1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to homelessness; amending ss. 320.02, |
3 | 322.08, and 322.18, F.S.; requiring the motor vehicle |
4 | registration form and registration renewal form, the |
5 | driver license application form, and the driver license |
6 | application form for renewal issuance or renewal extension |
7 | to include an option to make a voluntary contribution to |
8 | aid the homeless; providing for such contributions to be |
9 | deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the |
10 | Department of Children and Family Services and used by the |
11 | State Office on Homelessness for certain purposes; |
12 | providing that voluntary contributions for the homeless |
13 | are not income of a revenue nature for the purpose of |
14 | applying certain service charges; creating s. 414.161, |
15 | F.S.; establishing a homelessness prevention grant |
16 | program; requiring grant applicants to be ranked |
17 | competitively; providing preference for certain grant |
18 | applicants; providing eligibility requirements; providing |
19 | grant limitations and restrictions; requiring lead |
20 | agencies for local homeless assistance continuums of care |
21 | to track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a |
22 | specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.; |
23 | limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies may |
24 | spend on administrative costs; amending s. 420.625, F.S.; |
25 | deleting a cross-reference to conform; amending s. |
26 | 420.6275, F.S.; revising legislative findings relating to |
27 | the Housing First approach to homelessness; repealing s. |
28 | 414.16, F.S., relating to the emergency assistance program |
29 | for families with children that have lost shelter or face |
30 | loss of shelter due to an emergency; providing an |
31 | effective date. |
32 |
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33 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
34 |
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35 | Section 1. Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (15) of |
36 | section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read: |
37 | 320.02 Registration required; application for |
38 | registration; forms.- |
39 | (15) |
40 | (o) Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for |
41 | motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must |
42 | include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per |
43 | applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to |
44 | this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations |
45 | Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and |
46 | used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants |
47 | made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the |
48 | public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature |
49 | for homeless persons seeking assistance. |
50 |
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51 | For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s. |
52 | 215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not |
53 | income of a revenue nature. |
54 | Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida |
55 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
56 | 322.08 Application for license; requirements for license |
57 | and identification card forms.- |
58 | (7) The application form for an original, renewal, or |
59 | replacement driver's license or identification card shall |
60 | include language permitting the following: |
61 | (a) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
62 | contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund |
63 | for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the |
64 | organ and tissue donor registry. |
65 | (b) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
66 | contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the |
67 | Blind. |
68 | (c) A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which |
69 | shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute, |
70 | Incorporated. |
71 | (d) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
72 | shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation |
73 | International. |
74 | (e) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
75 | shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund. |
76 | (f) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
77 | shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization. |
78 | (g) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Stop |
79 | Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart |
80 | Research Institute, a nonprofit organization. |
81 | (h) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Senior |
82 | Vision Services, which shall be distributed to the Florida |
83 | Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., a not-for- |
84 | profit organization. |
85 | (i) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for |
86 | services for persons with developmental disabilities, which |
87 | shall be distributed to The Arc of Florida. |
88 | (j) A voluntary contribution of $1 to the Ronald McDonald |
89 | House, which shall be distributed each month to Ronald McDonald |
90 | House Charities of Tampa Bay, Inc. |
91 | (k) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution |
92 | of $1 per applicant, which shall be distributed to the League |
93 | Against Cancer/La Liga Contra el Cancer, a not-for-profit |
94 | organization. |
95 | (l) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to |
96 | Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, which shall be distributed to |
97 | Lauren's Kids, Inc., a nonprofit organization. |
98 | (m) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
99 | shall be distributed to Prevent Blindness Florida, a not-for- |
100 | profit organization, to prevent blindness and preserve the sight |
101 | of the residents of this state. |
102 | (n) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution |
103 | of $1 per applicant to the state homes for veterans, to be |
104 | distributed on a quarterly basis by the department to the State |
105 | Homes for Veterans Trust Fund, which is administered by the |
106 | Department of Veterans' Affairs. |
107 | (o) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution |
108 | of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made |
109 | pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants |
110 | and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and |
111 | Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to |
112 | supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide |
113 | information to the public about homelessness in the state, and |
114 | provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance. |
115 |
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116 | A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust |
117 | funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the |
118 | service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received |
119 | under paragraphs (b)-(o) (b)-(n) are not income of a revenue |
120 | nature. |
121 | Section 3. Subsection (9) is added to section 322.18, |
122 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
123 | 322.18 Original applications, licenses, and renewals; |
124 | expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.- |
125 | (9) The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal |
126 | extension shall include language permitting a voluntary |
127 | contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. |
128 | Contributions made pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited |
129 | into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of |
130 | Children and Family Services and used by the State Office on |
131 | Homelessness to supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and |
132 | (5), provide information to the public about homelessness in the |
133 | state, and provide literature for homeless persons seeking |
134 | assistance. For the purpose of applying the service charge |
135 | provided in s. 215.20, contributions received under this |
136 | paragraph are not income of a revenue nature. |
137 | Section 4. Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created |
138 | to read: |
139 | 414.161 Homelessness prevention grants.- |
140 | (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant |
141 | program to provide emergency financial assistance to families |
142 | facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or |
143 | other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the |
144 | concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and |
145 | administer moneys appropriated to the Department of Children and |
146 | Family Services to provide homelessness prevention grants |
147 | annually to lead agencies for local homeless assistance |
148 | continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office on |
149 | Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the |
150 | state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations, |
151 | gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source |
152 | that is intended to assist families to prevent them from |
153 | becoming homeless. |
154 | (2) GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked |
155 | competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who |
156 | leverage additional private funds and public funds, who |
157 | demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention |
158 | programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the |
159 | commitment of other assistance and services to address family |
160 | health, employment, and education needs. |
161 | (3) ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead |
162 | agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance |
163 | continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The |
164 | homelessness prevention program must be included in the |
165 | continuum of care plan. |
166 | (4) GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency |
167 | may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay |
168 | past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs, |
169 | other past due bills creating a family's financial crisis, |
170 | provision of case management services, and program |
171 | administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award. |
172 | The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for |
173 | each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be |
174 | covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered. |
175 | (5) PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency shall be required to |
176 | track, monitor, and report on each family assisted for at least |
177 | 12 months after the last assistance provided to the family. The |
178 | goal for the homelessness prevention program shall be to enable |
179 | at least 85 percent of the families assisted to remain in their |
180 | homes and avoid becoming homeless during the ensuing year. |
181 | Section 5. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of |
182 | section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read: |
183 | 420.622 State Office on Homelessness; Council on |
184 | Homelessness.- |
185 | (4) Not less than 120 days after the effective date of |
186 | this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence |
187 | of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys |
188 | appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to |
189 | lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care |
190 | designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency |
191 | may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county |
192 | government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit |
193 | corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency. |
194 | (d) A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its |
195 | funding on administrative costs. |
196 | Section 6. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section |
197 | 420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
198 | 420.625 Grant-in-aid program.- |
199 | (3) ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in- |
200 | aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of |
201 | the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may |
202 | include, but are not limited to: |
203 | (d) Emergency financial assistance for persons who are |
204 | totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are |
205 | not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16. |
206 | Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section |
207 | 420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
208 | 420.6275 Housing First.- |
209 | (2) HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.- |
210 | (a) The Housing First approach to homelessness differs |
211 | from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance, |
212 | case management, and support services responsive to individual |
213 | or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this |
214 | approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce |
215 | the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless |
216 | and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First |
217 | emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual |
218 | and family well-being can be more effective when people are in |
219 | their own home, and: |
220 | 1. The housing is not time-limited. |
221 | 2. The housing is not contingent on compliance with |
222 | services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard |
223 | lease agreement and are provided with the services and support |
224 | that are necessary to help them do so successfully. |
225 | 3. A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to |
226 | combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has |
227 | been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support |
228 | services are provided. |
229 | Section 8. Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed. |
230 | Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |