understanding and appreciation of the school-to-work 
212  transition. 
213         (10) ANNUAL AUDIT.—The board shall cause to be conducted an 
214  annual audit of the foundation’s financial accounts by an 
215  independent certified public accountant in accordance with rules 
216  adopted by the department. The annual audit report shall be 
217  submitted to the Auditor General and the department for review. 
218  The Auditor General and the department may require and receive 
219  from the foundation, or from its independent auditor, any 
220  relevant detail or supplemental data. 
221         (11) ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAM RESULTS.—The success of the 
222  programs shall be assessed as follows: 
223         (a) The foundation shall review the program’s activities 
224  and submit a report to the Department of Education and the 
225  Legislature on or before August 1 of each year. 
226         (b) The foundation shall coordinate an ongoing longitudinal 
227  study of participants to determine the overall efficacy of the 
228  program. 
229         (12) ANNUAL REPORT.—The board shall submit a report to the 
230  Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House 
231  of Representatives, and the Commissioner of Education on or 
232  before January 1 of each year, which summarizes the performance 
233  of the endowment fund for the previous fiscal year and the 
234  foundation’s fundraising activities and performance, and details 
235  those activities and programs supported by the earnings on the 
236  endowment principal or by bequests, gifts, grants, donations, 
237  and other valued goods and services received. 
238         (13) RULES.—The Department of Education shall adopt rules 
239  to administer this section. 
240         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.