Bill Text: FL H0357 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Independent Postsecondary Educational Institutions

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [H0357 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-H0357-Introduced.html
HB 357

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to independent postsecondary educational
3institutions; amending s. 1005.02, F.S.; defining the term
4"admissions staff"; amending s. 1005.22, F.S.; requiring
5the Commission for Independent Education to cause to be
6investigated criminal justice information for admissions
7staff; requiring investigation for licensure renewal;
8amending s. 1005.31, F.S.; requiring the commission to
9establish standards for admissions staff; providing a
10restriction on the solicitation of prospective students
11for enrollment; amending s. 1005.38, F.S.; requiring the
12commission to refuse to grant or renew or to revoke an
13institutional license for crimes relating to fraudulent
14practices or unfair consumer practices; providing for
15application; amending s. 744.1083, F.S.; conforming a
16cross-reference; providing an effective date.
17
18Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20     Section 1.  Subsections (2) through (16) of section
211005.02, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (3)
22through (17), respectively, and a new subsection (2) is added to
23that section to read:
24     1005.02  Definitions.-As used in this chapter, the term:
25     (2)  "Admissions staff" means any person, including the
26admissions director, who is employed by an independent
27postsecondary educational institution under the jurisdiction of
28the commission or by an out-of-state independent postsecondary
29educational institution under the jurisdiction of the commission
30and who provides information to prospective students, advises
31prospective students in order to secure an application, or
32accepts payment of fees from prospective students for the
33institution.
34     Section 2.  Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
351005.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
36     1005.22  Powers and duties of commission.-
37     (1)  The commission shall:
38     (h)  Cause to be investigated criminal justice information,
39as defined in s. 943.045, for each owner, administrator,
40admissions staff, and agent employed by an institution applying
41for licensure or licensure renewal from the commission.
42     Section 3.  Subsections (11) through (15) of section
431005.31, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (12)
44through (16), respectively, and a new subsection (11) is added
45to that section to read:
46     1005.31  Licensure of institutions.-
47     (11)  The commission shall establish minimum standards
48required of admissions staff employed by institutions under its
49jurisdiction. The commission may adopt rules to ensure that
50admissions staff meet these standards and uphold the intent of
51this chapter. The admissions staff of an institution under the
52jurisdiction of the commission may not solicit prospective
53students in this state for enrollment in the institution unless
54the institution has been licensed by the commission.
55     Section 4.  Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1005.38,
56Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
57     1005.38  Actions against a licensee and other penalties.-
58     (3)(a)  Any person who has been convicted of, or entered a
59plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a crime that relates to
60the unlawful operation or management of an institution is
61ineligible to own, operate, manage, or be a registered agent for
62a licensed institution in this state, and may not be a director
63or an officer in a corporation that owns or operates a licensed
64institution. Such a person may not operate or serve in a
65management or supervisory position in a licensed institution.
66     (b)1.  The commission shall refuse to grant an
67institutional license, refuse to renew an existing institutional
68license, or revoke an existing institutional license if any of
69the applicants, owners, directors, administrators, admissions
70staff, or registered agents has been found liable in a civil
71action or has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or
72nolo contendere to, a crime under chapter 817 or under s.
731005.04. Any civil or criminal act committed in another state or
74under federal law which, if committed in this state, would
75constitute an offense under this paragraph is grounds for
76refusal to grant or renew or to revoke a license.
77     2.  The commission shall review each applicant individually
78and may grant or renew a license if good cause is shown.
79     3.  The grounds for refusal to grant or renew or to revoke
80a license shall be applied to any disqualifying civil or
81criminal history regardless of the date of the commission of the
82underlying event. This paragraph shall be applied retroactively
83and prospectively.
84     (4)  The commission may deny an application for any
85operating status if the commission determines that the applicant
86or its owners, officers, directors, admissions staff, or
87administrators were previously operating an institution in this
88state or in another state or jurisdiction in a manner contrary
89to the health, education, or welfare of the public. The
90commission may consider factors such as the previous denial or
91revocation of an institutional license; prior criminal or civil
92administrative proceedings regarding the operation and
93management of an institution; other types of criminal
94proceedings involving fraud, deceit, dishonesty, or moral
95turpitude; failure of the institution to be properly closed,
96including completing the training or providing for the trainout
97of its students; and failure to issue appropriate refunds. The
98commission may require an applicant or its owners, officers,
99directors, admissions staff, or administrators to provide the
100commission with information under oath regarding the prior
101operation of an institution and to provide criminal justice
102information, the cost of which must be borne by the applicant in
103addition to license fees.
104     Section 5.  Subsection (10) of section 744.1083, Florida
105Statutes, is amended to read:
106     744.1083  Professional guardian registration.-
107     (10)  A state college or university or an independent
108college or university that is located and chartered in Florida,
109that is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
110Association of Colleges and Schools or the Accrediting Council
111for Independent Colleges and Schools, and that confers degrees
112as defined in s. 1005.02(8)(7) may, but is not required to,
113register as a professional guardian under this section. If a
114state college or university or independent college or university
115elects to register as a professional guardian under this
116subsection, the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) do not
117apply and the registration must include only the name, address,
118and employer identification number of the registrant.
119     Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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