SB 372 — Postsecondary Education for Certain Military Personnel

Florida Senate - 2020 CS for SB 372 By Senatorthe LeeCommittee 20-00489A-20on 2020372__Education; A bill to be entitled An act relating to postsecondary education for certain military personnel;

and Senators Lee, Cruz, Harrell, and Broxson 581-01999-20 2020372c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to postsecondary education for certain military personnel;

requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, to create a uniform process for the awardinguniform award of postsecondary credit or career education clock hours to certain servicemembers and veterans of the United States Armed Forces;

providing for membership and duties of the workgroup;

requiring the workgroup to submitprovide recommendations to the ArticulationBoard Coordinating Committee a list of recommendedGovernors postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimumState postsecondaryBoard creditof thatEducation mustby bea awardedspecified ifdate; certain specifications are met;

requiring the ArticulationBoard Coordinatingof CommitteeGovernors toand review the listState providedBoard byof theEducation workgroupto forapprove approvalthe byrecommendations; a specified date;

requiring the BoardArticulation ofCoordinating GovernorsCommittee andto facilitate the Statereview Board of Educationcourses totaken adopt,and inoccupations regulationheld andby inindividuals rule,during respectively,their theservice listin approvedthe bymilitary thefor Articulationpostsecondary Coordinatingcredit Committeeand bycareer aeducation specifiedclock date;hours;

requiring certainthe postsecondaryArticulation institutionsCoordinating Committee to awardapprove creditand forthe specifiedBoard coursesof takenGovernors and occupationsthe heldState byBoard individualsof duringEducation militaryto serviceadopt beginninga onspecified list within a specified date;timeframe;

authorizingrequiring thedelineation award of additionalcredit credits;and career education clock hours in the statewide articulation agreement;

requiring that certain creditspostsecondary beinstitutions transferrableto betweenaward specifieduniform postsecondary institutions;credit or career education clock hours for specified courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military;

authorizing the award of additional credits or career education clock hours;

requiring certain credits and career education clock hours to transfer between specified postsecondary institutions;

requiring specified postsecondary institutions to waive the transcript fee for active duty members of the United States Armed Forces, certain veterans, and their spouses and dependents;

providing reporting requirements for such institutions;fee waivers;

3945 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

4147 Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

1004.096 College credit for military experience and training and education courses.— (1) In consultation with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the State Board of Education shall adopt rules that create a uniform process that enables enable eligible servicemembers or veterans of the United States Armed Forces to earn uniform postsecondary academic college credit across all Florida at public postsecondary educational institutions for experience and college-level training and education acquired in the military.

The regulations and rules shall include procedures for credential evaluation and the uniform award of postsecondary academic college credit,credit or career education clock hours, including, but not limited to, equivalency and alignment of military coursework with appropriate postsecondary college courses,courses andand, course descriptions, type and amount of college credit that may be awarded, and transfer of credit.

(2) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall convene a workgroup by July 15, 2020, towhich establishis aresponsible process for developing a uniform process for determining postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military.

For the purposes of determining course equivalencies and minimum postsecondary credit, the workgroup shall review the courses and occupations evaluated by the American Council on Education and listed on its Military Guide since January 1, 2000.

4. Two members representing faculty from career centers, appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.

(c) The workgroup shall submitestablish toa theprocess Articulationfor Coordinatingprioritizing Committeeand adetermining recommended list of postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military.

(d) TheThe Articulationworkgroup Coordinatingshall Committeeprovide shallrecommendations reviewto the listBoard submittedof underGovernors paragraphand (c)the forState approvalBoard of Education by SeptemberDecember 1, 2021.2020, for approval at the next meeting of each board to allow for adequate public notice.

(e) By(d) Upon Decemberapproval 1,of 2021,the workgroup’s recommendations by the Board of Governors in regulation and the State Board of EducationEducation, inthe ruleArticulation Coordinating Committee shall adoptfacilitate the listreview approvedof courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the Articulationmilitary Coordinatingfor Committee.postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded in accordance with the approved process.

(f) Beginning(e) Within on1 Januaryyear 1,after 2022,approval stateof universities,the Floridaworkgroup’s Collegerecommendations Systemby institutions,the Board of Governors and careerthe centersState mustBoard awardof postsecondaryEducation creditpursuant forto coursesparagraph taken(c), andthe occupationsArticulation heldCoordinating byCommittee individualsshall duringapprove theira serviceprioritized inlist theof militarypostsecondary pursuantcourse toequivalencies and the listminimum adoptedpostsecondary undercredit paragraphor (c),career ifeducation theclock credithours isthat applicablemust towardbe theawarded student’sfor degreecourses ortaken certificate.and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military.

InstitutionsThe maylist awardmust additionalbe postsecondaryupdated creditannually. if appropriate.

CreditThe awardedBoard inof accordanceGovernors withand minimumthe creditState requirementsBoard isof guaranteedEducation toshall transfertimely toadopt otherthe statelist universities,approved Floridaby Collegethe SystemArticulation institutions,Coordinating andCommittee careerat centersthe asnext ifmeeting theof crediteach wereboard earnedto atallow thefor receivingadequate institution.public notice.

For the purpose of statewide application, postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must be awarded for courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military shall be delineated by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors in the statewide articulation agreement required by s.

1007.23(1).

(f) State universities, Florida College System institutions, and career centers must award postsecondary credit or career education clock hours for courses taken and occupations held by individuals during their service in the military based on the list adopted by the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education pursuant to paragraph (e) if the credit or career education clock hours are applicable toward the student’s degree or certificate.

Institutions may award additional postsecondary credit or career education clock hours if appropriate.

Credit or career education clock hours awarded in accordance with minimum postsecondary credit and clock hour requirements, respectively, are guaranteed to transfer to other state universities, Florida College System institutions, and career centers.

1009.26 Fee waivers.— (17)(a) A(17)(a) Each state university, Florida College System institution, career center operated by a school district under s.

1001.44, orand charter technical career center shallunder waives. the transcript fee for a person who is an active duty member or an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces and his or her spouse and dependents.

1002.34 shall waive the transcript fee for a person who is an active duty member or an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces and his or her spouse and dependents.

1001.44, and charter technical career center shall report to the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, respectively, the number and value of fee waivers granted annually under thiss. subsection.

1002.34 shall report to the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, respectively, the number and value of fee waivers granted annually under this subsection.

Section 3. This act shall take effect Julyupon 1,becoming 2020.a law.