The Florida Senate

430.04  Duties and responsibilities of the Department of Elderly Affairs.--The Department of Elderly Affairs shall:

(1)  Administer human services and long-term care programs, including programs funded under the federal Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and other programs that are assigned to it by law.

(2)  Be responsible for ensuring that each area agency on aging operates in a manner to ensure that the elderly of this state receive the best services possible. The department shall rescind designation of an area agency on aging or take intermediate measures against the agency, including corrective action, unannounced special monitoring, temporary assumption of operation of one or more programs by the department, placement on probationary status, imposing a moratorium on agency action, imposing financial penalties for nonperformance, or other administrative action pursuant to chapter 120, if the department finds that:

(a)  An intentional or negligent act of the agency has materially affected the health, welfare, or safety of clients, or substantially and negatively affected the operation of an aging services program.

(b)  The agency lacks financial stability sufficient to meet contractual obligations or that contractual funds have been misappropriated.

(c)  The agency has committed multiple or repeated violations of legal and regulatory requirements or department standards.

(d)  The agency has failed to continue the provision or expansion of services after the declaration of a state of emergency.

(e)  The agency has failed to adhere to the terms of its contract with the department.

(f)  The agency has failed to implement and maintain a department-approved client grievance resolution procedure.

(3)  Prepare and submit to the Governor, each Cabinet member, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leaders of the House and Senate, and chairpersons of appropriate House and Senate committees a master plan for policies and programs in the state related to aging. The plan must identify and assess the needs of the elderly population in the areas of housing, employment, education and training, medical care, long-term care, preventive care, protective services, social services, mental health, transportation, and long-term care insurance, and other areas considered appropriate by the department. The plan must assess the needs of particular subgroups of the population and evaluate the capacity of existing programs, both public and private and in state and local agencies, to respond effectively to identified needs. If the plan recommends the transfer of any program or service from the Department of Children and Family Services to another state department, the plan must also include recommendations that provide for an independent third-party mechanism, as currently exists in the Florida advocacy councils established in ss. 402.165 and 402.166, for protecting the constitutional and human rights of recipients of departmental services. The plan must include policy goals and program strategies designed to respond efficiently to current and projected needs. The plan must also include policy goals and program strategies to promote intergenerational relationships and activities. Public hearings and other appropriate processes shall be utilized by the department to solicit input for the development and updating of the master plan from parties including, but not limited to, the following:

(a)  Elderly citizens and their families and caregivers.

(b)  Local-level public and private service providers, advocacy organizations, and other organizations relating to the elderly.

(c)  Local governments.

(d)  All state agencies that provide services to the elderly.

(e)  University centers on aging.

(f)  Area agency on aging and community care for the elderly lead agencies.

(4)  Serve as an information clearinghouse at the state level, and assist local-level information and referral resources as a repository and means for dissemination of information regarding all federal, state, and local resources for assistance to the elderly in the areas of, but not limited to, health, social welfare, long-term care, protective services, consumer protection, education and training, housing, employment, recreation, transportation, insurance, and retirement.

(5)  Recommend guidelines for the development of roles for state agencies that provide services for the aging, review plans of agencies that provide such services, and relay these plans to the Governor, each Cabinet member, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leaders of the House and Senate, and chairpersons of appropriate House and Senate committees.

(6)  Recommend to the Governor, each Cabinet member, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leaders of the House and Senate, and chairpersons of appropriate House and Senate committees an organizational framework for the planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of programs related to aging, with the purpose of expanding and improving programs and opportunities available to the state's elderly population and enhancing a continuum of long-term care. This framework must assure that:

(a)  Performance objectives are established.

(b)  Program reviews are conducted statewide.

(c)  Each major program related to aging is reviewed every 3 years.

(d)  Agency budget requests reflect the results and recommendations of such program reviews.

(e)  Program decisions lead to the distinctive roles established for state agencies that provide aging services.

(7)  Advise the Governor, each Cabinet member, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leaders of the House and Senate, and the chairpersons of appropriate House and Senate committees regarding the need for and location of programs related to aging.

(8)  Review and coordinate aging research plans of all state agencies to ensure the conformance of research objectives to issues and needs addressed in the master plan for policies and programs related to aging. The research activities that must be reviewed and coordinated by the department include, but are not limited to, contracts with academic institutions, development of educational and training curriculums, Alzheimer's disease and other medical research, studies of long-term care and other personal assistance needs, and design of adaptive or modified living environments.

(9)  Review budget requests for programs related to aging for compliance with the master plan for policies and programs related to aging before submission to the Governor and the Legislature.

(10)  Update the master plan for policies and programs related to aging every 3 years.

(11)  Review implementation of the master plan for programs and policies related to aging and annually report to the Governor, each Cabinet member, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leaders of the House and Senate, and the chairpersons of appropriate House and Senate committees the progress towards implementation of the plan.

(12)  Request other departments that administer programs affecting the state's elderly population to amend their plans, rules, policies, and research objectives as necessary to conform with the master plan for policies and programs related to aging.

(13)  Hold public meetings regularly throughout the state for purposes of receiving information and maximizing the visibility of important issues.

(14)  Conduct policy analysis and program evaluation studies assigned by the Legislature.

(15)  Assist the Governor, each Cabinet member, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leaders of the House and Senate, and the chairpersons of appropriate House and Senate committees in the conduct of their responsibilities in such capacities as they consider appropriate.

(16)  Call upon appropriate agencies of state government for such assistance as is needed in the discharge of its duties. All agencies shall cooperate in assisting the department in carrying out its responsibilities as prescribed by this section. However, no provision of law with respect to confidentiality of information may be violated.

History.--ss. 1, 4, 41, ch. 89-294; ss. 5, 7, ch. 91-115; s. 80, ch. 95-418; s. 61, ch. 98-171; s. 206, ch. 99-8; s. 26, ch. 2000-263.

Note.--Former s. 410.505.