Ali Elwell reports from Tallahassee

Submitted by Ali Elwell
Intern for Rep. Janet Adkins
February 17, 2016 3:07 p.m.

My name is Ali Elwell, I am a first year student at Florida State University studying Criminology and Criminal Justice and an intern to Representative Adkins this session.

This week, [February 10, 2016] House Bill 179, the bill that Representative Janet Adkins is sponsoring, did not have the opportunity to make it out of Judiciary Committee and therefore I have no new information on it. HB 179 has to do with Evidence Collected in Sexual Offense Investigations. This bill will create a more timely submission of testing DNA evidence collected in sexual assault investigations and will require all data to be submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

This morning I had the opportunity to meet students from Santa Fe College to to hear about bills they were involved with and passionate about. They brought to my attention a crisis happening nationwide: a homeless epidemic involving college students. They also spoke to me about House Bill 793, and one that I and many other students in Nassau County could relate to, the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

As a recipient of the Bright Futures scholarship last year, I understand the difficulty behind being granted this scholarship. One must complete 100 hours of community service, have a certain grade point average, and get a specific SAT/ACT score to qualify for it. However, having started college the semester after receiving the scholarship, I had no idea that there were requirements that you had to accept it within 2 years, unless you joined the United States Armed Forces. I completely agree with being able to push back accepting the scholarship for something as noble as joining the Armed Forces, but these sharp students from Santa Fe College brought my attention to another matter that could require a student to not accept for 2 years. The current scholarship guidelines only allow a student who is putting off accepting the grant to join the Armed Forces. It says nothing about students who may put off accepting the grant for religious purposes.

For those of a Mormon background, there is a strong tradition of missionary service in their church. Usually, upon high school graduation, students at 18 and 19 years old embark on an 18 month to 2 year mission, completely unfunded, to preach and serve. What happens to those students in high school who worked exceptionally hard the meet the requirements to receive the Bright Futures scholarship and are unable to accept it, however helpful it may be, because of a religious duty?

This bill will modify the initial eligibility period for the scholarship to mimic what those who join the Armed Forces receive, giving those with a full time religious or service mission that lasts 18 months the opportunity to defer the 2 year initial award period until they have finished their service. However, it does not just cover the Mormon church, but also those who join the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps programs, to offer equal service opportunity to those who wish to serve.