Senate Bill 2060
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2060
By Senator Gutman
34-1186-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Legal Immigrant's Temporary
3 Income Bridge Program; amending s. 10, ch.
4 97-259, Laws of Florida; providing that unused
5 program funds for the current fiscal year may
6 be used for food stamps for legal immigrants
7 who are in the naturalization and citizenship
8 process or in the process of seeking an
9 exemption thereto and who are children, persons
10 who have disabilities, or persons of a
11 specified age; specifying that such assistance
12 must be provided on the basis of demonstrated
13 need; providing an appropriation; providing an
14 effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 10 of chapter 97-259, Laws of
19 Florida, is amended to read:
20 Section 10. Notwithstanding the proviso language
21 following Specific Appropriation 1499A of the 1997-1998
22 General Appropriations Act, the funds provided in this
23 specific appropriation are provided to establish and implement
24 a Legal Immigrant's Temporary Income Bridge Program. Except as
25 otherwise provided in subsection (3), the program shall be
26 administered by the Department of Children and Family
27 Services. The program will provide temporary income assistance
28 to legal immigrants who will lose their benefits while they
29 are awaiting completion of the citizenship process; or the
30 granting of an exemption thereto. All relevant state agencies
31
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2060
34-1186-98
1 are instructed to cooperate with the Department of Children
2 and Family Services to implement this program.
3 (1) The program shall be designed to provide temporary
4 income assistance to legal immigrants, 65 years of age or
5 older, who were residents of the State of Florida prior to
6 February 1, 1997; who, after August 1, 1997, under the Federal
7 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
8 Act of 1996, have become ineligible for federal benefits,
9 specifically Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or food
10 stamp benefits; who will be screened to verify that there
11 exists no other sustainable means of support or assistance to
12 make up for these lost benefits; and who can demonstrate that
13 they are engaged in the process of becoming United States
14 citizens or are seeking an exemption to doing so thereto. The
15 total amount of temporary income assistance provided to an
16 individual shall not exceed the Supplemental Security Income
17 (SSI) and/or food stamp stamps benefits for which they have
18 become ineligible. The department shall give priority to
19 dually eligible persons, disabled persons, and persons who as
20 a direct result of losing their federal benefits may lose
21 their housing, including long-term-care facilities.
22 (2) The Department of Children and Family Services'
23 total administrative charges for this program shall not exceed
24 1 percent of the funds provided. Total administrative charges
25 for contracted service providers for this program shall not
26 exceed 3 percent of the funds provided in each service
27 contract.
28 (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
29 section to the contrary, if the United States Congress acts to
30 extend the implementation date of portions of the Federal
31 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2060
34-1186-98
1 Act of 1996 which apply to noncitizens in order to allow
2 states to prepare for said Act, or appropriates funds to
3 provide temporary assistance that would otherwise be provided
4 by the state under this act, then no funds provided in this
5 specific appropriation may will be expended to provide food
6 stamps for legal immigrants who are in the naturalization and
7 citizenship process, or in the process of seeking an exemption
8 thereto, and who are children, persons who have disabilities,
9 or persons who are 65 years of age or older. The total amount
10 of assistance provided to an individual under this subsection
11 shall be determined by the department on the basis of
12 demonstrated need.
13 Section 2. An amount equal to the amount of funds
14 unexpended in fiscal year 1997-1998 from Specific
15 Appropriations 1499A and 1499B is appropriated from the
16 General Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Family
17 Services for fiscal year 1998-1999 for the purposes of
18 implementing section 1 of this act.
19 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
20 law.
21
22 *****************************************
23 SENATE SUMMARY
24 Relates to the Legal Immigrant's Temporary Income Bridge
Program. Provides that unused program funds for fiscal
25 year 1997-1998 may be used for food stamps for legal
immigrants who are in the naturalization and citizenship
26 process, or in the process of seeking an exemption
thereto, and who are children, persons who have
27 disabilities, or persons who are 65 years of age or
older. Specifies that such assistance must be provided on
28 the basis of demonstrated need. Provides an
appropriation.
29
30
31
3