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The Florida Senate

CS/HB 901 — Vocational Rehabilitation Services

by Higher Education and Career Readiness Subcommittee and Rep. Ponder and others (CS/SB 1784 by Appropriations Committee and Senator Gainer)

This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.

Prepared by: Education Committee (ED)

The bill aligns Florida law with federal requirements for state vocational rehabilitation programs to provide preemployment transition services for eligible individuals with a disability who are between 14 and 21 years of age. Specifically, the bill:

  • Clarifies that vocational rehabilitation services include preemployment transition services.
  • Expands requirements for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to cooperate with other agencies in coordinating preemployment transition plan services for eligible students.
  • Modifies the requirements of the assessment performed by the Florida Rehabilitation Council to include an analysis of the alignment of preemployment transitions services with labor market demands.
  • Requires the annual performance report provided by the DVR to include the timeframes for handling cases, the uses of matching federal funds, and preemployment transition services data.
  • Modifies the membership of the Florida Rehabilitation Council and expands the Council’s scope of review.
  • Modifies provisions related to The Able Trust, including clarifying that administrative costs are based on actual expenditures in any fiscal year, adds the Director of the DVR, or his or her designee, as an ex officio member of the board, and revises board member terms.

If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2020.

Vote: Senate 39-0; House 114-0