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House Bill 0259




    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 259

        By Representative Sublette






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to alcohol, drug abuse, and

  3         mental health services; providing a process for

  4         achieving equity in the funding of such

  5         services among the service districts of the

  6         Department of Children and Family Services;

  7         providing an effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health

12  funding equity; distribution of appropriations.--In

13  recognition of the historical inequity among service districts

14  of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services in the

15  funding of alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services,

16  and in order to rectify this inequity and provide for

17  equitable funding in the future throughout the state, the

18  following funding process shall be adhered to, beginning with

19  the 1997-1998 fiscal year:

20         (1)  Funding thresholds for alcohol, drug abuse, and

21  mental health services in each of the current districts,

22  statewide, shall be established based on the current number of

23  persons in need per district for alcohol and drug abuse, and

24  for mental health services, respectively.

25         (2)  Beginning July 1, 1997, 75 percent of any

26  additional funding beyond the 1996-1997 fiscal year base

27  appropriated for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health

28  services shall be allocated to districts using the statewide

29  needs assessment and allocation methodology used in the

30  development of the Department of Children and Family

31  Services's strategic plan each fiscal year. Allocation amounts

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 259

    534-177-97






  1  shall be based on the pro-rata share of the amount needed to

  2  move all districts toward equity without reducing the base

  3  funding for any district. The remaining 25 percent shall be

  4  allocated based on the number of persons in need of alcohol,

  5  drug abuse, and mental health services per district without

  6  regard to current funding levels.

  7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.

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10                          SENATE SUMMARY

11    Provides a process for achieving funding equity for
      alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services among the
12    districts of the Department of Children and Family
      Services.
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