The Florida Senate

393.067  Licensure of residential facilities and comprehensive transitional education programs.--

(1)  The department shall provide through its licensing authority a system of provider qualifications, standards, training criteria for meeting standards, and monitoring for residential facilities and comprehensive transitional education programs.

(2)  The department shall conduct inspections and reviews of residential facilities and comprehensive transitional education programs annually.

(3)  An application for a license for a residential facility or a comprehensive transitional education program shall be made to the Department of Children and Family Services on a form furnished by it and shall be accompanied by the appropriate license fee.

(4)  The application shall be under oath and shall contain the following:

(a)  The name and address of the applicant, if an applicant is an individual; if the applicant is a firm, partnership, or association, the name and address of each member thereof; if the applicant is a corporation, its name and address and the name and address of each director and each officer thereof; and the name by which the facility or program is to be known.

(b)  The location of the facility or program for which a license is sought.

(c)  The name of the person or persons under whose management or supervision the facility or program will be conducted.

(d)  The number and type of residents or clients for which maintenance, care, education, or treatment is to be provided by the facility or program.

(e)  The number and location of the component centers or units which will compose the comprehensive transitional education program.

(f)  A description of the types of services and treatment to be provided by the facility or program.

(g)  Information relating to the number, experience, and training of the employees of the facility or program.

(h)  Certification that the staff of the facility or program will receive training to detect and prevent sexual abuse of residents and clients.

(i)  Such other information as the department determines is necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

(5)  The applicant shall submit evidence which establishes the good moral character of the manager or supervisor of the facility or program and the direct service providers in the facility or program and its component centers or units. A license may be issued if all the screening materials have been timely submitted; however, a license may not be issued or renewed if any of the direct service providers have failed the screening required by s. 393.0655.

(a)1.  A licensed residential facility or comprehensive transitional education program which applies for renewal of its license shall submit to the department a list of direct service providers who have worked on a continuous basis at the applicant facility or program since submitting fingerprints to the department, identifying those direct service providers for whom a written assurance of compliance was provided by the department and identifying those direct service providers who have recently begun working at the facility or program and are awaiting the results of the required fingerprint check along with the date of the submission of those fingerprints for processing. The department shall by rule determine the frequency of requests to the Department of Law Enforcement to run state criminal records checks for such direct service providers except for those direct service providers awaiting the results of initial fingerprint checks for employment at the applicant facility or program. The department shall review the records of the direct service providers at the applicant facility or program with respect to the crimes specified in s. 393.0655 and shall notify the facility or program of its findings. When disposition information is missing on a criminal record, it shall be the responsibility of the person being screened, upon request of the department, to obtain and supply within 30 days the missing disposition information to the department. Failure to supply the missing information within 30 days or to show reasonable efforts to obtain such information shall result in automatic disqualification.

2.  The applicant shall sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury stating that all new direct service providers have been fingerprinted and that the facility's or program's remaining direct service providers have worked at the applicant facility or program on a continuous basis since being initially screened at that facility or program or have a written assurance of compliance from the department.

(b)  As a prerequisite for issuance of the initial license to a residential facility or comprehensive transitional education program:

1.  The applicant shall submit to the department a complete set of fingerprints, taken by an authorized law enforcement agency or an employee of the department who is trained to take fingerprints, for the manager, supervisor, or direct service providers of the facility or program;

2.  The department shall submit the fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state processing and for federal processing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and

3.  The department shall review the record of the manager or supervisor with respect to the crimes specified in s. 393.0655(1) and shall notify the applicant of its findings. When disposition information is missing on a criminal record, it shall be the responsibility of the manager or supervisor, upon request of the department, to obtain and supply within 30 days the missing disposition information to the department. Failure to supply the missing information within 30 days or to show reasonable efforts to obtain such information shall result in automatic disqualification.

(c)  The department or a residential facility or comprehensive transitional education program may not use the criminal records, juvenile records, or abuse registry information of a person obtained under this subsection for any purpose other than determining if that person meets the minimum standards for good moral character for a manager or supervisor of, or direct service provider in, such a facility or program. The criminal records, juvenile records, or abuse registry information obtained by the department or a residential facility or comprehensive transitional education program for determining the moral character of a manager, supervisor, or direct service provider are exempt from s. 119.07(1).

¹(6)  Each applicant for licensure as an intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled must comply with the following requirements:

(a)  Upon receipt of a completed, signed, and dated application, the agency shall require background screening, in accordance with the level 2 standards for screening set forth in chapter 435, of the managing employee, or other similarly titled individual who is responsible for the daily operation of the facility, and of the financial officer, or other similarly titled individual who is responsible for the financial operation of the center, including billings for resident care and services. The applicant must comply with the procedures for level 2 background screening as set forth in chapter 435, as well as the requirements of s. 435.03(3).

(b)  The agency may require background screening of any other individual who is an applicant if the agency has probable cause to believe that he or she has been convicted of a crime or has committed any other offense prohibited under the level 2 standards for screening set forth in chapter 435.

(c)  Proof of compliance with the level 2 background screening requirements of chapter 435 which has been submitted within the previous 5 years in compliance with any other health care licensure requirements of this state is acceptable in fulfillment of the requirements of paragraph (a).

(d)  A provisional license may be granted to an applicant when each individual required by this section to undergo background screening has met the standards for the abuse registry background check and the Department of Law Enforcement background check, but the agency has not yet received background screening results from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or a request for a disqualification exemption has been submitted to the agency as set forth in chapter 435, but a response has not yet been issued. A standard license may be granted to the applicant upon the agency's receipt of a report of the results of the Federal Bureau of Investigation background screening for each individual required by this section to undergo background screening which confirms that all standards have been met, or upon the granting of a disqualification exemption by the agency as set forth in chapter 435. Any other person who is required to undergo level 2 background screening may serve in his or her capacity pending the agency's receipt of the report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, the person may not continue to serve if the report indicates any violation of background screening standards and a disqualification exemption has not been requested of and granted by the agency as set forth in chapter 435.

(e)  Each applicant must submit to the agency, with its application, a description and explanation of any exclusions, permanent suspensions, or terminations of the applicant from the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Proof of compliance with the requirements for disclosure of ownership and control interests under the Medicaid or Medicare programs shall be accepted in lieu of this submission.

(f)  Each applicant must submit to the agency a description and explanation of any conviction of an offense prohibited under the level 2 standards of chapter 435 by a member of the board of directors of the applicant, its officers, or any individual owning 5 percent or more of the applicant. This requirement does not apply to a director of a not-for-profit corporation or organization if the director serves solely in a voluntary capacity for the corporation or organization, does not regularly take part in the day-to-day operational decisions of the corporation or organization, receives no remuneration for his or her services on the corporation or organization's board of directors, and has no financial interest and has no family members with a financial interest in the corporation or organization, provided that the director and the not-for-profit corporation or organization include in the application a statement affirming that the director's relationship to the corporation satisfies the requirements of this paragraph.

(g)  A license may not be granted to an applicant if the applicant or managing employee has been found guilty of, regardless of adjudication, or has entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, any offense prohibited under the level 2 standards for screening set forth in chapter 435, unless an exemption from disqualification has been granted by the agency as set forth in chapter 435.

(h)  The agency may deny or revoke licensure if the applicant:

1.  Has falsely represented a material fact in the application required by paragraph (e) or paragraph (f), or has omitted any material fact from the application required by paragraph (e) or paragraph (f); or

2.  Has had prior action taken against the applicant under the Medicaid or Medicare program as set forth in paragraph (e).

(i)  An application for license renewal must contain the information required under paragraphs (e) and (f).

(7)  The applicant shall furnish satisfactory proof of financial ability to operate and conduct the facility or program in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and all rules promulgated hereunder.

(8)  The department shall promulgate rules establishing minimum standards for licensure of residential facilities and comprehensive transitional education programs, including rules requiring facilities and programs to train staff to detect and prevent sexual abuse of residents and clients, minimum standards of quality and adequacy of care, and uniform firesafety standards established by the State Fire Marshal which are appropriate to the size of the facility or of the component centers or units of the program.

(9)  The department and the Agency for Health Care Administration, after consultation with the Department of Community Affairs, shall adopt rules for residential facilities under the respective regulatory jurisdiction of each establishing minimum standards for the preparation and annual update of a comprehensive emergency management plan. At a minimum, the rules must provide for plan components that address emergency evacuation transportation; adequate sheltering arrangements; postdisaster activities, including emergency power, food, and water; postdisaster transportation; supplies; staffing; emergency equipment; individual identification of residents and transfer of records; and responding to family inquiries. The comprehensive emergency management plan for all comprehensive transitional education programs and for homes serving individuals who have complex medical conditions is subject to review and approval by the local emergency management agency. During its review, the local emergency management agency shall ensure that the following agencies, at a minimum, are given the opportunity to review the plan: the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Children and Family Services, and the Department of Community Affairs. Also, appropriate volunteer organizations must be given the opportunity to review the plan. The local emergency management agency shall complete its review within 60 days and either approve the plan or advise the facility of necessary revisions.

(10)  The department may conduct unannounced inspections to determine compliance by residential facilities and comprehensive transitional education programs with the applicable provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant hereto, including the rules adopted for training staff of a facility or a program to detect and prevent sexual abuse of residents and clients. The facility or program shall make copies of inspection reports available to the public upon request.

(11)  An alternative living center and an independent living education center, as defined in s. 393.063(8), shall be subject to the provisions of s. 419.001, except that such centers shall be exempt from the 1,000-foot-radius requirement of s. 419.001(2) if:

(a)  Such centers are located on a site zoned in a manner so that all the component centers of a comprehensive transition education center may be located thereon; or

(b)  There are no more than three such centers within said radius of 1,000 feet.

(12)  Each residential facility or comprehensive transitional education program licensed by the department shall forward annually to the department a true and accurate sworn statement of its costs of providing care to clients funded by the department.

(13)  The department may audit the records of any residential facility or comprehensive transitional education program which it has reason to believe may not be in full compliance with the provisions of this section; provided that, any financial audit of such facility or program shall be limited to the records of clients funded by the department.

(14)  The department shall establish, for the purpose of control of licensure costs, a uniform management information system and a uniform reporting system with uniform definitions and reporting categories.

(15)  Facilities and programs licensed pursuant to this section shall adhere to all rights specified in s. 393.13, including those enumerated in s. 393.13(4).

(16)  No unlicensed residential facility or comprehensive transitional education program shall receive state funds. A license for the operation of a facility or program shall not be renewed if the licensee has any outstanding fines assessed pursuant to this chapter wherein final adjudication of such fines has been entered.

(17)  The department shall not be required to contract with new facilities licensed after October 1, 1989, pursuant to this chapter. Pursuant to chapter 287, the department shall continue to contract within available resources for residential services with facilities licensed prior to October 1, 1989, if such facilities comply with the provisions of this chapter and all other applicable laws and regulations.

(18)  The department shall develop a plan by March 15, 1991, to phase out all of the unlicensed beds in developmental services institutions by December 30, 1999, and, contingent upon appropriations, ensure that all beds operating after that date are licensed. This plan must address among other issues the transfer of funds from developmental services institutions to the community.

History.--s. 1, ch. 77-335; s. 154, ch. 79-400; s. 4, ch. 81-290; s. 7, ch. 85-54; s. 8, ch. 87-238; s. 12, ch. 89-308; s. 5, ch. 89-339; s. 26, ch. 90-347; s. 23, ch. 91-158; s. 23, ch. 93-211; s. 10, ch. 94-154; s. 2, ch. 95-293; s. 207, ch. 96-406; s. 14, ch. 96-417; ss. 24, 71, ch. 98-171; s. 84, ch. 99-8; s. 204, ch. 99-13; s. 4, ch. 99-144.

¹Note.--

A.  Section 70, ch. 98-171, provides that "[t]he provisions of this act which require an applicant for licensure, certification, or registration to undergo background screening shall apply to any individual or entity that applies, on or after July 1, 1998, for renewal of a license, certificate, or registration that is subject to the background screening required by this act."

B.  Section 71(1), ch. 98-171, provides that "[t]he provisions of this act which require an applicant for licensure, certification, or registration to undergo background screening shall stand repealed on June 30, 2001, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by this legislature."