HB 17 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb17-00
Page 1 of 6
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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures 2
Scholarship Program; amending s. 1007.27, F.S.; 3
conforming a cross-reference; amending s. 1007.35, 4
F.S.; requiring public middle schools to provide for 5
the administration of the Preliminary SAT/National 6
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test to students who meet 7
specified criteria to help such students qualify for 8
the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; 9
providing for an exemption from such test; requiring 10
specified test preparation resources and information 11
be provided to certain students for a specified time 12
period; providing continued eligibility criteria for 13
students receiving such resources and information; 14
providing for the funding for such assessments and 15
resources; amending ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535, F.S.; 16
revising the eligibility criteria for certain awards 17
under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; 18
providing an effective date. 19
20
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 21
22
Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 23
1007.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 24
1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms. — 25
HB 17 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb17-00
Page 2 of 6
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
(1) 26
(b) The State Board of Education and the Board of 27
Governors shall identify Florida College System institutions and 28
state universities to develop courses that align with s. 1007.25 29
for students in secondary education and provide the training 30
required under s. 1007.35(7) s. 1007.35(6). 31
Section 2. Subsectio ns (6) through (10) of section 32
1007.35, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (7) 33
through (11), respectively, paragraph (a) of subsection (9) is 34
amended, and a new subsection (6) is added to that section, to 35
read: 36
1007.35 Florida Partnership fo r Minority and 37
Underrepresented Student Achievement. — 38
(6)(a) For the purpose of helping minority and 39
underrepresented students qualify for the Florida Bright Futures 40
Scholarship Program, each public middle school, including, but 41
not limited to, schools a nd alternative sites and centers of the 42
Department of Juvenile Justice, shall provide for the 43
administration of the PSAT/NMSQT to enrolled minority and 44
underrepresented students in 8th grade who have a grade point 45
average of 3.5 or higher. However, written notice shall be 46
provided to each parent which must include the opportunity to 47
exempt his or her child from taking the PSAT/NMSQT. 48
(b)1. Students with a score of 1,000 or higher shall be 49
provided all of the following: 50
HB 17 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb17-00
Page 3 of 6
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
a. Online or in-person SAT or ACT preparation courses or 51
access to other evidence -based SAT or ACT preparation resources. 52
b. Information on all eligibility requirements for the 53
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program. 54
2. The resources provided under this paragraph shall be 55
offered to eligible students until such students are provided 56
the opportunity to take the SAT, ACT, or Classical Learning Test 57
in 11th grade pursuant to s. 1008.22(3)(c). 58
3. To remain eligible for the resources provided under 59
this paragraph, students must maintain a grade point average of 60
3.5 or higher. 61
(c) Funding for the administration of the PSAT/NMSQT and 62
the resources provided under this subsection shall be provided 63
using lottery funds deposited into the Educational Enhancement 64
Trust Fund. 65
(9)(a) Except as provided in subsection (6), funding for 66
the partnership shall be contingent upon annual funding in the 67
General Appropriations Act. 68
Section 3. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section 69
1009.534, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 70
1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award. — 71
(1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars 72
award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements 73
for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and: 74
(e) Has been recognized by the College Board National 75
HB 17 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb17-00
Page 4 of 6
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
Hispanic Recognition Programs Program as a scholar recipient. 76
77
The student must complete a program of volunteer service or, 78
beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022 -2023 79
academic year and thereafter, paid work, as approved by the 80
district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic school, 81
or the Department of Education for home education program 82
students, which must include 100 hours of volunteer service, 83
paid work, or a combination of both. Eligible paid work 84
completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be included in the 85
student's total of paid work hours. The student may identify a 86
social or civic issue or a professional area that interests him 87
or her and develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in 88
addressing the issue or learning about the area. The student 89
must, through papers or other presentations, evaluate and 90
reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid work 91
experience. Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but 92
is not limited to, a business or go vernmental internship, work 93
for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on 94
behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer 95
service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the 96
document must be signed by the student, the student's parent or 97
guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the 98
student performed the volunteer service or paid work. 99
Section 4. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section 100
HB 17 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb17-00
Page 5 of 6
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
1009.535, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 101
1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award. — 102
(1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars 103
award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements 104
for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and: 105
(e) Has been recognized by the College Board National 106
Hispanic Recognition Programs Program as a scholar, but has not 107
completed the program of volunteer service or paid work required 108
under s. 1009.534. 109
110
A high school student must complete a program of volunteer 111
service or, beginning with a high school student graduating in 112
the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, paid work approved 113
by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic 114
school, or the Department of Education for home education 115
program students, which must include 75 hours of volunteer 116
service, 100 hours of paid work, or 100 hours of a combination 117
of both. Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, 118
shall be included in a student's total of required paid work 119
hours. The student may identify a social or c ivic issue or a 120
professional area that interests him or her and develop a plan 121
for his or her personal involvement in addressing the issue or 122
learning about the area. The student must, through papers or 123
other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her 124
volunteer service or paid work experience. Such volunteer 125
HB 17 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb17-00
Page 6 of 6
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
service or paid work may include, but is not limited to, a 126
business or governmental internship, work for a nonprofit 127
community service organization, or activities on behalf of a 128
candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer service or 129
paid work must be documented in writing, and the document must 130
be signed by the student, the student's parent or guardian, and 131
a representative of the organization for which the student 132
performed the voluntee r service or paid work. 133
Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 134