House Bill 1525
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1525
        By Representatives Bronson, Futch, Posey, Peaden, Casey,
    Eggelletion and Dennis
  1                      A bill to be entitled
  2         An act relating to social services funding;
  3         amending s. 394.908, F.S., relating to alcohol,
  4         drug abuse, and mental health funding equity;
  5         providing that any service district of the
  6         Department of Children and Family Services that
  7         receives less than the statewide average
  8         funding level per person on an annual basis
  9         shall not have funds deducted during any
10         reduction in the level of recurring
11         appropriations until such district's funding
12         level is equal to the statewide average funding
13         level; amending s. 409.915, F.S., relating to
14         county contributions to Medicaid; providing for
15         credits against funds owed for certain items of
16         care and service, based on the recurring
17         funding per person of such service districts
18         for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health
19         services; providing an effective date.
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21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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23         Section 1.  Section 394.908, Florida Statutes, is
24  amended to read:
25         394.908  Alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health funding
26  equity; distribution of appropriations; distribution of
27  appropriation reductions.--In recognition of the historical
28  inequity among service districts of the former Department of
29  Health and Rehabilitative Services in the funding of alcohol,
30  drug abuse, and mental health services, and in order to
31  rectify this inequity and provide for equitable funding in the
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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1525
    166-182A-99
  1  future throughout the state, the following funding process
  2  shall be adhered to, beginning with the 1997-1998 fiscal year:
  3         (1)  Funding thresholds for alcohol, drug abuse, and
  4  mental health services in each of the current districts,
  5  statewide, shall be established based on the current number of
  6  persons in need per district for alcohol and drug abuse, and
  7  for mental health services, respectively.
  8         (2)  "Persons in need" means those persons who fit the
  9  profile of the respective target populations and require
10  mental health or substance abuse services.
11         (3)  Beginning July 1, 1997, 75 percent of any
12  additional funding beyond the 1996-1997 fiscal year base
13  appropriation for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health
14  services shall be allocated to districts based on:
15         (a)  Epidemiological estimates of disabilities which
16  apply to the respective target populations.
17         (b)  A pro rata share distribution that ensures
18  districts below the statewide average funding level per person
19  in each target population of "persons in need" receive funding
20  necessary to achieve equity.
21         (4)  The remaining 25 percent shall be allocated based
22  on the number of persons in need of alcohol, drug abuse, and
23  mental health services per district without regard to current
24  funding levels.
25         (5)  If a reduction to the level of recurring
26  appropriations under this section is made, it shall first be
27  distributed among districts with a funding level per person in
28  excess of the statewide average funding level per person until
29  such district's funding level per person is equal to the
30  current statewide average funding level per person.
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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1525
    166-182A-99
  1  Thereafter, any remaining reduction shall be distributed on a
  2  per person basis among all districts.
  3         (6)(5)  Target populations for persons in need shall be
  4  displayed for each district and distributed concurrently with
  5  the approved operating budget. The display by target
  6  population shall show:  The annual number of persons served
  7  based on prior year actual numbers, the annual cost per person
  8  served, the number of persons served by service cost center,
  9  and the estimated number of the total target population for
10  persons in need.
11         (7)(6)  The annual cost per person served shall be
12  defined as the total actual funding for each target population
13  divided by the number of persons served in the target
14  population for that year.
15         (8)(7)  Commencing on July 1, 1998, all additional
16  funding pursuant to this section shall be performance-based.
17         Section 2.  Subsection (7) is added to section 409.915,
18  Florida Statutes, to read:
19         409.915  County contributions to Medicaid.--Although
20  the state is responsible for the full portion of the state
21  share of the matching funds required for the Medicaid program,
22  in order to acquire a certain portion of these funds, the
23  state shall charge the counties for certain items of care and
24  service as provided in this section.
25         (7)  Each county located in a service district of the
26  Department of Children and Family Services as set forth in s.
27  20.19(7) shall be eligible for credit against moneys owed
28  under this section for its share of the difference that the
29  district's recurring funding level per person is below the
30  statewide average recurring funding level per person for
31  appropriations for services described in s. 394.675 and
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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1525
    166-182A-99
  1  provided through the state plan established under s. 394.79.
  2  However, such credit shall not exceed $3 per person. The
  3  Department of Children and Family Services shall be
  4  responsible for calculating such credits, using the recurring
  5  appropriation level for the last completed fiscal year and the
  6  latest official estimate of county population as certified by
  7  the Demographic Estimating Conference. Credits shall be
  8  certified by the Department of Children and Family Services
  9  and provided to the counties by December 31 each year.
10         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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13                          HOUSE SUMMARY
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      With respect to funding for community alcohol, drug
15    abuse, and mental health services, provides that any
      service district of the Department of Children and Family
16    Services that receives less than the statewide average
      funding level per person on an annual basis shall not
17    have funds deducted during any reduction in the level of
      recurring appropriations until such district's funding
18    level is equal to the statewide average funding level.
      With respect to counties located in such service
19    districts, provides for credits against funds owed by
      such counties under the Medicaid program for certain
20    items of care and service, based on each county's share
      of the difference that the recurring funding level per
21    person of its service district for alcohol, drug abuse,
      and mental health services is below the statewide average
22    recurring funding level per person for such services. See
      bill for details.
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