House Bill 4075

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 4075

        By Representative Chestnut






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to preventive health

  3         collaborative grants; establishing a program

  4         for the award of preventive health and social

  5         services collaborative grants; providing for

  6         administration by the health and human services

  7         boards of the Department of Children and Family

  8         Services and the Department of Health;

  9         providing objectives; providing criteria for

10         award of grants; providing grant application

11         procedures; providing timeframes for initial

12         grant proposals, notifications of approval, and

13         proposals for continuation funding; authorizing

14         use of a portion of new grant awards for

15         nonrecurring start-up costs; specifying

16         conditions for use of grants for facility

17         construction or renovation; requiring

18         evaluation reports from entities awarded

19         grants; providing for audits; providing for

20         rulemaking; providing an effective date.

21

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

23

24         Section 1.  Preventive health collaborative grants.--In

25  order to encourage the further development of successful

26  programs which enhance the well-being and health status of

27  Floridians, the preventive health collaborative grant program

28  is created. Separate preventive health collaborative grant

29  programs shall be administered by the Department of Children

30  and Family Services, through the local health and human

31  service boards, and by the Department of Health. The first

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 4075

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  1  objective of these grant programs is to allow for the

  2  creation, enhancement, or replication of programs which will

  3  demonstrate an ability to improve prevention and intervention

  4  services, to strengthen the integrity and functionality of

  5  families, and to improve the overall health status of

  6  low-income Floridians. The second objective is to promote

  7  interagency coordination, collaboration, and cooperation among

  8  programs of the Department of Children and Family Services,

  9  the Department of Health, the Department of Juvenile Justice,

10  county health departments, local law enforcement, school

11  authorities, hospitals, community health centers, churches,

12  not-for-profit organizations, and other local health and

13  social service agencies, to facilitate better health and

14  social service outcomes for Floridians.

15         (1)  MINIMUM CRITERIA.--The departments shall consider

16  grant applications which, at a minimum, provide for the

17  following:

18         (a)  Demonstrable participation at a community level

19  with not-for-profit service agencies, health care providers,

20  local governments, education programs, and providers and local

21  programs of the Department of Children and Family Services,

22  the Department of Health, and the Department of Juvenile

23  Justice. This participation shall be demonstrated through

24  written interagency agreements. Such agreements must specify

25  how community entities will cooperate, finance, collaborate,

26  and share information in furtherance of any of the following

27  goals:

28         1.  Improved health status for minorities and

29  immigrants.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 4075

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  1         2.  Improved health care services, including, but not

  2  limited to, reduction of chronic diseases, treatment services

  3  for substance abuse, and mental health services.

  4         3.  Improved therapeutic services to children.

  5         4.  Improved prenatal and infant care.

  6         5.  Reduction of communicable diseases.

  7         6.  Improved school readiness.

  8         7.  Improved health and social service facilities

  9  infrastructure.

10         (b)  In addition, the departments may consider the

11  following criteria in awarding grants, including, but not

12  limited to:

13         1.  The degree to which the proposal will achieve or

14  help agencies achieve outcomes as specified in agency

15  strategic plans or performance-based program budgeting,

16  especially those which strengthen the integrity,

17  functionality, and health of families.

18         2.  The number of community partners who will be

19  actively involved in the funding and operation of the grant

20  program.

21         3.  The number of children and youths from birth

22  through 18 years of age within the geographic area to be

23  served by the program. Those geographic areas with the highest

24  percentage of children and youths from this age range who are

25  at risk of abuse and neglect or have severe social or

26  physiological disabilities or mental disorders have priority

27  for selection.

28         4.  The extent to which the program targets minorities

29  and neighborhoods which can demonstrate higher incident rates

30  of poverty and adverse social and health outcomes than the

31  statewide average.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 4075

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  1         5.  The validity and cost-effectiveness of the program.

  2         6.  The degree to which the program is located in and

  3  managed by local leaders of the target neighborhoods.

  4         7.  The criteria by which the grant program will be

  5  evaluated; and, if deemed successful, the feasibility of

  6  implementation in other communities.

  7         8.  The local match contribution.

  8         (c)  The departments shall further develop the specific

  9  grant criteria and appropriate applications and make

10  available, to anyone wishing to apply for such a grant,

11  information on all of the criteria to be used in the selection

12  of the proposals for funding pursuant to the provisions of

13  this subsection. The departments shall review and evaluate all

14  program proposals submitted.

15         (2)  GRANT APPLICATION PROCEDURES.--

16         (a)  Each entity wishing to apply for an initial

17  preventive health collaborative grant shall submit a grant

18  proposal for funding to the Department of Children and Family

19  Services and the Department of Health by September 1, 1998. In

20  subsequent years, each entity wishing to apply for a

21  preventive health collaborative grant shall submit a grant

22  proposal, in the prescribed format, for funding or continued

23  funding by May 1 of each year.

24         (b)  In order to be considered for funding, the grant

25  proposal shall include the following assurances and

26  information:

27         1.  A rationale and description of the program and the

28  services to be provided, including goals and objectives.

29         2.  A method for identification of the persons who will

30  be involved in or served by the program.

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  1         3.  Provisions for the meaningful participation of

  2  parents or guardians in the program.

  3         4.  Coordination with other community-based and social

  4  service efforts that serve the targeted population or

  5  neighborhood.

  6         5.  An evaluation component to measure the

  7  effectiveness of the program and the degree to which program

  8  objectives are attained.

  9         6.  A detailed program budget, including the amount and

10  sources of local cash and in-kind resources committed to the

11  budget. The proposal must establish to the satisfaction of the

12  departments that the applicant will make a cash or in-kind

13  contribution to the program of a value that is at least equal

14  to 25 percent of the amount of the state grant for the first

15  year. Subsequent applications for renewal must demonstrate an

16  increasing level of community support and financial commitment

17  for program continuance.

18         7.  The necessary program staff and qualifications and

19  a listing of current licenses or certifications held by the

20  applicant agencies or providers.

21         (3)  AWARDING OF GRANTS; NOTIFICATION.--Entities

22  submitting proposals for the 1998-1999 fiscal year shall be

23  notified of approval not later than November 1, 1998. Entities

24  submitting proposals for subsequent fiscal years shall be

25  notified of approval not later than June 15 for any award for

26  the fiscal year beginning the following July 1. Proposals for

27  continuation funding shall be accepted during the 2 years

28  following notification of approval of initial funding. In no

29  instance shall state funding continue after a maximum of 3

30  consecutive years, unless good cause to continue funding can

31  be documented and the performance rating exceeds program

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 4075

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  1  goals. A determination of good cause for partial continuation

  2  funding may be granted if the program can demonstrate that a

  3  good faith and realistic contingency plan has been made to

  4  continue the project subsequent to a decrease in the grant

  5  award or total elimination of the grant award. Applications

  6  failing to provide evidence of such a contingency plan shall

  7  not be considered.

  8         (4)  START-UP FUNDS.--For programs receiving new grant

  9  awards, a portion of the first-year funding may be spent on

10  nonrecurring start-up costs, as long as there is no

11  annualization funding impact in subsequent years.

12         (5)  FIXED CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS.--Grants are

13  allowable for facility construction or renovation, provided

14  local match requirements are met and the state is granted a

15  security interest at least equal to the amount of state funds

16  provided, for at least 10 years after the date of purchase or

17  the completion of the improvements.

18         (6)  EVALUATIONS; AUDITS.--Each entity awarded a grant

19  as provided for in this section shall submit, by March 1 of

20  each year, an evaluation report to the departments, which

21  documents the extent to which the program objectives have been

22  met, and the extent to which community partnerships are being

23  utilized to achieve program goals and objectives. Each entity

24  is also subject to an independent financial audit and a

25  performance audit by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and

26  Governmental Accountability.

27         (7)  RULEMAKING.--The departments may adopt rules to

28  implement the provisions of this section.

29         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

30  law.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 4075

    52-161-98






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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  3
      Establishes a program for award of grants to local
  4    entities for the collaborative provision of preventive
      health and social services to low-income families.
  5    Provides for administration of the program by the health
      and human services boards of the Department of Children
  6    and Family Services and the Department of Health.
      Provides criteria for award of grants, provides grant
  7    application procedures, and provides timeframes for
      initial proposals, notifications of approval, and
  8    proposals for continuation grants. Authorizes a portion
      of new grant awards for nonrecurring start-up costs.
  9    Specifies conditions for use of grants for facility
      construction or renovation. Requires evaluation reports
10    from and audits of the entities awarded grants.

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