Bill Text: FL S0356 | 2020 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Keep Our Graduates Working Act
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-06 - Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/CS/HB 115 [S0356 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S0356-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2020 CS for SB 356 By the Committee on Innovation, Industry, and Technology; and Senator Hutson 580-01997-20 2020356c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Keep Our Graduates Working Act; 3 creating s. 120.82, F.S.; providing a short title; 4 providing a purpose; defining terms; prohibiting a 5 state authority from suspending or revoking a person’s 6 professional license, certificate, registration, or 7 permit solely on the basis of a delinquency or default 8 in the payment of his or her student loan; amending s. 9 456.072, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 10 by the act; repealing s. 456.0721, F.S., relating to 11 health care practitioners in default on student loan 12 or scholarship obligations; amending ss. 456.074 and 13 1009.95, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 14 by the act; providing an effective date. 15 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17 18 Section 1. Section 120.82, Florida Statutes, is created to 19 read: 20 120.82 Keep Our Graduates Working Act.— 21 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Keep Our 22 Graduates Working Act of 2020.” 23 (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this act is to ensure that 24 Floridians who graduate from an accredited college or university 25 can maintain their occupational licenses, as defined in 26 subsection (3), and remain in the workforce while they attempt 27 to pay off their student loan debt. 28 (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 29 (a) “Default” means the failure to repay a student loan 30 according to the terms agreed to in the promissory note. 31 (b) “Delinquency” means the failure to make a student loan 32 payment when it is due. 33 (c) “License” means any professional license, certificate, 34 registration, or permit granted by the applicable state 35 authority. 36 (d) “State authority” means any department, board, or 37 agency with the authority to grant a license to any person in 38 this state. 39 (e) “Student loan” means a federal-guaranteed or state 40 guaranteed loan for the purposes of postsecondary education. 41 (4) STUDENT LOAN DEFAULT; DELINQUENCY.—A state authority 42 may not suspend or revoke a license that it has issued to a 43 person who is in default on or delinquent in the payment of his 44 or her student loans solely on the basis of such default or 45 delinquency. 46 Section 2. Paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of section 47 456.072, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 48 456.072 Grounds for discipline; penalties; enforcement.— 49 (1) The following acts shall constitute grounds for which 50 the disciplinary actions specified in subsection (2) may be 51 taken: 52 (k) Failing to perform any statutory or legal obligation 53 placed upon a licensee. For purposes of this section, failing to 54 repay a student loan issued or guaranteed by the state or the 55 Federal Government in accordance with the terms of the loan is 56 notor failing to comply with service scholarship obligations57shall beconsidered a failure to perform a statutory or legal 58 obligation, and the minimum disciplinary action imposed shall be59a suspension of the license until new payment terms are agreed60upon or the scholarship obligation is resumed, followed by61probation for the duration of the student loan or remaining62scholarship obligation period, and a fine equal to 10 percent of63the defaulted loan amount. Fines collected mustshallbe 64 deposited into the Medical Quality Assurance Trust Fund. 65 Section 3. Section 456.0721, Florida Statutes, is repealed. 66 Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 456.074, Florida 67 Statutes, is amended to read: 68 456.074 Certain health care practitioners; immediate 69 suspension of license.— 70(4) Upon receipt of information that a Florida-licensed71health care practitioner has defaulted on a student loan issued72or guaranteed by the state or the Federal Government, the73department shall notify the licensee by certified mail that he74or she shall be subject to immediate suspension of license75unless, within 45 days after the date of mailing, the licensee76provides proof that new payment terms have been agreed upon by77all parties to the loan. The department shall issue an emergency78order suspending the license of any licensee who, after 45 days79following the date of mailing from the department, has failed to80provide such proof. Production of such proof shall not prohibit81the department from proceeding with disciplinary action against82the licensee pursuant to s. 456.073.83 Section 5. Subsection (1) of s. 1009.95, Florida Statutes, 84 is amended to read: 85 1009.95 Delinquent accounts.— 86 (1) The Department of Education is directed to exert every 87 lawful and reasonable effort to collect all delinquent unpaid 88 and uncanceled scholarship loan notes, student loan notes, and 89 defaulted guaranteed loan notes; however, in all such efforts, 90 the department shall comply with s. 120.82. 91 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.