Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

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           HB 463                                                                                                2023
                                         A bill to be entitled
             An act relating to Groveland Four business loans and
             scholarships; amending s. 288.7102, F.S.; requiring
             the Department of Economic Opportunity to prioritize
             certain applications for the Black Business Loan
             Program; creating s. 1009.551, F.S.; creating the
             Groveland Four Scholarship Program for specified
             recipients; directing the Department of Education to
             administer the program; specifying annual award
                amounts to students participating in the program;
                requiring the department to rank applicants; providing
                for transmittal of an award payment to a participating
                postsecondary institution; prescribing eligibility
                criteria for award recipients; authorizing the State
                Board of Education to adopt rules; providing for
                program funding; providing an effective date.
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       Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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                Section 1.          Subsection (2) of section 288.7102, Florida
       Statutes, is amended to read:
                288.7102           Black Business Loan Program.—
                (2)         The department shall establish an application and
       annual certification process for entities seeking funds to
       participate in providing loans, loan guarantees, or investments
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        HB 463                                                                                                2023
    in black business enterprises pursuant to the Florida Black
    Business Investment Act. The department shall process all
    applications and recertifications submitted by June 1 on or
    before July 31. The department shall prioritize any applications
    for black business enterprises in areas directly impacte d by the
    Groveland Four injustice.
             Section 2.          Section 1009.551, Florida Statutes, is created
    to read:
             1009.551           Groveland Four Scholarship Program.—
             (1)         The Groveland Four Scholarship Program is created for
    the direct descendants of victims of the Groveland Four
    injustice which occurred in July 1949 and for current African -
    American residents of Groveland.
             (2)         The Groveland Four Scholarship Program shall be
    administered by the Department of Education.
             (3)         The annual award to a student under the program may be
    an amount of up to $6,100, but may not exceed the annual amount
    of the student's tuition and registration fees. The department
    may award up to 50 scholarships per academic year. If funds are
    insufficient to provide a full scholarship to each eligible
    applicant, the department may prorate available funds and make a
    partial award to each eligible applicant.
             (4)         The department shall rank eligible initial applicants
    for the purpose of awarding scholarships based on need, as
    determined by the department.
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        HB 463                                                                                                2023
             (5)         Payment of an award must be transmitted in advance of
    the registration period each semester on behalf of the student
    to the president of the state university or Florida College
    System institution, or his or her representative, or to the
    director of the career center that the recipient is attending.
             (6)         Beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, the
    department is authorized to make awards for undergraduate study
    to students who do all of the following:
             (a)         Meet the general requirements for student eligibility
    as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this
    section.
             (b)         File an application for the scholarship within the
    established time limits, as determined by the department.
             (c)         Enroll as certificate-seeking or degree-seeking
    students at a state university, Florida College System
    institution, or career center authorized by law.
             (7)         The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
    necessary to implement and administer this section.
             (8)         Funding for the program must be as provided in the
    General Appropriations Act.
             Section 3.         This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
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Statutes affected: 
H 463 Filed: 288.7102