PCS for HB 999 (2023) — An act relating to postsecondary educational (Board of Governors)
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- 2023 3247 Postsecondary Education Workforce Subcommittee Proposed Committee Bills Pcbs Fn
Summary
The text of the PCS for HB 999, a bill before the Legislature of the State of Florida relating to postsecondary educational institutions. The title lists amendments to s. 1001.706, F.S., on Board of Governors review of university missions and programs, post-tenure reviews at any time for cause, and changes to preeminent state research university standards in s. 1001.7065, F.S. It creates s. 1001.725, F.S., making state university boards of trustees responsible for hiring full-time faculty, and creates the Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Education at the University of Central Florida. Other listed sections address general education core courses and fee waivers under s. 1009.26, F.S. Section 12 sets the act's effective dates.
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“PCS for HB 999 (2023) — An act relating to postsecondary educational (Board of Governors).”
Original at www.flhouse.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-3247-postsecondary-education-workforce-subcommittee-proposed-committee-bills-pcbs-fn-pcs-for-hb-999/
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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
PCS for HB 999 2023
A bill to be entitled
An act relating to postsecondary educational
institutions; amending s. 1001.706, F.S.; revising
legislative intent; requiring the Board of Governors
to periodically review specified information relating
to state universities and provide certain direction to
such universities; revising the contents of the Board
of Governor's strategic plan; post-tenure reviews at
any time for cause; revising an authorization for the
Board of Governors to adopt specified regulations;
amending s. 1001.7065, F.S.; revising the academic and
research excellence standards for preeminent state
research universities; creating s. 1001.725, F.S.;
providing requirements for hiring state university
faculty; providing requirements for the employment,
promotion, and evaluation processes for certain state
university employees; authorizing state university
boards of trustees to review the tenure status of
faculty members; requiring such boards to confirm the
selection and reappointment of specified personnel;
providing requirements for certain employment
contracts and responsibilities; requiring state
university presidents to annually present specified
information to such boards; amending s. 1004.06, F.S.;
prohibiting certain entities from expending specified
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funds for certain purposes; providing exceptions;
authorizing the State Board of Education and the Board
of Governors to adopt certain rules and regulations,
respectively; creating s. 1004.3841, F.S.; creating
the Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
Education within the College of Business at the
University of Central Florida; requiring the institute
to be located in a specified county; providing goals
of the institute; amending s. 1004.6496, F.S.;
conforming a provision to changes made by the act;
amending s. 1004.6499, F.S.; renaming the "Florida
Institute of Politics" as the "Florida Institute for
Governance and Civics"; revising the goals of the
institute; amending s. 1004.64991, F.S.; authorizing
the Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic
Freedom within Florida International University to
take specified actions; amending s. 1007.25, F.S.;
revising the duties and responsibilities of specified
faculty committees relating to general education core
courses; deleting a provision authorizing certain
course maximums to be exceeded; revising requirements
for general education core courses; providing
definitions; requiring public postsecondary
educational institutions to offer and accept certain
credits for certain general education core courses;
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creating s. 1007.55, F.S.; providing legislative
findings; requiring the Articulation Coordinating
Committee to submit certain courses to the State Board
of Education and the Board of Governors; providing
requirements for general education courses; providing
requirements for public postsecondary educational
institutions and their presidents and boards of
trustees relating to general education courses;
amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; providing that certain
postsecondary fee waivers continue until specified
criteria are met; providing effective dates.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (5)
and paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 1001.706, Florida
Statutes, are amended to read:
1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
(5) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO ACCOUNTABILITY. —
(a) The Legislature intends that the Board of Governors
shall align the missions of each constituent university with the
academic success of its students; curriculum that promotes
citizenship in a constitutional republic; the state's existing
and emerging workforce needs; the national reputation of its
faculty and its academic and research programs; the quantity of
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externally generated research, patents, and licenses; and the
strategic and accountability plans required in paragraphs (b)
and (c). The board shall periodically review the mission of each
constituent university and provide updates or revisions to such
mission, as appropriate; upon completion of such review, examine
existing academic programs at each constituent university for
alignment with the university's mission; and provide direc tion
to each constituent university to remove from its programs any
major or minor that is based on or otherwise utilizes
pedagogical methodology associated with Critical Theory,
including, but not limited to, Critical Race Theory, Critical
Race Studies, Critical Ethnic Studies, Radical Feminist Theory,
Radical Gender Theory, Queer Theory, Critical Social Justice, or
Intersectionality, as defined in Board of Governors regulation,
or any major or minor that includes a curriculum that promotes
the concepts listed in s. 1000.05(4)(a). The mission alignment
and strategic plan shall consider peer institutions at the
constituent universities. The mission alignment and strategic
plan shall acknowledge that universities that have a national
and international impact have the greatest capacity to promote
the state's economic development through: new discoveries,
patents, licenses, and technologies that generate state
businesses of global importance; research achievements through
external grants and contracts that are comparable to nationally
recognized and ranked universities; the creation of a resource
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rich academic environment that attracts high-technology business
and venture capital to the state; and this generation's finest
minds focusing on solving the state's economic, social,
environmental, and legal problems in the areas of life sciences,
water, sustainability, energy, and health care. A nationally
recognized and ranked university that has a global perspective
and impact shall be afforded the opportunity to enable and
protect the university's competitiveness on the global stage in
fair competition with other institutions of other states in the
highest Carnegie Classification.
(b) The Board of Governors shall develop a strategic plan
specifying goals and objectives for the State University System
and each constituent university, including each university's
contribution to overall system goals and objectives. The
strategic plan must:
1. Include performance metrics and standards common for
all institutions and metrics and standards unique to
institutions depending on institutional core missions,
including, but not limited to, student admission requirements,
curriculum that promotes citizenship in a constitutional
republic, retention, graduation, percentage of graduates who
have attained employment, percentage of graduates enrolled in
continued education, licensure passage, average wages of
employed graduates, average cost per graduate, excess hours,
student loan burden and default rates, faculty awards, total
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annual research expenditures, patents, licenses and royalties,
intellectual property, startup companies, annual giving,
endowments, and well-known, highly respected national rankings
for institutional and program achievements.
2. Consider reports and recommendations of the Florida
Talent Development Council under s. 1004.015 and the
Articulation Coordinating Committee under s. 1007.01.
3. Include student enrollment and performance data
delineated by method of instruction, including, but not limited
to, traditional, online, and distance learning instruction.
4. Include criteria for designating baccalaureate degree
and master's degree programs at specified universities as high-
demand programs of emphasis. The programs of emphasis list
adopted by the Board of Governors before July 1, 2021, shall be
used for the 2021-2022 academic year. Beginning in the 2022-2023
academic year, the Board of Governors shall adopt the criteria
to determine value for and prioritization of degree credentials
and degree programs established by the Credentials Review
Committee under s. 445.004 for designating high-demand programs
of emphasis. The Board of Governors must review designated
programs of emphasis, at a minimum, every 3 years to ensure
alignment with the prioritization of degree credentials and
degree programs identified by the Credentials Review Committee.
5. Include criteria for nondegree credentials.
(c) The Board of Governors shall develop an accountability
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plan for the State University System and each constituent
university. The accountability plan must address institutional
and system achievement of goals and objectives specified in the
strategic plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) and must be
submitted as part of its legislative budget request. Each
university shall submit, as a component of the university's
annual accountability plan:,
1. Information on the effectiveness of its plan for
improving 4-year graduation rates. and
2. Information on the level of financial assistance
provided to students pursuant to paragraph (h).
(d) Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year and annually
thereafter, The Board of Governors shall annually require a
state university before prior to registration to provide each
enrolled student electronic access to the economic security
report of employment and earning outcomes prepared by the
Department of Economic Opportunity pursuant to s. 445.07. In
addition, the Board of Governors shall require a state
university to provide each student electronic access to the
following information each year before prior to registration
using the data described in s. 1008.39:
1. The top 25 percent of degrees reported by the
university in terms of highest full-time job placement and
highest average annualized earnings in the year after earning
the degree.
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2. The bottom 10 percent of degrees reported by the
university in terms of lowest full-time job placement and lowest
average annualized earnings in the year after earning the
degree.
(6) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PERSONNEL.—
(b) The Board of Governors may adopt a regulation
requiring each tenured state university faculty member to
undergo a comprehensive post-tenure review every 5 years and a
post-tenure review at any time for cause. The board may include
other considerations in the regulation, but the regulation must
address all of the following:
1. Accomplishments and productivity.;
2. Assigned duties in research, teaching, and service.;
3. Performance metrics, evaluations, and ratings.; and
4. Recognition and compensation considerations, as well as
improvement plans and consequences for underperformance .
5. Conditions that constitute cause for a post-tenure
review under this paragraph, including, but not limited to, poor
performance, negligence, inefficiency or inability to perform
assigned duties, insubordination, violation of any applicable
law or rule, conduct unbecoming a public employee, misconduct,
drug abuse, or conviction of any crime.
Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 1001.7065, Florida
Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (m) is added to subsection
(2) of that section, to read:
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1001.7065 Preeminent state research universities program. —
(2) ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE STANDARDS.—The
following academic and research excellence standards are
established for the preeminent state research universities
program and shall be reported annually in the Board of Governors
Accountability Plan:
(m) Total annual research expenditures of $50 million or
more in STEM-related expenditures, funded from business and non-
profit partners.
(3) PREEMINENT STATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY DESIGNATION.—
(a) The Board of Governors shall designate each state
university that annually meets at least 12 11 of the 13 12
academic and research excellence standards identified in
subsection (2) as a "preeminent state research university."
(b) The Board of Governors shall designate each state
university that annually meets at least 7 6 of the 13 12
academic and research excellence standards identified in
subsection (2) as an "emerging preeminent state research
university."
Section 3. Section 1001.725, Florida Statutes, is created
to read:
1001.725 State university boards of trustees; personnel.—
(1) Each state university board of trustees is responsible
for hiring full-time faculty for the university. The president
of the university may provide hiring recommendations to the
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board. The president and the board are not required to consider
recommendations or opinions of faculty of the university or
other individuals or groups.
(a) The board of trustees may delegate its hiring
authority to the president; however, the president may not
delegate such hiring authority to anyone outside of the
executive management team of the president's office.
(b) A state university may not solicit pledges, except
pledges to uphold general and federal law, the United States
Constitution, and the State Constitution, or statements or
commitments for or against certain viewpoints about diversity,
equity, and inclusion, Critical Race Theory rhetoric, or
political identity or ideology, as part of any hiring,
promotion, disciplinary, or evaluation process, including as
part of applications for employment, promotion and tenu re
applications, conditions of employment, job qualifications, job
descriptions, or performance evaluations, or as part of any
admissions or student disciplinary process, including as part of
any admissions applications or orientations. This paragraph
applies to all students and employees at the university,
including the president of the university.
(2) Each state university board of trustees may, at the
request of its chair, review any faculty member's tenure status
based on the considerations adopted in Board of Governors
regulation pursuant to s. 1001.706(6)(b).
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(3) Each state university board of trustees must confirm
the president's selection and reappointment of each member of
the university's executive management team, and his or her
respective contract and annual salary, before such contracts and
salaries become effective, in accordance with the personnel
program established by the Board of Governors. Contracts and
responsibilities of the president and executive management team
members, including, but not limited to, the provost, must
explicitly delineate that the responsibilities of such
positions, other than the president, are limited to
administrative oversight and operational supervision of
curricular, instructional, and research affairs, as app licable
to the position.
(4) Each state university president shall annually present
to the state university board of trustees for review the results
of performance evaluations and associated annual salaries for
all evaluated academic and administrative personnel earning an
annual salary of $100,000 or more, regardless of the funding
source for such salaries. The results may be presented in a
summary or written format.
Section 4. Section 1004.06, Florida Statutes, is amended
to read:
1004.06 Prohibited expenditures.—
(1) A No Florida College System institution, state
university, Florida College System institution direct -support
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organization, or state university direct-support organization
may not shall expend any funds, regardless of source, to
purchase membership in, or goods and services from, any
organization that discriminates on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, disability gender, or religion.
(2) A Florida College System institution, state
university, Florida College System institution direct-support
organization, or state university direct-support organization
may not expend any state or federal funds to promote, support,
or maintain any programs or campus activities that:
(a) Promote the concepts listed in s. 1000.05(4)(a);
(b) Advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion;
(c) Promote or engage in political or social activism; or
(d) Include or espouse, as government speech or expressive
activity of the Florida College System institution or state
university or its direct-support organization speaking or acting
on the Florida College System institution's or state
university's behalf, preferential treatment or special benefits
to individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, disability, or religion.
Student fees to support student-led organizations are permitted
notwithstanding any speech or expressive activity by such
organizations that would otherwise violate this subsection,
provided that the public funds must be allocated to student-led
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organizations pursuant to written policies or regulations of
each Florida College System institution or state university, as
applicable.
(3) Programs or campus activities required for compliance
with federal laws or regulations, or access programs for
military veterans, Pell Grant recipients, first generation
college students, nontraditional students, "2+2" transfer
students from the Florida College System, students from low-
income families, or students with unique abilities, are not
prohibited by this section.
(4) The State Board of Education and the Board of
Governors may adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to
implement this section.
Section 5. Section 1004.3841, Florida Statutes, is created
to read:
1004.3841 The Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
Education.—The Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
Education is established within the College of Business at the
University of Central Florida. Since insurance and risk
management is a major industry in the state, with a
concentration of such industry in Volusia County, the institute
shall be located in Volusia County. Like many other industries
in the state, the insurance and risk management industry is
being revolutionized by, among other things, the integration of
technology, predictive analytics, and data science, and is
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becoming more complex given its exposure to transformative
trends in the economy and environment. The purpose of the
institute is to respond to the ever-evolving insurance and risk
management industry and the present and emerging needs of the
state and its residents. The goals of the institute are to:
(1) Pursue technological innovations that advance risk
valuation models and operational efficiencies in the insurance
industry.
(2) Drive the development of workforce competencies in
data analytics, system-level thinking, technology integration,
entrepreneurship, and actuarial science.
(3) Leverage the University of Central Florida's world
class assets in data science, artificial intelligence, computer
science, engineering, finance, economics, and sales.
(4) Take advantage of the University of Central Florida's
robust portfolio of academic program offerings and draw on
faculty and industry experts in diverse fields, including
actuarial science, computer science, economics, engineering,
environmental science, finance, forensics, law, management,
marketing, and psychology.
(5) Develop and offer risk management and insurance
education, including education that recognizes risks in areas
such as the environment, pandemic disease, and digital security.
(6) Offer programs, workshops, case studies, and applied
research studies that integrate technology and artificial
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intelligence with soft skills while preparing students and
professionals for the technology-enabled insurance industry of
the future.
Section 6. Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) of section
1004.6496, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1004.6496 Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic
Education.—
(2) The goals of the center are to:
(e) Coordinate with the Florida Institute for Governance
and Civics of Politics created pursuant to s. 1004.6499 and the
Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic Freedom created
pursuant to s. 1004.64991 and assist in the curation and
implementation of Portraits in Patriotism created pursuant to s.
1003.44.
Section 7. Section 1004.6499, Florida Statutes, is amended
to read:
1004.6499 Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
Politics.—
(1) The Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
Politics is established at the Florida State University within
the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The purpose of
the institute is to provide the southeastern region of the
United States with a world class, bipartisan, nationally
renowned institute of politics.
(2) The goals of the institute are to:
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(a) Provide students with access to an interdisciplinary
hub that will develop academically rigorous scholarship and
coursework on the origins of the American system of government,
its foundational documents, its subsequent political traditions
and evolutions, and its impact on comparative political systems
Motivate students throughout the Florida State University to
become aware of the significance of government and civic
engagement at all levels and politics in general.
(b) Encourage civic literacy in the state through the
development of educational tools and resources for K-12 and
postsecondary students that foster an understanding of how
individual rights, constitutionalism, separation of powers, and
federalism function within the American system of government
Provide students with an opportunity to be politically active
and civically engaged.
(c) Model civic discourse that recognizes the importance
of viewpoint diversity, intellectual rigor, and an evide nce-
based approach to history Nurture a greater awareness of and
passion for public service and politics.
(d) Plan and host forums to allow students and guests to
hear from exceptional individuals who have excelled in
government, industry, or civic engagement to highlight the
possibilities created by individual achievement, philanthropic
ideals, and entrepreneurial vision and interact with experts
from government, politics, policy, and journalism on a frequent
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basis.
(e) Become a national and state resource on polling
instruments and other assessments to measure civic literacy and
make recommendations for improving civic education information
and survey methodology.
(f) Provide fellowships and internship opportunities to
students in government, nonprofit organizations, and community
organizations.
(g) Create through scholarship, original research,
publications, symposia, testimonials, and other means a body of
resources that can be accessed by students, scholars, and
government officials to understand the innovations in public
policy in the state over a rolling 30-year time period Provide
training sessions for newly elected state and local public
officials.
(h) Organize and sponsor conferences, symposia, and
workshops throughout this state to educate and inform citizens,
elected officials, and appointed policymakers regarding
effective policymaking techniques and processes.
(i) Create and promote research and awareness regarding
politics, citizen involvement, and public service.
(j) Collaborate with related policy institutes and
research activities at the Florida State University and other
institutions of higher education to motivate, increase, and
sustain citizen involvement in public affairs.
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Section 8. Subsection (3) is added to section 1004.64991,
Florida Statutes, to read:
1004.64991 The Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic
Freedom.—
(3) In order to carry out the goals outlined in subsection
(2), the center is authorized to:
(a) Hire the necessary faculty and staff.
(b) Enroll students.
(c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs.
(d) Award degrees.
(e) Hold events, including fundraisers.
(f) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of th e
university.
(g) Generate resources based on student credit hour
enrollment in the same manner as a college within the
university.
Section 9. Subsection (3) of section 1007.25, Florida
Statutes, is amended to read:
1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
other degree requirements.—
(3) The chair of the State Board of Education and the
chair of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall
jointly appoint faculty committees to review and recommend to
the Articulation Coordinating Committee for approval by the
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Commissioner of Education and the Chancellor of the State
University System identify statewide general education core
course options for inclusion in the statewide course numbering
system established in s. 1007.24. Faculty committees shall, by
July 1, 2024, and by July 1 every 3 years thereafter, review and
submit recommendations to the Articulation Coordinating
Committee, the commissioner, and the Chancellor of the State
University System for the removal, alignment, realignment, or
addition of general education core courses that satisfy the
requirements of this subsection.
(a) General education core course options shall consist of
a maximum of five courses within each of the subject areas of
communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and
natural sciences. The core courses may be revised, or the five-
course maximum within each subject area may be exceeded, if
approved by the State Board of Education and the Board of
Governors, as recommended by the subject area faculty committee
and approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee as
necessary for a subject area.
(b) Each general education core course option must contain
high-level academic and critical thinking skills and common
competencies that students must demonstrate to successfully
complete the course.
(c) General education core courses may not distort
significant historical events with misleading or incorrect
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presentations of fact and must not include curriculum that is
based on or otherwise utilizes pedagogical methodology
associated with Critical Theory, including, but not limited to,
Critical Race Theory, Critical Race Studies, Critical Ethnic
Studies, Radical Feminist Theory, Radical Gender Theory, Queer
Theory, Critical Social Justice, or Intersectionality, as
defined in rules and regulations of the State Board of Education
and the Board of Governors, respectively.
(d) General education core courses must meet all of the
following standards:
1. Communication courses must afford students the ability
to communicate effectively, including the ability to write
clearly and engage in public speaking.
2. Humanities courses must afford students the ability to
think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned
with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music,
and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western
Canon.
3. Social science courses must afford students an
understanding of the basic social and behavioral science
concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and
social, political, and economic issues, including issues from
the past and present.
4. Natural science courses must afford students the
ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the
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scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific
method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.
5. Mathematics courses must afford students a mastery of
foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by
applying such models and methods in problem solving.
(e) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida
College System institution or state university in 2015-2016 and
thereafter, each student must complete at least one identified
core course in each subject area as part of the general
education course requirements. Beginning in the 2022-2023
academic year and thereafter, students entering a technical
degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13) must
complete at least one identified core course in each subject
area as part of the general education course requirements before
a degree is awarded.
(f) All public postsecondary educational institutions
shall offer at least one general education core course in each
of the identified subject areas and accept these courses as
meeting general education core course requirements upon the
transfer of credit for such course regardless of whether the
receiving institution offers the identical general education
core course. The remaining general education course requirements
shall be identified by each institution as approved in
accordance with s. 1007.55 and listed in the and reported to the
department by their statewide course numbering system number.
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(g) The general education core course options shall be
adopted in rule by the State Board of Education and in
regulation by the Board of Governors.
Section 10. Section 1007.55, Florida Statutes, is crea ted
to read:
1007.55 General education course principles, standards,
and content.—
(1) The Legislature finds it necessary that every
undergraduate student of a public postsecondary educational
institution in the state graduates as an informed citizen
through participation in rigorous general education courses that
study and articulate the values and knowledge necessary to
preserve the constitutional republic and the economic ingenuity
of its citizens through proven, historically accurate, and high -
quality coursework. Courses with a curriculum based on unproven,
disproven, speculative, or exploratory content are best suited
to fulfill elective or specific program prerequisite credit
requirements, rather than general education credit requirements.
(2) In performing its duties under ss. 1007.24 and
1007.25, by December 1, 2024, and each December 1 thereafter,
the Articulation Coordinating Committee shall submit to the
State of Board of Education and the Board of Governors courses
that have been approved to be used by public postsecondary
educational institutions as meeting general education
requirements.
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(3) General education courses must meet all of the
following:
(a) Be in the general education core subject areas and
meet the course standards as provided in s. 1007.25.
(b) Be offered by at least half of all public
postsecondary educational institutions per system.
(c) Be identified as lower level in the statewide course
numbering system.
(d) Whenever applicable, as defined by regulations or
rules of the Board of Governors or the State Board of Education,
respectively, provide instruction on the historical background
and philosophical foundation of Western civilization and this
nation's founding documents, including the Declaration of
Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights
and subsequent amendments thereto, and the Federalist Papers.
(4) If a course is approved as a general education course,
that course must be accepted as a general education course in
the same subject area by all public postsecondary educational
institutions regardless of whether it is offered by the
institution.
(5) Each public postsecondary educational institution's
board of trustees and president are responsible for annually
reviewing and approving, at a public meeting, general education
course requirements, as authorized and approved in accordance
with s. 1007.24, s. 1007.25, and this section, at their
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institution. A public postsecondary educational institution that
fails to comply with the requirements of this section may not be
eligible to receive performance-based funding.
(6) Each public postsecondary educational institution must
report courses meeting general education requirements to the
department by their statewide course number.
Section 11. Effective upon this act becoming a law,
paragraph (b) of subsection (18) of section 1009.26, Florida
Statutes, is amended to read:
1009.26 Fee waivers.—
(18)
(b) A waiver granted under this subsection is applicable
only for upper-level courses and up to 110 percent of the number
of required credit hours of the baccalaureate degree program for
which the student is enrolled. A student granted a waiver under
this subsection shall continue receiving the waiver until the
student graduates, exceeds the number of allowable credit hours,
or withdraws from an eligible program, regardless of whether the
program is removed from the approved list of eligible programs
subsequent to the student's enrollment.
Section 12. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
2023.
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