Title: Use of State Funds in Support of Boycotts

Summary: Provides findings & intent; defines terms "academic entity," "host country," & "public postsecondary education institution"; prohibits use of state funds to fund academic entities that promote discriminatory boycotts; provides limitations.

Full Text:
An act relating to the use of state funds in support of boycotts; providing findings and intent; defining the terms "academic entity," "host country," and "public postsecondary education institution"; prohibiting the use of state funds to fund academic entities that promote discriminatory boycotts; providing limitations; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Flori da: Section 1. Use of state funds in support of boycotts; prohibition.-(1) The Legislature finds that it is beneficial to students in this state to have access to an education that is not bound by borders and to have the opportunity to obtain a global education. The Legislature further finds that it is important that the state undertake efforts to ensure that its students succeed in a world that is continually becoming more interdependent and that students have access to international postsecondary education institutions. A global education allows students to connect, compete, and cooperate with their peers around the world. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to prohibit the state's public postsecondary education institutions from using state funds to support academic entities that have passed resolutions or taken official actions to HB 2014 promote discriminatory boycotts and thus limit academic opportunities. (2) For purposes of this section, the term: (a) "Academic entity" means an organiza tion that promotes or supports academia in the United States or abroad. (b) "Host country" means a country that hosts an international program in which a public postsecondary education institution participates. (c) "Public postsecondary education insti tution" means a Florida College System institution or a state university.36 (3)(a) A public postsecondary education institution may not use state funds provided directly to the institution to fund an academic entity, provide funds for membership in an acade mic entity, or fund travel or lodging for an institution employee to attend a meeting of an academic entity if the entity has issued a resolution or other official statement, or undertaken an official action, boycotting a host country or a postsecondary education institution located in a host country. (b) A public postsecondary education institution is not eligible to receive state funds during the academic year in which the institution is in violation of paragraph (a). (c) This section may not limit th eattendance by an employee of a public postsecondary education institution at an event of an academic entity that boycotts a host country or a postsecondary education institution located in a host country. Attendance at a meeting of such entity may not be used by the HB 2014 public postsecondary education institution with regard to employment decisions. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.