This bill aims to enhance higher education and related programs in Florida by introducing several key amendments to existing statutes. It authorizes the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to create contracts with institutions in the State University System for evaluative research assistance. The bill also provides tuition assistance for active members of the Florida State Guard, allowing them to enroll in state universities and Florida College System institutions for up to six credit hours per term on a space-available basis. Additionally, it revises the Florida Educational Equity Act to become the Florida Educational Equality Act, broadening the focus on underrepresented groups in educational programs and allowing for the separation of students by sex in certain contexts.

Moreover, the bill introduces provisions for regional consortium service organizations among small colleges to enhance efficiency in serving rural communities and updates definitions related to emergency opioid antagonists in educational settings. It modifies the eligibility criteria for the Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education (GATE) Program and allows nonpublic religious postsecondary institutions to operate without licensure under specific conditions. The bill also emphasizes the importance of access to rigorous academics and vocational pathways for underrepresented students, revises financial aid provisions, and mandates that institutions receiving funds from the PIPELINE Fund allocate those funds to health care-related programs. Overall, the bill seeks to improve educational access, equity, and administrative processes within Florida's educational framework, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 1624 Filed: 251.001, 381.853, 446.032, 446.041, 1000.21, 1001.706, 1001.7065, 1004.0971, 1007.35, 1009.23, 1009.26, 1009.536, 1013.46, 1007.27
S 1624 c1: 251.001, 381.853, 446.032, 446.041, 1000.21, 1001.706, 1001.7065, 1004.0971, 1007.35, 1009.23, 1009.536, 1013.30, 1013.46, 1007.27
S 1624 c2: 251.001, 381.853, 446.032, 446.041, 1000.21, 1001.706, 1001.7065, 1004.0971, 1005.06, 1007.35, 1009.23, 1009.536, 1013.30, 1013.46, 1007.27