Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 742 By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Simon 581-03084-25 2025742c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to workforce education; amending s. 3 1011.801, F.S.; providing that charter schools are 4 eligible for the Workforce Development Capitalization 5 Incentive Grant Program; amending s. 1011.803, F.S.; 6 revising the number of programs school districts and 7 Florida College System institutions must offer money 8 back guarantees for through the money-back guarantee 9 program by a specified date; requiring school 10 districts and Florida College System institutions to 11 report such programs to the State Board of Education; 12 providing requirements for specified student 13 eligibility criteria for tuition reimbursement under 14 the program; revising reporting requirements; 15 providing an effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1.Section 1011.801, Florida Statutes, is amended 20 to read: 21 1011.801Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive 22 Grant Program.The Legislature recognizes that the need for 23 school districts, charter schools, and Florida College System 24 institutions to be able to respond to emerging local or 25 statewide economic development needs is critical to the 26 workforce development system. The Workforce Development 27 Capitalization Incentive Grant Program is created to provide 28 grants to school districts, charter schools, and Florida College 29 System institutions to fund some or all of the costs associated 30 with the creation or expansion of career and technical education 31 programs that lead to industry certifications included on the 32 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. The programs may serve 33 secondary students or postsecondary students if the 34 postsecondary career and technical education program also serves 35 secondary students. 36 (1)Funds awarded for a workforce development 37 capitalization incentive grant may be used for instructional 38 equipment, laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, student 39 services, or other expenses associated with the creation or 40 expansion of a career and technical education program that 41 serves secondary students. Expansion of a program may include 42 either the expansion of enrollments in a program or expansion 43 into new areas of specialization within a program. No grant 44 funds may be used for recurring instructional costs or for 45 institutions indirect costs. 46 (2)The Department of Education shall administer the 47 program. The State Board of Education may adopt rules for 48 program administration. The State Board of Education shall 49 consider the statewide geographic dispersion of grant funds in 50 ranking the applications and shall give priority to applications 51 from education agencies that are making maximum use of their 52 workforce development funding by offering high-performing, high 53 demand programs. 54 Section 2.Subsections (2) and (4) of section 1011.803, 55 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 56 1011.803Money-back Guarantee Program. 57 (2)Each school district and Florida College System 58 institution shall establish a money-back guarantee program to: 59 (a)Offer a money-back guarantee on at least three 60 programs. However, by July 1, 2026, each school district and 61 Florida College System institution must offer a money-back 62 guarantee on at least three additional programs and notify the 63 State Board of Education of such programs. 64 (b)Establish student eligibility criteria for the 65 reimbursement of tuition under the money-back guarantee program 66 that includes: 67 1.Student attendance. 68 2.Student program performance. 69 3.Career Service or Career Day attendance. 70 4.Participation in internship or work-study programs. 71 5.Job search documentation. 72 6.Development of a student career plan with the 73 institutions career services department. 74 75 Enrollment in a program established pursuant to this subsection 76 constitutes enrollment in the money-back guarantee program. 77 Eligibility criteria for the reimbursement of tuition 78 established by the school district or Florida College System 79 institution pursuant to subparagraphs 4. and 5. may not exceed 80 the work search requirements under s. 443.091. 81 (4)By November 1 of each year, the Department of Education 82 shall report performance results and eligibility criteria for 83 the reimbursement of tuition by school district, Florida College 84 System institution, and program to the Governor, the President 85 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 86 Section 3.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.