CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.





                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 4                                                                

 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

 6

 7

 8

 9

10                                                                

11  The Committee on Health & Human Services Appropriations

12  offered the following:

13

14         Amendment (with title amendment) 

15         On page 31, between lines 21 and 22,

16

17  insert:

18         Section 16.  Subsection (12) of section 414.0252,

19  Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is renumbered as subsection

20  (13), and a new subsection (12) is added to said section to

21  read:

22         414.0252  Definitions.--As used in ss. 414.015-414.45,

23  the term:

24         (12)  "Services and one-time payments" or "services,"

25  when used in reference to individuals who are not receiving

26  temporary cash assistance, means nonrecurrent, short-term

27  benefits designed to deal with a specific crisis situation or

28  episode of need and other services; work subsidies; supportive

29  services such as child care and transportation; services such

30  as counseling, case management, peer support, and child care

31  information and referral; transitional services, job

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





 1  retention, job advancement, and other employment-related

 2  services; nonmedical treatment for substance abuse or mental

 3  health problems; and any other services that are reasonably

 4  calculated to further the purposes of the WAGES Program and

 5  the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

 6  Such terms do not include assistance as defined in federal

 7  regulations at 45 C.F.R. s. 260.31(a).

 8         Section 17.  Section 414.0275, Florida Statutes, is

 9  created to read:

10         414.0275  Accountability report.--The WAGES Program

11  State Board of Directors shall submit to the Governor, the

12  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

13  Representatives an annual accountability report. The report

14  must include:

15         (1)  Performance standards and objectives, measurement

16  criteria, measures of performance, and contract guidelines for

17  each local WAGES coalitions related to the following issues:

18         (a)  Work participation rates by type of activity.

19         (b)  Caseload trends.

20         (c)  Participation in diversion and relocation

21  programs.

22         (d)  Employment retention.

23         (e)  Other issues identified by the state board of

24  directors.

25         (2)  A description of:

26         (a)  Cooperative agreements and partnerships between

27  local WAGES coalitions and local community agencies and

28  not-for-profit organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of

29  the Internal Revenue Code;

30         (b)  Efforts by local WAGES coalitions to provide WAGES

31  applicants, recipients, and former recipients with information

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





 1  on the services and programs available to them, including

 2  diversion programs, relocation assistance, and other services

 3  that may be obtained without receiving monthly cash

 4  assistance;

 5         (c)  Efforts by local WAGES coalitions to overcome

 6  transportation barriers to employment; and

 7         (d)  Other issues determined by the state board of

 8  directors.

 9         (3)  An evaluation of the performance of each local

10  WAGES coalition based on the performance measures and

11  guidelines.

12         Section 18.  Section 414.0655, Florida Statutes, is

13  created to read:

14         414.0655  Medical incapacity due to substance abuse or

15  mental health impairment.--

16         (1)  Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 414.065 to

17  the contrary, any participant who requires out-of-home

18  residential treatment for alcoholism, drug addiction, alcohol

19  abuse, or a mental health disorder, as certified by a

20  physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459, shall be

21  exempted from work activities while participating in

22  treatment. The participant shall be required to comply with

23  the course of treatment necessary for the individual to resume

24  work activity participation. The treatment agency shall be

25  required to notify the department with an initial estimate of

26  when the participant will have completed the course of

27  treatment and be ready to resume full participation in the

28  WAGES program. If the treatment will take longer than 60 days,

29  the treatment agency shall provide to the department the

30  conditions justifying extended treatment and the department

31  and the treatment agency shall negotiate a continued stay in

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





 1  treatment not to exceed an additional 90 days.

 2         (2)  Notwithstanding any provision of s.

 3  414.095(2)(a)4. or 5. to the contrary, a participant who is

 4  absent from the home due to out-of-home residential treatment

 5  for not more than 150 days shall continue to be a member of

 6  the assistance group whether or not the child or children for

 7  whom the participant is the parent or caretaker relative are

 8  living in the residential treatment center.

 9         Section 19.  Section 414.158, Florida Statutes, is

10  created to read:

11         414.158  Diversion program to strengthen Florida's

12  families.--

13         (1)  The diversion program to strengthen Florida's

14  families is intended to provide services and one-time payments

15  to assist families in avoiding welfare dependency and to

16  strengthen families so that children can be cared for in their

17  own homes or in the homes of relatives and so that families

18  can be self-sufficient.

19         (2)  Before finding a family eligible for the diversion

20  program created under this section, a determination must be

21  made that:

22         (a)  The family includes a pregnant woman or a parent

23  with one or more minor children or a caretaker relative with

24  one or more minor children.

25         (b)  The family meets the criteria of a voluntary

26  assessment performed by Healthy Families Florida; the family

27  meets the criteria established by the department for

28  determining that one or more children in the family are at

29  risk of abuse, neglect, or threatened harm; or the family is

30  homeless and living in a facility that provides shelter to

31  homeless families.

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





 1         (c)  The services or one-time payment provided are not

 2  considered assistance under federal law or guidelines.

 3         (3)  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in

 4  s. 414.075, s. 414.085, or s. 414.095, a family meeting the

 5  requirements of subsection (2) shall be considered a needy

 6  family and shall be deemed eligible under this section.

 7         (4)  The department, in consultation with Healthy

 8  Families Florida, may establish additional requirements

 9  related to services or one-time payments, and the department

10  is authorized to adopt rules relating to maximum amounts of

11  such one-time payments.

12         (5)  Receipt of services or a one-time payment under

13  this section shall not preclude eligibility for, or receipt

14  of, other assistance or services under this chapter.

15         Section 20.  Section 414.18, Florida Statutes, is

16  created to read:

17         414.18  Program for dependent care for families with

18  children with special needs.--

19         (1)  There is created the program for dependent care

20  for families with children with special needs.  This program

21  is intended to provide assistance to families with children

22  who meet the following requirements:

23         (a)  The child or children are between the ages of 13

24  and 17 years, inclusive.

25         (b)  The child or children are considered to be

26  children with special needs as defined by the subsidized child

27  care program authorized under s. 402.3015.

28         (c)  The family meets the income guidelines established

29  under s. 402.3015. Financial eligibility for this program

30  shall be based solely on the guidelines used for subsidized

31  child care, notwithstanding any financial eligibility criteria

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





 1  to the contrary in s. 414.075, s. 414.085, or s. 414.095.

 2         (2)  Implementation of this program shall be subject to

 3  appropriation of funds for this purpose.

 4         (3)  If federal funds under the Temporary Assistance

 5  for Needy Families block grant provided under Title IV-A of

 6  the Social Security Act, as amended, are used for this

 7  program, the family must be informed about the federal

 8  requirements on receipt of such assistance and must sign a

 9  written statement acknowledging, and agreeing to comply with,

10  all federal requirements.

11         (4)  In addition to child care services provided under

12  s. 402.3015, dependent care may be provided for children age

13  13 years and older who are in need of care due to disability

14  and where such care is needed for the parent to accept or

15  continue employment or otherwise participate in work

16  activities. The amount of subsidy shall be consistent with the

17  rates for special needs child care established by the

18  department. Dependent care needed for employment may be

19  provided as transitional services for up to 2 years after

20  eligibility for WAGES assistance ends.

21         (5)  Notwithstanding any provision of s. 414.105 to the

22  contrary, the time limitation on receipt of assistance under

23  this section shall be the limit established pursuant to s.

24  408(a)(7) of the Social Security Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. s.

25  608(a)(7).

26         Section 21.  Section 414.223, Florida Statutes, is

27  created to read:

28         414.223  Retention Incentive Training Accounts.--To

29  promote job retention and to enable upward job advancement

30  into higher skilled, higher paying employment, the WAGES

31  Program State Board of Directors, Workforce Development Board,

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





 1  regional workforce development boards, and local WAGES

 2  coalitions may jointly assemble, from postsecondary education

 3  institutions, a list of programs and courses for WAGES

 4  participants who have become employed which promote job

 5  retention and advancement.

 6         (1)  The WAGES Program State Board of Directors and the

 7  Workforce Development Board may jointly establish Retention

 8  Incentive Training Accounts (RITAs). RITAs shall utilize

 9  Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant funds

10  specifically appropriated for this purpose. RITAs must

11  complement the Individual Training Account required by the

12  federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Pub. L. No. 105-220.

13         (2)  RITAs may pay for tuition, fees, educational

14  materials, coaching and mentoring, performance incentives,

15  transportation to and from courses, child care costs during

16  education courses, and other such costs as the regional

17  workforce development boards determine are necessary to effect

18  successful job retention and advancement.

19         (3)  Regional workforce development boards shall retain

20  only those courses that continue to meet their performance

21  standards as established in their local plan.

22         (4)  Regional workforce development boards shall report

23  annually to the Legislature on the measurable retention and

24  advancement success of each program provider and the

25  effectiveness of RITAs, making recommendations for any needed

26  changes or modifications.

27

28

29  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

30  And the title is amended as follows:

31         On page 3, line 12,

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2119

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





 1  after the semicolon insert:

 2         amending s. 414.0252, F.S.; providing a

 3         definition; creating s. 414.0275, F.S.;

 4         requiring the state board of directors to

 5         provide an annual accountability report;

 6         specifying contents; creating s. 414.0655,

 7         F.S.; providing an exception from work

 8         activities for participants who require

 9         out-of-home residential treatment for substance

10         abuse or mental health impairment; providing

11         time limitations; creating s. 414.158, F.S.;

12         authorizing a diversion program to strengthen

13         Florida's families; providing limitations and

14         requirements; creating s. 414.18, F.S.;

15         creating a program for dependent care for

16         families with children with special needs;

17         providing requirements and limitations;

18         creating s. 414.223, F.S.; providing for

19         development of lists of postsecondary programs

20         and courses that promote job retention and

21         advancement; authorizing establishment of

22         Retention Incentive Training Accounts;

23         providing for funding; providing eligible

24         expenditures; requiring an annual report;

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

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