Senate Bill sb0916

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 916

    By Senator Sanderson





    31-640-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to state veterans' homes;

  3         amending ss. 296.04, 296.34, F.S.; revising

  4         provisions relating to the appointment and

  5         duties of the veterans' homes' administrators;

  6         defining the duties of the administrators;

  7         deleting a residency requirement; revising the

  8         employment status of employees; amending s.

  9         296.11, F.S.; deleting a requirement that

10         certain interest be deposited into the Grants

11         and Donations Trust Fund; amending s. 296.12,

12         F.S.; requiring an accounting of certain funds

13         in the Residents' Deposits Trust Fund and

14         deleting a requirement that interest accrued in

15         the fund be deposited into the Grants and

16         Donations Trust Fund; amending s. 296.38, F.S.;

17         requiring the accounting of certain funds;

18         deleting a requirement that interest accrued be

19         deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust

20         Fund; providing an effective date.

21

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

23

24         Section 1.  Section 296.04, Florida Statutes, is

25  amended to read:

26         296.04  Administrator; duties and qualifications;

27  responsibilities.--

28         (1)  The director shall appoint an administrator who

29  shall be responsible for the overall operation of the home and

30  care of the residents serve as the chief executive of the home

31  and shall have the immediate custody and control of all

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 916
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  1  property used in connection with the home in accordance with

  2  chapter 273.

  3         (2)  The administrator shall have the power to

  4  determine the eligibility and admission of applicants to the

  5  home in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and,

  6  together with the director, shall adopt all rules necessary

  7  for the preservation of order and enforcement of discipline in

  8  the home. All rules governing the home shall conform as nearly

  9  as possible to the rules and regulations for comparable

10  facilities of the United States Department of Veterans

11  Affairs.

12         (3)  The administrator shall be a resident of the state

13  at the time of entering into employment in the position.  The

14  position shall be assigned to the Selected Exempt Service

15  under part V of chapter 110.  The director shall give afford

16  applicants veterans' preference in appointing an

17  administrator, as provided in appointment in accordance with

18  ss. 295.07 and 295.085.  In addition, the administrator must

19  have at least a 4-year degree from an accredited university or

20  college and 3 years of administrative experience in a health

21  care facility, or any equivalent combination of experience,

22  training, and education totaling 7 years in work relating to

23  administration of a health care facility.

24         (4)(a)  The administrator shall forward to the

25  department all applications approved by him or her for

26  employment with the home.

27         (b)  All employees who fill authorized and established

28  positions appropriated for the home shall be state employees.

29  The department shall classify such employees in the manner

30  prescribed in chapter 110.

31

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 916
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  1         (4)(5)(a)  The administrator shall administer and

  2  enforce all rules of the home, including rules of discipline,

  3  and may dismiss any resident of the home for any infraction of

  4  the rules, subject to the approval of the director.

  5         (b)  When the administrator determines that a resident

  6  has caused physical damage to the home, he or she shall

  7  determine the cost of repairs and take action to recover such

  8  sum from the resident who caused the damage. The administrator

  9  shall recover the sum by increasing the resident's monthly

10  copayment, holding funds of the resident that are on deposit

11  in the Residents' Deposits Trust Fund, or holding personal

12  property of the resident which is held by the administrator

13  for safekeeping pursuant to s. 296.14.

14         (5)(6)  The administrator may require residents of the

15  home to render such assistance in the care of the home and

16  grounds as their physical condition will permit and may

17  compensate a resident for such assistance.

18         Section 2.  Section 296.11, Florida Statutes, is

19  amended to read:

20         296.11  Funds of home and disposition of moneys.--

21         (1)  The home shall deposit all moneys which it

22  receives for care of residents from the United States

23  Department of Veterans Affairs and residents into the

24  Operations and Maintenance Trust Fund.  All such moneys must

25  be expended for the purpose of operating and maintaining the

26  home subject to the requirements of chapter 216.

27         (2)  The home shall deposit all moneys received

28  pursuant to s. 296.15 and all interest earned on moneys in the

29  Residents' Deposits Trust Fund pursuant to s. 296.12 into the

30  Grants and Donations Trust Fund.  Moneys in the Grants and

31  Donations Trust Fund must be expended for the common benefit

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  1  of the residents of the home such as improved facilities,

  2  recreational equipment, and recreational supplies subject to

  3  the requirements of chapter 216.

  4         (3)  This section does not prohibit the use of

  5  revolving funds or clearing accounts if they are established

  6  in the manner prescribed by law.

  7         Section 3.  Section 296.12, Florida Statutes, is

  8  amended to read:

  9         296.12  Residents' Deposits Trust Fund.--

10         (1)  There is created a Residents' Deposits Trust Fund.

11  All moneys received by the home under this section must be

12  deposited into the Residents' Deposits Trust Fund, a local

13  fund that is administered by the home and is not a part of the

14  State Treasury. All moneys deposited and any interest accruing

15  to the trust fund must be accounted for by the financial

16  manager of the home.

17         (2)  The residents of the home may voluntarily deposit

18  with the home moneys that the home must receive and keep

19  without charge in the Residents' Deposits Trust Fund.  Moneys

20  deposited and interest earned Such moneys voluntarily

21  deposited with the home by a resident may be withdrawn, in

22  whole or in part, at the will of the resident.  Upon the

23  resident's death, any balance that remains and is neither

24  disposed of by will nor paid to his or her heirs at law must

25  be paid to the state in accordance with the provisions of

26  chapter 717.

27         (3)  Upon a resident's discharge or voluntary departure

28  from the home, if such moneys are not demanded at the time of

29  discharge or departure, or within a period of 3 years

30  thereafter, or demanded by the heirs, devisees, or legatees in

31  case of the resident's decease after his or her discharge or

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  1  voluntary departure, the moneys must be paid to the state as

  2  provided in chapter 717.

  3         (4)  All accrued interest on this trust fund must be

  4  accounted for by the financial manager and deposited to the

  5  Grants and Donations Trust Fund.

  6         Section 4.  Section 296.34, Florida Statutes, is

  7  amended to read:

  8         296.34  Administrator; qualifications, duties, and

  9  responsibilities.--

10         (1)  The director shall appoint an administrator of the

11  home who shall be responsible for the overall operation of the

12  home and care of the residents the chief executive of the

13  home.  The administrator position shall be assigned to the

14  Selected Exempt Service under part V of chapter 110.  The

15  director shall give veterans preference in appointing an

16  administrator appointment as provided in ss. 295.07 and

17  295.085 to applicants for the position of administrator.

18         (2)  The administrator, at the time of entering

19  employment and at all times while employed as the

20  administrator, must shall:

21         (a)  Be a resident of the state.

22         (b)  hold a current valid license as a nursing home

23  administrator pursuant to in accordance with the provisions of

24  part II of chapter 468 and the rules promulgated by the Board

25  of Nursing Home Administrators.

26         (3)  The administrator shall have the immediate custody

27  and control of all property used in connection with the home

28  in accordance with chapter 273.  The administrator shall

29  determine the eligibility of applicants for admission to the

30  home in accordance with provisions of this part and, together

31  with the director, shall adopt all rules necessary for the

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 916
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  1  proper administration of the home, including rules for the

  2  preservation of order and enforcement of discipline in the

  3  home.  All rules governing the home shall conform as nearly as

  4  possible to the rules and regulations for comparable

  5  facilities of the United States Department of Veterans

  6  Affairs.

  7         (4)(a)  The administrator shall forward to the

  8  department all applications approved by him or her for

  9  employment with the home.

10         (b)  All employees who fill authorized and established

11  positions appropriated for the home shall be state employees.

12  The department shall classify such employees in the manner

13  prescribed in chapter 110.

14         (4)(5)  The administrator shall administer and enforce

15  all rules of the home, including rules of discipline, and

16  shall have the power to dismiss any resident of the home for

17  any infraction of rules, subject to the approval of the

18  director.

19         Section 5.  Subsection (3) of section 296.38, Florida

20  Statutes, is amended to read:

21         296.38  Funds of home and disposition of moneys.--

22         (3)(a)  There is hereby created a Residents' Deposits

23  Trust Fund.  All moneys received by the home pursuant to this

24  subsection shall be deposited into the Residents' Deposits

25  Trust Fund, a local fund administered by the home and which is

26  not a part of the State Treasury. Moneys deposited into the

27  trust fund and interest accrued must be accounted for by the

28  home's financial manager.

29         (b)  The residents of the home may voluntarily deposit

30  moneys with the home, which the home shall receive and keep

31  without charge in the Residents' Deposits Trust Fund.  Such

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  1  Moneys voluntarily deposited and interest earned with the home

  2  by a resident may be withdrawn, in whole or in part, at the

  3  will of the resident. Any balance remaining upon the

  4  resident's death, undisposed of by will and not paid to his or

  5  her heirs at law, shall be paid to the state in accordance

  6  with the provisions of chapter 717.

  7         (c)  Upon a resident's discharge or voluntary departure

  8  from the home, if such moneys are not so demanded at the time

  9  of discharge or departure, or within a period of 3 years

10  thereafter, or demanded by the heirs, devisees, or legatees in

11  case of the resident's decease after his or her discharge or

12  voluntary departure, the same shall be paid to the state as

13  provided in chapter 717.

14         (d)  All accrued interest on this trust fund shall be

15  accounted for by the financial manager and deposited to the

16  Grants and Donations Trust Fund.

17         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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20                          SENATE SUMMARY

21    Revises provisions relating to the administration of the
      state veterans' homes. Revises the duties and procedures
22    for the appointment of the homes' administrators. Deletes
      a residency requirement for such administrators. Provides
23    for the accounting of certain funds and deletes
      requirements for the deposit of certain interest into the
24    Grants and Donations Trust Fund. Requires an accounting.

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