Florida Senate - 2024 SB 262



By Senator Powell





24-00252-24 2024262__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
3 Scholarship Program; amending ss. 1009.534 and
4 1009.535, F.S.; revising the student eligibility
5 criteria for specified awards within the Florida
6 Bright Futures Scholarship Program; providing an
7 effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
12 1009.534, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
13 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
14 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
15 award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
16 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
17 (e) Has been recognized by the College Board National
18 Hispanic Recognition Programs Program as a scholar recipient.
19
20 The student must complete a program of volunteer service or,
21 beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022-2023
22 academic year and thereafter, paid work, as approved by the
23 district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic school,
24 or the Department of Education for home education program
25 students, which must include 100 hours of volunteer service,
26 paid work, or a combination of both. Eligible paid work
27 completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be included in the
28 student’s total of paid work hours. The student may identify a
29 social or civic issue or a professional area that interests him
30 or her and develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in
31 addressing the issue or learning about the area. The student
32 must, through papers or other presentations, evaluate and
33 reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid work
34 experience. Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but
35 is not limited to, a business or governmental internship, work
36 for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on
37 behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer
38 service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the
39 document must be signed by the student, the student’s parent or
40 guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the
41 student performed the volunteer service or paid work.
42 Section 2. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
43 1009.535, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
44 1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
45 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
46 award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
47 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
48 (e) Has been recognized by the College Board National
49 Hispanic Recognition Programs Program as a scholar, but has not
50 completed the program of volunteer service or paid work required
51 under s. 1009.534.
52
53 A high school student must complete a program of volunteer
54 service or, beginning with a high school student graduating in
55 the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, paid work approved
56 by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
57 school, or the Department of Education for home education
58 program students, which must include 75 hours of volunteer
59 service, 100 hours of paid work, or 100 hours of a combination
60 of both. Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022,
61 shall be included in a student’s total of required paid work
62 hours. The student may identify a social or civic issue or a
63 professional area that interests him or her and develop a plan
64 for his or her personal involvement in addressing the issue or
65 learning about the area. The student must, through papers or
66 other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her
67 volunteer service or paid work experience. Such volunteer
68 service or paid work may include, but is not limited to, a
69 business or governmental internship, work for a nonprofit
70 community service organization, or activities on behalf of a
71 candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer service or
72 paid work must be documented in writing, and the document must
73 be signed by the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and
74 a representative of the organization for which the student
75 performed the volunteer service or paid work.
76 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
S 262 Filed: 1009.534, 1009.535