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Senate Bill 0384

Florida Senate - 1998 SB 384 By Senator Grant 13-423-98 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to children's services; 3 amending s. 125.901, F.S.; providing for a 4 superintendent of schools to appoint a designee 5 to serve on the board of independent special 6 districts established to provide funding for 7 children's services; providing an effective 8 date. 9 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 12 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 13 125.901, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 14 125.901 Children's services; independent special 15 district; council; powers, duties, and functions.-- 16 (1) Each county may by ordinance create an independent 17 special district, as defined in ss. 189.403(3) and 18 200.001(8)(e), to provide funding for children's services 19 throughout the county in accordance with this section. The 20 boundaries of such district shall be coterminous with the 21 boundaries of the county. The county governing body shall 22 obtain approval, by a majority vote of those electors voting 23 on the question, to annually levy ad valorem taxes which shall 24 not exceed the maximum millage rate authorized by this 25 section. Any district created pursuant to the provisions of 26 this subsection shall be required to levy and fix millage 27 subject to the provisions of s. 200.065. Once such millage is 28 approved by the electorate, the district shall not be required 29 to seek approval of the electorate in future years to levy the 30 previously approved millage. 31 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida Senate - 1998 SB 384 13-423-98 1 (a) The governing board of the district shall be a 2 council on children's services, which may also be known as a 3 juvenile welfare board or similar name as established in the 4 ordinance by the county governing body. Such council shall 5 consist of 10 members, including: the superintendent of 6 schools or the superintendent's designee; a local school board 7 member; the district administrator from the appropriate 8 district of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative 9 Services, or his or her designee who is a member of the Senior 10 Management Service or of the Selected Exempt Service; one 11 member of the county governing body; and the judge assigned to 12 juvenile cases who shall sit as a voting member of the board, 13 except that said judge shall not vote or participate in the 14 setting of ad valorem taxes under this section. In the event 15 there is more than one judge assigned to juvenile cases in a 16 county, the chief judge shall designate one of said juvenile 17 judges to serve on the board. The remaining five members shall 18 be appointed by the Governor, and shall, to the extent 19 possible, represent the demographic diversity of the 20 population of the county. After soliciting recommendations 21 from the public, the county governing body shall submit to the 22 Governor the names of at least three persons for each vacancy 23 occurring among the five members appointed by the Governor, 24 and the Governor shall appoint members to the council from the 25 candidates nominated by the county governing body. The 26 Governor shall make a selection within a 45-day period or 27 request a new list of candidates. All members appointed by 28 the Governor shall have been residents of the county for the 29 previous 24-month period. Such members shall be appointed for 30 4-year terms, except that the length of the terms of the 31 initial appointees shall be adjusted to stagger the terms. 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida Senate - 1998 SB 384 13-423-98 1 The Governor may remove a member for cause or upon the written 2 petition of the county governing body. If any of the members 3 of the council required to be appointed by the Governor under 4 the provisions of this subsection shall resign, die, or be 5 removed from office, the vacancy thereby created shall, as 6 soon as practicable, be filled by appointment by the Governor, 7 using the same method as the original appointment, and such 8 appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term 9 of the person who resigns, dies, or is removed from office. 10 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998. 11 12 ***************************************** 13 SENATE SUMMARY 14 Provides that a superintendent of schools may appoint a designee to serve in his place on the boards of certain 15 independent special districts created to provide funding for children's services. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3