Senate Bill 926 (2024) — 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots
SB 926
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2024 SB By Senator Thompson 15-00325-24 2024926__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled
An act relating to the Ocoee Election Day Riots; 2 amending s. 288.7102, F.S.; requiring the Department of Commerce to prioritize certain applications for the Black Business Loan Program; creating s. 1009.551, 5 F.S.; creating the Ocoee Scholarship Program for specified recipients; requiring the Department of Education to administer the program; specifying limits on annual award amounts to recipients participating in the program; requiring the department to rank applicants; providing for transmittal of an award payment to a participating institution; providing eligibility criteria for award recipients; authorizing the State Board of Education to adopt rules; providing for program funding; providing an effective date. 15
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
Section 1. Subsection (2) of
Section
Section 1009.551, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 32 1009.551 Ocoee Scholarship Program.— 33
(1) The Ocoee Scholarship Program is created for the direct descendants of victims of the Ocoee Election Day Riots in November and for current African-American residents of Ocoee. 37
(2) The Department of Education shall administer the program. 39
(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 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. 46
(4) The department shall rank eligible initial applicants for the purposes of awarding scholarships based on need, as determined by the department. 49
(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 accredited college or university, or his or her representative, or to the director of the career center the recipient is attending. 54
(6) Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the department may make awards under the program for undergraduate study to students who meet all of the following criteria: 57
(
a) Meet the general requirements for student eligibility Florida Senate - 2024 SB 926 15-00325-24 2024926__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. as provided in s. 1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this section. 60
(
b) Timely file an application for the scholarship. 61
(
c) Enroll as certificate-seeking or degree-seeking students at an accredited college or university or a career center authorized by law. 64
(7) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer this section. 66
(8) Funding for the program shall be as provided in the General Appropriations Act. 68