THE BILL ITSELF
HB 19
Educational Dollars for Duty Program
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to the Educational Dollars for Duty
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program; providing a short title; transferring,
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renumbering, and amending s. 250.10(7) and (8), F.S.;
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requiring the program to set aside a certain amount of
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funds to provide tuition assistance to spouses and
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children of active members of the Florida National
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Guard; authorizing the Legislature to increase the
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amount of such funds; requiring the Department of
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Military Affairs to oversee implementation and
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enforcement of the program; requiring the department
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to establish certain procedures; providing an
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effective date.
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WHEREAS, members of the Florida National Guard who are
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deployed to respond to emergencies are frequently taken away
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from their families for significant periods of time, and
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WHEREAS, a National Guard member's overseas deployments and
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service during natural disasters can often leave the member's
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family disadvantaged without the relied-upon support of the
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family member while the member is away serving Florida or our
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nation, and
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WHEREAS, providing educational support to the families of
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National Guard members will offer significant relief and support
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to these dedicated individuals, NOW, THEREFORE,
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Educational
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Dollars for Duty Program Expansion Act."
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Section 2. Present subsections (7) and (8) of section
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250.10, Florida Statutes, are transferred and renumbered as
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section 250.101, Florida Statutes, and subsection (3) is added
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to that section, to read:
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250.101 Educational Dollars for Duty program.—
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(1)(7) The Adjutant General shall develop an education
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assistance program for members in good standing of the Florida
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National Guard who enroll in an authorized course of study at a
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public or nonpublic postsecondary institution or technical
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center in the state which has been accredited by an accrediting
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body recognized by the United States Department of Education or
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licensed by the Commission for Independent Education. Education
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assistance also may be used for training to obtain industry
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certifications approved by the Department of Education pursuant
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to s. 1008.44 and continuing education to maintain license
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certifications. The education assistance program shall be known
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as the Educational Dollars for Duty program (EDD).
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(a) The program shall establish application requirements,
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including, but not limited to, requirements that the applicant:
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1. Be 17 years of age or older.
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2. Be presently domiciled in the state.
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3. Be an active drilling member and in good standing in
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the Florida National Guard at the beginning of and throughout
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the entire academic term for which benefits are received.
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4. Maintain continuous satisfactory participation in the
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Florida National Guard for the school term for which benefits
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are received.
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5. Upon enrollment in the program, complete a memorandum
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of agreement to:
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a. Comply with the rules of the program.
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b. Serve in the Florida National Guard for the period
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specified in the member's enlistment or reenlistment contract.
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c. Authorize the release of information pursuant to
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subparagraph (d)6. by the postsecondary institution or technical
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center to the education service office of the Department of
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Military Affairs, subject to applicable federal and state law.
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(b) The program shall define those members of the Florida
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National Guard who are ineligible to participate in the program
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and those courses of study which are not authorized for the
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program.
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1. Ineligible members include, but are not limited to, a
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member, commissioned officer, warrant officer, or enlisted
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person who has obtained a master's degree using the program.
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2. Inactive members of the Florida National Guard and
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members of the Individual Ready Reserve are not eligible to
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participate in the program.
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3. Courses not authorized include noncredit courses,
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courses that do not meet degree requirements, courses that do
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not meet requirements for completion of career training, or
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other courses as determined by program definitions.
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4. The program may not pay repeat course fees.
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(c) The program may include, but is not limited to:
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1. Courses at a public or nonpublic postsecondary
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institution or technical center in the state which is accredited
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by an accrediting body recognized by the United States
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Department of Education or licensed by the Commission for
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Independent Education.
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2. Training to obtain industry certifications, limited to
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certifications approved by the Department of Education under s.
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1008.44.
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3. Continuing education to maintain a license or
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certification. Notwithstanding subparagraph (b)1., members who
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have obtained a master's degree using the program are eligible
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for funding under this subparagraph.
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4. Licensing and industry certification examination fees.
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Notwithstanding subparagraph (b)1., members who have obtained a
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master's degree using the program are eligible for funding under
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this subparagraph.
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5. Notwithstanding subparagraph (b)3., developmental
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educational courses.
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(d) The Adjutant General shall adopt rules for the overall
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policy, guidance, administration, implementation, and proper use
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of the program. Such rules must include, but need not be limited
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to:
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1. Guidelines for certification by the Adjutant General of
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a guard member's eligibility.
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2. Procedures for notification to a postsecondary
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institution or technical center of a guard member's termination
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of eligibility.
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3. Guidelines for approving courses of study that are
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authorized for the program, including online courses, industry
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certification training, and continuing education to maintain
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license certifications.
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4. Guidelines for approving the use of program funds for
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licensing and industry certification examination fees.
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5. Procedures for restitution when a guard member fails to
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comply with the penalties described in this section.
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6. Procedures that require a public or nonpublic
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postsecondary institution or technical center that receives
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funding from the program to provide information regarding course
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enrollment, course withdrawal, course cancellation, course
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completion, course failure, and grade verification of enrolled
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members to the education service office of the Department of
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Military Affairs.
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7. Guidelines for the payment of tuition and fees, not to
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exceed the highest in-state tuition rate charged by a public
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postsecondary institution in the state.
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(2)(8) Subject to appropriations, the Department of
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Military Affairs may pay the full cost of tuition and fees for
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required courses for current members of the Florida National
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Guard. Members are eligible to use the program upon enlistment
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in the Florida National Guard. If a member is enrolled in a
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nonpublic postsecondary education institution or a nonpublic
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vocational-technical program, the Department of Military Affairs
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shall pay an amount that may not exceed the rate of the highest
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in-state tuition and fees at a public postsecondary education
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institution or public vocational-technical program.
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(a) The Adjutant General shall give preference and
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priority to eligible members who have deployed on federal
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military orders while a member of the Florida National Guard.
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(b) The Department of Military Affairs may reimburse a
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member for student textbook and instructional material costs in
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accordance with limits set each fiscal year based on funding
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availability and regardless of the source of tuition funding,
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but only after tuition and fees for all eligible members are
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paid for that fiscal year.
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(c) Penalties for noncompliance with program requirements
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include, but are not limited to, the following:
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1. If a member of the Florida National Guard receives
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payment of tuition and fees for an academic term and fails to
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maintain satisfactory participation in the Florida National
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Guard during that academic term, the member shall reimburse the
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Department of Military Affairs all tuition charges and student
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fees for the academic term for which the member received
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payment.
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2. If a member of the Florida National Guard leaves the
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Florida National Guard during the period specified in the
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member's enlistment or reenlistment contract, the member shall
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reimburse the Department of Military Affairs all tuition charges
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and student fees for which the member received payments,
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regardless of whether the obligation to reimburse the department
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was incurred before, on, or after July 1, 2009, unless the
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Adjutant General finds that there are justifiable extenuating
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circumstances.
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3. If the service of a member of the Florida National
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Guard is terminated or the member is placed on scholastic
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probation while receiving payments, the member shall reimburse
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the Department of Military Affairs all tuition charges and
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student fees for the academic term for which the member received
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payment.
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4. If a member defaults on any reimbursement made under
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this paragraph, the department may charge the member the maximum
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interest rate authorized by law.
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(3)(a) The Educational Dollars for Duty program shall set
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aside $500,000 of existing funds each fiscal year to provide
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financial assistance for up to 50 percent of the cost of tuition
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to spouses and children of active members of the Florida
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National Guard. The amount set aside may be increased by the
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Legislature as deemed necessary.
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(b) The Department of Military Affairs shall oversee the
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implementation and enforcement of this subsection. The
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department shall establish procedures for verifying eligibility
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and distributing funds.
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Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.