Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0999 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to the Educational Dollars for Duty 2
16	16	program; amending s. 250.10, F.S.; revising 3
17	17	eligibility for the Educational Dollars for Duty (EDD) 4
18	18	program to include members of the Florida National 5
19	19	Guard who enroll in certain degree programs in this 6
20	20	state or another state; conforming application 7
21	21	requirements, requirements for courses included in the 8
22	22	EDD, and requirements for adoption of tuition payment 9
23	23	guidelines by the Adjutant General; providing an 10
24	24	effective date. 11
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26	26	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
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28	28	Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 250.10, Florida 15
29	29	Statutes, is amended to read: 16
30	30	250.10 Appointment and duties of the Adjutant General.— 17
31	31	(7) The Adjutant General shall develop an education 18
32	32	assistance program for members in good standing of the Florida 19
33	33	National Guard who enroll in an authorized course of study at a 20
34	34	public or nonpublic postsecondary institution or technical 21
35	35	center in this state or another the state, or who enroll in an 22
36	36	authorized course of study through an online degree program 23
37	37	provided by a public or nonpublic postsecondary institution or 24
38	38	technical center in this state or another state, which 25
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47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51	51	postsecondary instit ution or technical center has been 26
52	52	accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the United 27
53	53	States Department of Education or licensed by the Commission for 28
54	54	Independent Education. Education assistance also may be used for 29
55	55	training to obtain industry cert ifications approved by the 30
56	56	Department of Education pursuant to s. 1008.44 and continuing 31
57	57	education to maintain license certifications. The education 32
58	58	assistance program shall be known as the Educational Dollars for 33
59	59	Duty program (EDD). 34
60	60	(a) The program shal l establish application requirements, 35
61	61	including, but not limited to, requirements that the applicant: 36
62	62	1. Be 17 years of age or older. 37
63	63	2. Be presently domiciled in the state. 38
64	64	2.3. Be an active drilling member and in good standing in 39
65	65	the Florida National Guard at the beginning of and throughout 40
66	66	the entire academic term for which benefits are received. 41
67	67	3.4. Maintain continuous satisfactory participation in the 42
68	68	Florida National Guard for the school term for which benefits 43
69	69	are received. 44
70	70	4.5. Upon enrollment in the program, complete a memorandum 45
71	71	of agreement to: 46
72	72	a. Comply with the rules of the program. 47
73	73	b. Serve in the Florida National Guard for the period 48
74	74	specified in the member's enlistment or reenlistment contract. 49
75	75	c. Authorize the release of inf ormation pursuant to 50
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84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88	subparagraph (d)6. by the postsecondary institution or technical 51
89	89	center to the education service office of the Department of 52
90	90	Military Affairs, subject to applicable federal and state law. 53
91	91	(b) The program shall define those members of the Florida 54
92	92	National Guard who are ineligible to participate in the program 55
93	93	and those courses of study which are not authorized for the 56
94	94	program. 57
95	95	1. Ineligible members include, but are not limited to, a 58
96	96	member, commissioned officer, warrant officer, or e nlisted 59
97	97	person who has obtained a master's degree using the program. 60
98	98	2. Inactive members of the Florida National Guard and 61
99	99	members of the Individual Ready Reserve are not eligible to 62
100	100	participate in the program. 63
101	101	3. Courses not authorized include noncred it courses, 64
102	102	courses that do not meet degree requirements, courses that do 65
103	103	not meet requirements for completion of career training, or 66
104	104	other courses as determined by program definitions. 67
105	105	4. The program may not pay repeat course fees. 68
106	106	(c) The program may include, but is not limited to: 69
107	107	1. Courses at a public or nonpublic postsecondary 70
108	108	institution or technical center in this state or another the 71
109	109	state, or online degree program courses provided by a public or 72
110	110	nonpublic postsecondary institution or technic al center in this 73
111	111	state or another state, which postsecondary institution or 74
112	112	technical center is accredited by an accrediting body recognized 75
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121	121	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125	by the United States Department of Education or licensed by the 76
126	126	Commission for Independent Education. 77
127	127	2. Training to obtain industry certifications, limited to 78
128	128	certifications approved by the Department of Education under s. 79
129	129	1008.44. 80
130	130	3. Continuing education to maintain a license or 81
131	131	certification. Notwithstanding subparagraph (b)1., members who 82
132	132	have obtained a maste r's degree using the program are eligible 83
133	133	for funding under this subparagraph. 84
134	134	4. Licensing and industry certification examination fees. 85
135	135	Notwithstanding subparagraph (b)1., members who have obtained a 86
136	136	master's degree using the program are eligible for fu nding under 87
137	137	this subparagraph. 88
138	138	5. Notwithstanding subparagraph (b)3., developmental 89
139	139	educational courses. 90
140	140	(d) The Adjutant General shall adopt rules for the overall 91
141	141	policy, guidance, administration, implementation, and proper use 92
142	142	of the program. Such ru les must include, but need not be limited 93
143	143	to: 94
144	144	1. Guidelines for certification by the Adjutant General of 95
145	145	a guard member's eligibility. 96
146	146	2. Procedures for notification to a postsecondary 97
147	147	institution or technical center of a guard member's termination 98
148	148	of eligibility. 99
149	149	3. Guidelines for approving courses of study that are 100
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158	158	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162	162	authorized for the program, including online courses, industry 101
163	163	certification training, and continuing education to maintain 102
164	164	license certifications. 103
165	165	4. Guidelines for approving the use o f program funds for 104
166	166	licensing and industry certification examination fees. 105
167	167	5. Procedures for restitution when a guard member fails to 106
168	168	comply with the penalties described in this section. 107
169	169	6. Procedures that require a public or nonpublic 108
170	170	postsecondary institution or technical center that receives 109
171	171	funding from the program to provide information regarding course 110
172	172	enrollment, course withdrawal, course cancellation, course 111
173	173	completion, course failure, and grade verification of enrolled 112
174	174	members to the education service office of the Department of 113
175	175	Military Affairs. 114
176	176	7. Guidelines for the payment of tuition and fees, not to 115
177	177	exceed: 116
178	178	a. The highest in-state tuition rate charged by a public 117
179	179	postsecondary institution in this the state. If the guard member 118
180	180	is enrolled in a public or nonpublic postsecondary institution 119
181	181	or technical center in another state, he or she is responsible 120
182	182	for payment of any tuition and fees charged by the institution 121
183	183	or center in excess of such amount. 122
184	184	b. If the guard member is enrolled in a n online degree 123
185	185	program, the highest tuition rate charged by a program provided 124
186	186	by a public postsecondary institution in this state or another 125
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195	195	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199	199	state. 126
200	200	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 127