Florida Senate - 2024 SB 926



By Senator Thompson





15-00325-24 2024926__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots;
3 amending s. 288.7102, F.S.; requiring the Department
4 of Commerce to prioritize certain applications for the
5 Black Business Loan Program; creating s. 1009.551,
6 F.S.; creating the Ocoee Scholarship Program for
7 specified recipients; requiring the Department of
8 Education to administer the program; specifying limits
9 on annual award amounts to recipients participating in
10 the program; requiring the department to rank
11 applicants; providing for transmittal of an award
12 payment to a participating institution; providing
13 eligibility criteria for award recipients; authorizing
14 the State Board of Education to adopt rules; providing
15 for program funding; providing an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 288.7102, Florida
20 Statutes, is amended to read:
21 288.7102 Black Business Loan Program.—
22 (2) The department shall establish an application and
23 annual certification process for entities seeking funds to
24 participate in providing loans, loan guarantees, or investments
25 in black business enterprises pursuant to the Florida Black
26 Business Investment Act. The department shall process all
27 applications and recertifications submitted by June 1 on or
28 before July 31. The department shall prioritize any applications
29 for black business enterprises in areas directly impacted by the
30 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots.
31 Section 2. Section 1009.551, Florida Statutes, is created
32 to read:
33 1009.551 Ocoee Scholarship Program.—
34 (1) The Ocoee Scholarship Program is created for the direct
35 descendants of victims of the Ocoee Election Day Riots in
36 November 1920 and for current African-American residents of
37 Ocoee.
38 (2) The Department of Education shall administer the
39 program.
40 (3) The annual award to a student under the program may be
41 an amount of up to $6,100 but may not exceed the annual amount
42 of the student’s tuition and registration fees. The department
43 may award up to 50 scholarships per academic year. If funds are
44 insufficient to provide a full scholarship to each eligible
45 applicant, the department may prorate available funds and make a
46 partial award to each eligible applicant.
47 (4) The department shall rank eligible initial applicants
48 for the purposes of awarding scholarships based on need, as
49 determined by the department.
50 (5) Payment of an award must be transmitted in advance of
51 the registration period each semester on behalf of the student
52 to the president of the accredited college or university, or his
53 or her representative, or to the director of the career center
54 the recipient is attending.
55 (6) Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the
56 department may make awards under the program for undergraduate
57 study to students who meet all of the following criteria:
58 (a) Meet the general requirements for student eligibility
59 as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this
60 section.
61 (b) Timely file an application for the scholarship.
62 (c) Enroll as certificate-seeking or degree-seeking
63 students at an accredited college or university or a career
64 center authorized by law.
65 (7) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
66 necessary to implement and administer this section.
67 (8) Funding for the program shall be as provided in the
68 General Appropriations Act.
69 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
S 926 Filed: 288.7102