FL H1019

Removes religious colleges from the list of institutions entirely exempt from the Commission for Independent Education's jurisdiction under s. 1005.06(f) and creates a new standalone section (s. 1005.12) governing nonpublic religious postsecondary educational institutions operating without licensure

Requires unlicensed nonpublic religious postsecondary institutions to meet at least two organizational criteria (e.g., incorporated in Florida, registered as an LLC, tax-exempt under 501(c)(3), or operating as a ministry with an IRS taxpayer ID) and to annually submit a sworn affidavit to the commission affirming compliance with naming, program, degree title, and consumer practice requirements

Expands the approved educational program categories for these institutions beyond the prior law to include business, accounting, and finance, in addition to ministry, counseling, theology, education, administration, music, fine arts, media, social work, and communications

Authorizes Florida-based religious nongovernmental education associations, approved by the commission and composed of review teams of at least three trained members with conflict-of-interest restrictions, to verify institutional compliance on the commission's behalf

Requires noncompliant institutions to either apply for licensure or cease operations within 45 days of receiving a notice of noncompliance, and subjects the employee or agent who produced a false sworn affidavit to criminal penalties under s. 837.012; effective date is July 1, 2024