House Bill 4257
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
By the Committee on Juvenile Justice and Representatives
Bainter, Putnam, D. Prewitt, Stafford, Murman, Melvin and
Betancourt
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to juvenile justice programs;
3 amending s. 985.401, F.S.; requiring the
4 Juvenile Justice Advisory Board to develop a
5 standard methodology for interpreting outcome
6 evaluation reports; specifying information to
7 be included; prescribing duties of the board;
8 providing definitions; requiring the board to
9 consult with the Department of Juvenile
10 Justice, the Division of Economic and
11 Demographic Research of the Joint Legislative
12 Management Committee, or its successor,
13 contract service providers, and other
14 interested parties; providing legislative
15 intent; requiring the board and the department
16 to report to the Legislature; amending s.
17 985.315, F.S., relating to vocational/work
18 training programs, to conform a reference;
19 amending s. 985.404, F.S.; requiring the
20 Department of Juvenile Justice in consultation
21 with the board, the Division of Economic and
22 Demographic Research of the Joint Legislative
23 Management Committee, or its successor, and
24 contract service providers, to develop a
25 cost-effectiveness model for each commitment
26 program; requiring the department to rank
27 programs and report to the Legislature;
28 authorizing the department to terminate a
29 program that fails to achieve a minimum
30 threshold of effectiveness; requiring that the
31 cost-effectiveness model be consistent with
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 certain requirements for performance-based
2 budgeting; requiring the department, contingent
3 upon specific appropriation, and in
4 consultation with specified agencies and
5 entities, to conduct certain evaluations of
6 commitment programs and identify the factors
7 that contribute to various program ratings;
8 providing for a study; providing for process
9 evaluation; providing appropriations; providing
10 an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 985.401, Florida
15 Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (5), and amended,
16 subsection (5) of said section is renumbered as subsection
17 (6), and a new subsection (4) is added to said section, to
18 read:
19 985.401 Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.--
20 (4)(a) The board shall establish and operate a
21 comprehensive system to annually measure and report program
22 outcome and effectiveness for each program operated by the
23 Department of Juvenile Justice or operated by a provider under
24 contract with the department. The system shall include a
25 standard methodology for interpreting the board's outcome
26 evaluation reports, using, where appropriate, the
27 performance-based program budgeting measures approved by the
28 Legislature. The methodology must include:
29 1. Common terminology and operational definitions for
30 measuring the performance of system administration, program
31 administration, program outputs, and client outcomes.
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 2. Program outputs for each group of programs within
2 each level of the juvenile justice continuum and specific
3 program output indicators for each program or program type.
4 3. Specifications of desired client outcomes and
5 methods by which to measure client outcomes for each program
6 operated by the department or by a provider under contract
7 with the department.
8 4. Recommended annual minimum thresholds of
9 satisfactory performance for client outcomes and program
10 outputs.
11
12 For the purposes of this section, the term "program" or
13 "program type" means an individual, state-operated or
14 contracted facility, site, or service delivered to at-risk
15 delinquent youth as prescribed in a contract, program
16 description, or program services manual. The term "program
17 group" means a collection of programs or program types with
18 sufficient similarity of function, services, and clientele to
19 permit appropriate comparisons between programs within the
20 program group.
21 (b) In developing the standard methodology, the board
22 shall consult with the department, the Division of Economic
23 and Demographic Research of the Joint Legislative Management
24 Committee, or its successor, contract service providers, and
25 other interested parties. It is the intent of the Legislature
26 that this effort result in consensus recommendations, and, to
27 the greatest extent possible, integrate the goals and
28 legislatively approved measures of performance-based program
29 budgeting provided in chapter 94-249, Laws of Florida, the
30 quality assurance program provided in s. 985.412, and the
31 cost-effectiveness model provided in s. 985.404(11).
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 (c) The board shall annually submit its outcome
2 evaluation report to the Legislature by February 15, which
3 describes:
4 1. The methodology for interpreting outcome
5 evaluations, including common terminology and operational
6 definitions.
7 2. The recommended minimum thresholds of satisfactory
8 performance for client outcomes and program outputs applicable
9 to the year for which the data are reported.
10 3. The actual client outcomes and program outputs
11 achieved by each program operated by the department or by a
12 provider under contract with the department, compared with the
13 recommended minimum thresholds of satisfactory performance for
14 client outcomes and program outputs for the year under review.
15 The report shall group programs or program types with
16 similarity of function and services, and make appropriate
17 comparisons between programs within the program group.
18 (d) The board shall use its evaluation research to
19 make advisory recommendations to the Legislature, the
20 Governor, and the department concerning the effectiveness and
21 future funding priorities of juvenile justice programs.
22 (e) The board shall annually review and revise the
23 methodology as necessary to ensure the continuing improvement
24 and validity of the evaluation process.
25 (5)(4) The board shall:
26 (a) Review and recommend programmatic and fiscal
27 policies governing the operation of programs, services, and
28 facilities for which the department of Juvenile Justice is
29 responsible.
30
31
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 (b) Monitor the development and implementation of
2 long-range juvenile justice policies, including prevention,
3 early intervention, diversion, adjudication, and commitment.
4 (c) Monitor all activities of the executive and
5 judicial branch and their effectiveness in implementing
6 policies pursuant to this chapter.
7 (d) Establish and operate a comprehensive system to
8 annually measure and report program outcome and effectiveness
9 for each program operated by the Department of Juvenile
10 Justice or operated by a provider under contract with the
11 department. The board shall use its evaluation research to
12 make advisory recommendations to the Legislature, the
13 Governor, and the department concerning the effectiveness and
14 future funding priorities of juvenile justice programs.
15 (d)(e) Advise the President of the Senate, the Speaker
16 of the House of Representatives, the Governor, and the
17 department on matters relating to this chapter.
18 (e)(f) Serve as a clearinghouse to provide information
19 and assistance to the district juvenile justice boards and
20 county juvenile justice councils.
21 (f)(g) Hold public hearings and inform the public of
22 activities of the board and of the department of Juvenile
23 Justice, as appropriate.
24 (g)(h) Monitor the delivery and use of services,
25 programs, or facilities operated, funded, regulated, or
26 licensed by the department of Juvenile Justice for juvenile
27 offenders or alleged juvenile offenders, and for prevention,
28 diversion, or early intervention of delinquency, and to
29 develop programs to educate the citizenry about such services,
30 programs, and facilities and about the need and procedure for
31 siting new facilities.
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 (h)(i) Contract for consultants as necessary and
2 appropriate. The board may apply for and receive grants for
3 the purposes of conducting research and evaluation activities.
4 (i)(j) Conduct such other activities as the board may
5 determine are necessary and appropriate to monitor the
6 effectiveness of the delivery of juvenile justice programs and
7 services under this chapter.
8 (j)(k) The board shall submit an annual report to the
9 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
10 Representatives, the Governor, and the secretary of the
11 department not later than February 15 of each calendar year,
12 summarizing the activities and reports of the board for the
13 preceding year, and any recommendations of the board for the
14 following year.
15 (6)(5) Each state agency shall provide assistance when
16 requested by the board. The board shall have access to all
17 records, files, and reports that are material to its duties
18 and that are in the custody of a school board, a law
19 enforcement agency, a state attorney, a public defender, the
20 court, the Department of Children and Family Services, and the
21 department.
22 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
23 985.315, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
24 985.315 Vocational/work training programs.--
25 (4)
26 (b) Evaluations of juvenile work programs shall be
27 conducted according to the following guidelines:
28 1. Systematic evaluations and quality assurance
29 monitoring shall be implemented, in accordance with ss.
30 985.401(4) and (5) and 985.412(1), to determine whether the
31
6
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 juvenile vocational work programs are related to successful
2 postrelease adjustments.
3 2. Operations and policies of work programs shall be
4 reevaluated to determine if they are consistent with their
5 primary objectives.
6 Section 3. Subsection (11) of section 985.404, Florida
7 Statutes, is amended to read:
8 985.404 Administering the juvenile justice
9 continuum.--
10 (11)(a) The Department of Juvenile Justice, in
11 consultation with the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, the
12 Division of Economic and Demographic Research of the Joint
13 Legislative Management Committee, or its successor, and
14 contract service providers, shall develop a cost-effectiveness
15 cost-benefit model and apply the model to each commitment
16 program. Program recommitment rates shall be a component of
17 the model. The cost-effectiveness cost-benefit model shall
18 compare program costs to client outcomes and program outputs
19 benefits. A report ranking commitment programs based on
20 cost-benefit shall be submitted to the appropriate substantive
21 and appropriations committees of each house of the
22 Legislature, no later than December 31 of each year. It is
23 the intent of the Legislature that continual development
24 efforts take place to improve the validity and reliability of
25 the cost-effectiveness cost-benefit model and integrate the
26 standard methodology developed under s. 985.401(4)(a) for
27 interpreting program outcome evaluations.
28 (b) The department shall rank commitment programs
29 based on the cost-effectiveness model and shall submit a
30 report to the appropriate substantive and fiscal committees of
31 each house of the Legislature by December 31 of each year.
7
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 (c) Based on reports of the Juvenile Justice Advisory
2 Board on client outcomes and program outputs and on the
3 department's most recent cost-effectiveness rankings, the
4 department may terminate a program operated by the department
5 or a provider if the program has failed to achieve a minimum
6 threshold of program effectiveness. This paragraph does not
7 preclude the department from terminating a contract as
8 provided under s. 985.412 or as otherwise provided by law or
9 contract, and does not limit the department's authority to
10 enter into or terminate a contract.
11 (d) The department, in consultation with the Juvenile
12 Justice Advisory Board, the Division of Economic and
13 Demographic Research of the Joint Legislative Management
14 Committee, or its successor, and contract service providers,
15 shall develop and implement a work plan to refine the
16 cost-effectiveness model so that the model is consistent with
17 the performance-based program budgeting measures approved by
18 the Legislature to the extent the department deems
19 appropriate.
20 (e) Contingent upon specific appropriation, in
21 consultation with the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, the
22 Division of Economic and Demographic Research of the Joint
23 Legislative Management Committee, or its successor, and
24 contract service providers, the department shall:
25 1. Construct a profile of each commitment program
26 which uses the results of the quality assurance report
27 required by s. 985.412, the outcome evaluation report prepared
28 by the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board under s. 985.401, the
29 cost-effectiveness report required in this subsection, and
30 other reports available to the department.
31
8
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 2. Target, for a more comprehensive evaluation, any
2 commitment program that has achieved consistently high, low,
3 or disparate ratings in the reports provided for under
4 subparagraph 1.
5 3. Identify the factors contributing to the high, low,
6 or disparate program ratings.
7 4. Use the results of these evaluations in developing
8 or refining juvenile justice programs or program models,
9 client outcomes and program outputs, provider contracts,
10 quality assurance standards, and the cost-effectiveness model.
11 Section 4. The sum of $100,000 is appropriated from
12 the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Juvenile Justice
13 for the purpose of funding a study by nondepartmental experts
14 in the area of using economic models to evaluate juvenile
15 justice commitment programs.
16 Section 5. The sum of $355,128 is appropriated from
17 recurring funds in the General Revenue Fund to the Department
18 of Juvenile Justice for the purpose of funding the ongoing
19 evaluation of commitment programs as defined in s.
20 985.404(11)(e), Florida Statutes. The Department of Juvenile
21 Justice shall design and implement a process to document the
22 factors that contribute to high or low program effectiveness.
23 This process shall include, but not be limited to, on-site
24 record reviews and interviews with staff, youth served, and
25 other persons as determined by the nature and intent of the
26 commitment program. Analyses and findings shall address, at a
27 minimum, program operations, policy implementation, and the
28 management of funds, contracts, personnel, facilities,
29 equipment, and any other resources used in the delivery of a
30 program's services. The department shall use the results of
31
9
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4257
179-123B-98
1 this process to implement program improvements and terminate
2 ineffective programs.
3 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
4 year in which enacted.
5
6 *****************************************
7 HOUSE SUMMARY
8
Requires the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board to develop a
9 standard methodology for interpreting outcome evaluation
reports. Specifies information to be included. Requires
10 the board to consult with other agencies, providers, and
interested parties. Requires the board and the department
11 to report to the Legislature. Requires development of a
cost-effectiveness model for each commitment program.
12 Requires the department to rank programs and report to
the Legislature. Authorizes the department to terminate a
13 program that fails to achieve a minimum threshold of
effectiveness. Requires that the cost-effectiveness model
14 be consistent with certain requirements for
performance-based budgeting. Requires the department,
15 contingent upon specific appropriation and in
consultation with specified agencies and contract service
16 providers, to conduct certain evaluations of commitment
programs and identify the factors that contribute to
17 various program ratings. Provides appropriations.
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
10