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
HB 249 2024
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots
3 loans and scholarships; amending s. 288.7102, F.S.;
4 requiring the Department of Economic Opportunity to
5 prioritize certain applications for the Black Business
6 Loan Program; creating s. 1009.551, F.S.; creating the
7 Ocoee Scholarship Program for specified recipients;
8 directing the Department of Education to administer
9 the program; specifying annual award amounts to
10 recipients participating in the program; requiring the
11 department to rank applicants; providing for
12 transmittal of an award payment to a participating
13 institution; prescribing eligibility criteria for
14 award recipients; authorizing the State Board of
15 Education to adopt certain rules; providing for
16 program funding; providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 288.7102, Florida
21 Statutes, is amended to read:
22 288.7102 Black Business Loan Program.—
23 (2) The department shall establish an application and
24 annual certification process for entities seeking funds to
25 participate in providing loans, loan guarantees, or investments
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26 in black business enterprises pursuant to the Florida Black
27 Business Investment Act. The department shall process all
28 applications and recertifications submitted by June 1 on or
29 before July 31. The department shall prioritize any applications
30 for black business enterprises in areas directly impacted by the
31 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots.
32 Section 2. Section 1009.551, Florida Statutes, is created
33 to read:
34 1009.551 Ocoee Scholarship Program.—
35 (1) The Ocoee Scholarship Program is created for the
36 direct descendants of victims of the Ocoee Election D ay Riots in
37 November 1920 and for current African-American residents of
38 Ocoee.
39 (2) The Ocoee Scholarship Program shall be administered by
40 the Department of Education.
41 (3) The annual award to a student under the program may be
42 an amount of up to $6,100, but may not exceed the annual amount
43 of the student's tuition and registration fees. The department
44 may award up to 50 scholarships per academic year. If funds are
45 insufficient to provide a full scholarship to each eligible
46 applicant, the department may prorate available funds and make a
47 partial award to each eligible applicant.
48 (4) The department shall rank eligible initial applicants
49 for the purposes of awarding scholarships based on need, as
50 determined by the department.
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51 (5) Payment of an award shall be transmitted in advance of
52 the registration period each semester on behalf of the student
53 to the president of the institution or university, or his or her
54 representative, or to the director of the career center that the
55 recipient is attending pursuant to paragraph (6)(c).
56 (6) Beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, the
57 department is authorized to make awards for undergraduate study
58 to students who:
59 (a) Meet the general requirements for student eligibility
60 as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this
61 section.
62 (b) File an application for the scholarship within the
63 established time limits.
64 (c) Enroll as certificate-seeking or degree-seeking
65 students at a Florida College System institution, state
66 university, Bethune-Cookman University, Florida Memorial
67 College, Edward Waters University, or career center authorized
68 by law.
69 (7) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
70 necessary to implement and administer this section.
71 (8) Funding for the program shall be as provided in the
72 General Appropriations Act.
73 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
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Statutes affected:
H 249 Filed: 288.7102