Purpose
To outline the procedures to provide educational death benefits to eligible spouses and dependents of firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and members of the Florida National Guard and United States Armed Forces who are killed while performing official duties. Florida College System (FCS) institutions, school district career centers and charter technical career centers currently offer tuition waivers to spouses and dependents of deceased law enforcement, correctional, and correctional probation officers identified in section 112.19(3), F.S., and firefighters identified in section 112.191(3), F.S. In 2019, Senate Bill 7098 (Chapter No. 2019-24, Laws of Florida) amended those statutes and expanded those benefits to include spouses or dependents of deceased first responders and members of the Florida National Guard and United States Armed Forces. A rule is warranted to outline procedures to implement the new requirements.