Senate Bill sb1278e1

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    CS for SB 1278                           First Engrossed (ntc)



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to youth and young adults with

  3         disabilities; creating the Interagency Services

  4         Committee for Youth and Young Adults with

  5         Disabilities; providing legislative intent;

  6         providing that the committee be staffed by

  7         member agencies of the committee; providing for

  8         the membership of the committee; providing

  9         duties and responsibilities for the committee;

10         requiring the committee to submit a report to

11         the Governor and the Legislature; providing an

12         effective date.

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14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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16         Section 1.  Interagency Services Committee for Youth

17  and Young Adults with Disabilities.--

18         (1)  The Agency for Persons with Disabilities may

19  create the Interagency Services Committee for Youth and Young

20  Adults with Disabilities. It is the intent of the Legislature

21  that the committee develop strategies to ensure successful

22  transition to employment or further education of youth and

23  young adults with disabilities and to eliminate barriers that

24  impede educational opportunities leading to future employment.

25         (2)(a)  The committee shall consist of heads, or their

26  designees, of the following agencies and bureaus or divisions

27  of agencies: the Department of Education and, in that

28  department, the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student

29  Services, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the

30  Division of Blind Services, the Division of Community

31  Colleges, workforce education, and the office of interagency


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    CS for SB 1278                           First Engrossed (ntc)



 1  programs; the Agency for Persons with Disabilities; the Agency

 2  for Health Care Administration; the Division of Children's

 3  Medical Services Network in the Department of Health;

 4  children's mental health in the Department of Children and

 5  Family Services; the Department of Juvenile Justice; the

 6  Department of Corrections; the Commission for the

 7  Transportation Disadvantaged; and the Florida Housing Finance

 8  Corporation. Agency representatives must be at least at the

 9  bureau chief level. The committee may invite representation

10  from the following private and public parties: the Able Trust;

11  the Business Leadership Network; the Florida Advocacy Center;

12  the Governor's Americans with Disabilities Act Working Group;

13  the Florida Association for Centers for Independent Living; an

14  individual with a disability; and a parent or guardian of an

15  individual with a disability. The members of the committee

16  shall designate one of its members as chairperson.

17         (b)  The Department of Children and Family Services,

18  the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and the

19  Agency for Persons with Disabilities shall provide staff

20  support to the committee. Meetings and records of the

21  committee are subject to ss. 119.07 and 286.011, Florida

22  Statutes. The chairperson may designate one of the agencies

23  providing staff support to perform administrative

24  responsibilities for the committee.

25         (c)  Committee members shall serve without compensation

26  but are entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in

27  carrying out their duties as provided in s. 112.061, Florida

28  Statutes. Members who are public officers or employees shall

29  be reimbursed through the budget entity through which they are

30  compensated. Reimbursement for members who are not public

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    CS for SB 1278                           First Engrossed (ntc)



 1  officers or employees shall alternate between the budget

 2  entities represented on the committee.

 3         (3)  The committee shall:

 4         (a)  Identify the roles and responsibilities of each

 5  agency with regard to the committee goals.

 6         (b)  Develop collaborative relationships to identify

 7  and assist in removing federal and state barriers to achieving

 8  the goals.

 9         (c)  Identify common or comparable performance measures

10  for all agencies that serve youth and young adults with

11  disabilities.

12         (d)  Design a mechanism to annually assess the progress

13  toward the goals by each agency.

14         (e)  Collect and disseminate information on

15  research-based practices of state and local agencies on

16  successful strategies.

17         (f)  Develop strategies to educate public and private

18  employers on the benefit of hiring persons with disabilities.

19         (g)  Develop strategies to encourage and provide

20  incentives for public and private employers to hire persons

21  with disabilities.

22         (h)  Recommend a statewide system of accountability

23  which would include incentives for persons with disabilities;

24  service providers, including school districts, technical

25  centers, and community colleges; and businesses and industries

26  providing integrated competitive employment to individuals

27  with disabilities.

28         (4)  The committee shall present a report of its

29  findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of

30  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

31  March 1, 2007, and a final report on its findings and


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    CS for SB 1278                           First Engrossed (ntc)



 1  recommendations by January 1, 2008. The committee is abolished

 2  on June 1, 2008.

 3         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

 4  law.

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