The Florida Senate

39.903  Duties and functions of the department with respect to domestic violence.--

(1)  The department shall:

(a)  Develop by rule criteria for the approval or rejection of certification or funding of domestic violence centers.

(b)  Develop by rule minimum standards for domestic violence centers to ensure the health and safety of the clients in the centers.

(c)  Receive and approve or reject applications for certification of domestic violence centers. If any of the required services are exempted from certification by the department under s. 39.905(1)(c), the center shall not receive funding for those services.

(d)  Evaluate each certified domestic violence center annually to ensure compliance with the minimum standards. The department has the right to enter and inspect the premises of certified domestic violence centers at any reasonable hour in order to effectively evaluate the state of compliance of these centers with this part and rules relating to this part.

(e)  Adopt rules to implement this part.

(f)  Promote the involvement of certified domestic violence centers in the coordination, development, and planning of domestic violence programming in the districts and the state.

(2)  The department shall serve as a clearinghouse for information relating to domestic violence.

(3)  The department shall operate the domestic violence program, which provides supervision, direction, coordination, and administration of statewide activities related to the prevention of domestic violence.

(4)  The department shall enlist the assistance of public and voluntary health, education, welfare, and rehabilitation agencies in a concerted effort to prevent domestic violence and to treat persons engaged in or subject to domestic violence. With the assistance of these agencies, the department, within existing resources, shall formulate and conduct a research and evaluation program on domestic violence. Efforts on the part of these agencies to obtain relevant grants to fund this research and evaluation program must be supported by the department.

(5)  The department shall develop and provide educational programs on domestic violence for the benefit of the general public, persons engaged in or subject to domestic violence, professional persons, or others who care for or may be engaged in the care and treatment of persons engaged in or subject to domestic violence.

(6)  The department shall cooperate with, assist in, and participate in, programs of other properly qualified agencies, including any agency of the Federal Government, schools of medicine, hospitals, and clinics, in planning and conducting research on the prevention, care, treatment, and rehabilitation of persons engaged in or subject to domestic violence.

(7)  The department shall contract with a statewide association whose primary purpose is to represent and provide technical assistance to certified domestic violence centers. This association shall implement, administer, and evaluate all services provided by the certified domestic violence centers. The association shall receive and approve or reject applications for funding of certified domestic violence centers. When approving funding for a newly certified domestic violence center, the association shall make every effort to minimize any adverse economic impact on existing certified domestic violence centers or services provided within the same service area. In order to minimize duplication of services, the association shall make every effort to encourage subcontracting relationships with existing certified domestic violence centers within the same service area. In distributing funds allocated by the Legislature for certified domestic violence centers, the association shall use a formula approved by the department as specified in s. 39.905(7)(a).

History.--s. 3, ch. 78-281; s. 3, ch. 79-402; ss. 2, 3, ch. 84-128; ss. 3, 5, ch. 84-343; s. 31, ch. 94-134; s. 31, ch. 94-135; s. 2, ch. 95-187; s. 55, ch. 96-418; s. 115, ch. 98-403; s. 4, ch. 2002-55; s. 1, ch. 2003-11.

Note.--Former s. 409.603; s. 415.603.