House Bill 4147e1
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CS/HB 4147, First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the WAGES Program; creating
3 s. 414.155, F.S.; providing a relocation
4 assistance program for families receiving or
5 eligible to receive WAGES Program assistance;
6 providing responsibilities of the Department of
7 Children and Family Services and the Department
8 of Labor and Employment Security; providing for
9 a relocation plan and for monitoring of the
10 relocation; requiring agreements restricting
11 application for temporary cash assistance for a
12 specified period; providing exceptions;
13 requiring repayment of temporary cash
14 assistance provided under certain
15 circumstances, and reduced eligibility for
16 future assistance; providing authority for
17 rules; providing legislative intent with
18 respect to employment of WAGES recipients by
19 the food and beverage industry; requiring the
20 Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic
21 Development within the Executive Office of the
22 Governor to annually certify the total number
23 of specified WAGES recipients; requiring the
24 Department of Business and Professional
25 Regulation to annually recalculate and reduce
26 the surcharge on the sale of alcoholic
27 beverages for consumption on the premises;
28 providing a formula for such recalculation;
29 requiring the department to adopt procedures
30 and establish rules; providing an effective
31 date.
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CS/HB 4147, First Engrossed
1 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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3 Section 1. Section 414.155, Florida Statutes, is
4 created to read:
5 414.155 Relocation assistance program.--
6 (1) The Legislature recognizes that the need for
7 public assistance may arise because a family is located in an
8 area with limited employment opportunities, because of
9 geographic isolation, because of formidable transportation
10 barriers, because of isolation from their extended family, or
11 because domestic violence interferes with the ability of a
12 parent to maintain self-sufficiency. Accordingly there is
13 established a program to assist families in relocating to
14 communities with greater opportunities for self-sufficiency.
15 (2) The relocation assistance program shall involve
16 five steps by the Department of Children and Family Services
17 or the Department of Labor and Employment Security:
18 (a) A determination that the family is a WAGES Program
19 participant or that all requirements of eligibility for the
20 WAGES Program would likely be met.
21 (b) A determination that there is a basis for
22 believing that relocation will contribute to the ability of
23 the applicant to achieve self-sufficiency. For example, the
24 applicant:
25 1. Is unlikely to achieve independence at the current
26 community of residence;
27 2. Has secured a job that requires relocation to
28 another community;
29 3. Has a family support network in another community;
30 or
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CS/HB 4147, First Engrossed
1 4. Is determined, pursuant to criteria or procedures
2 established by the WAGES Program State Board of Directors, to
3 be a victim of domestic violence who would experience reduced
4 probability of further incidents through relocation.
5 (c) Establishment of a relocation plan, including a
6 budget and such requirements as are necessary to prevent abuse
7 of the benefit and to provide an assurance that the applicant
8 will relocate. The plan may require that expenditures be made
9 on behalf of the recipient. However, the plan must include
10 provisions to protect the safety of victims of domestic
11 violence and avoid provisions that place them in anticipated
12 danger. The payment to defray relocation expenses shall be
13 limited to an amount not to exceed 4 months' temporary cash
14 assistance, based on family size.
15 (d) A determination, pursuant to criteria adopted by
16 the WAGES Program State Board of Directors, that a Florida
17 community receiving a relocated family has the capacity to
18 provide needed services and employment opportunities.
19 (e) Monitoring the relocation.
20 (3) A family receiving relocation assistance for
21 reasons other than domestic violence must sign an agreement
22 restricting the family from applying for temporary cash
23 assistance for 6 months, unless an emergency is demonstrated
24 to the department. If a demonstrated emergency forces the
25 family to reapply for temporary cash assistance within 6
26 months after receiving a relocation assistance payment,
27 repayment must be made on a prorated basis over an 8-month
28 period and subtracted from any regular payment of temporary
29 cash assistance for which the applicant may be eligible.
30 (4) The Department of Labor and Employment Security
31 shall have authority to adopt rules pursuant to the
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CS/HB 4147, First Engrossed
1 Administrative Procedure Act to determine that a community has
2 the capacity to provide services and employment opportunities
3 for a relocated family.
4 (5) The Department of Children and Family Services
5 shall have authority to adopt rules pursuant to the
6 Administrative Procedure Act to develop and implement
7 relocation plans and to draft an agreement restricting a
8 family from applying for temporary cash assistance within 6
9 months after receiving a relocation assistance payment.
10 Section 2. The Legislature recognizes that the
11 restaurant industry is uniquely positioned to provide
12 employment opportunities for a significant number of WAGES
13 participants. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature
14 to encourage employment of WAGES participants by the food and
15 beverage industry. By March 1, 1999, and each March
16 thereafter, the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic
17 Development shall certify the total number of WAGES
18 participants employed by the food and beverage industry during
19 the prior calendar year using data from the Department of
20 Labor's WAGES Information System as summarized in the
21 Employment Information Report prepared by the Bureau of Labor
22 Market and Performance Information and information from the
23 Florida Education and Training Placement Information Program
24 at the Department of Education. To be counted for purposes of
25 this act, each WAGES participant must have been on welfare for
26 at least 3 months and must remain off of the welfare rolls for
27 the three calendar quarters immediately following the calendar
28 quarter in which the individual is first employed by the food
29 and beverage industry. By July 1, 1999, and each year
30 thereafter, the Department of Business and Professional
31 Regulation shall recalculate and reduce the tax rate imposed
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CS/HB 4147, First Engrossed
1 by s. 561.501, Florida Statutes, by the following formula:
2 each WAGES participant job certified in the report shall be
3 given a value of $3,500 which shall then be multiplied by the
4 total number of WAGES participant jobs certified in the report
5 to arrive at a "gross economic benefit." The gross economic
6 benefit shall then be subtracted from the total amount
7 collected from the tax imposed under s. 561.501, Florida
8 Statutes, and shall not exceed 33 1/3 percent reduction in
9 any given year, to arrive at a "remainder." The Department of
10 Business and Professional Regulation shall then recalculate
11 and reduce the tax rate imposed by s. 561.501, Florida
12 Statutes, to generate the revenue represented by the remainder
13 as set forth above. The Department of Business and
14 Professional Regulation shall adopt procedures for
15 administering these provisions and establish rules pursuant to
16 the provisions of this act.
17 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
18 year in which enacted.
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