House Bill hb0161e1
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HB 161, First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the care of children;
3 amending s. 39.5085, F.S., relating to the
4 Relative Caregiver Program; revising
5 eligibility guidelines; amending s. 239.117,
6 F.S., relating to workforce development
7 postsecondary student fees; exempting from the
8 payment of specified fees otherwise eligible
9 students for whom the state is paying a
10 relative caregiver payment; revising
11 eligibility requirements for such students and
12 for certain other students who are eligible to
13 receive this exemption; amending s. 240.35,
14 F.S.; exempting certain children in the custody
15 of a relative at the time of reaching age 18
16 from payment of all undergraduate student fees;
17 amending s. 411.01, F.S.; providing eligibility
18 under the school readiness program for certain
19 children for whom the state is paying a
20 relative caregiver payment; providing an
21 effective date.
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23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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25 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
26 39.5085, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
27 39.5085 Relative Caregiver Program.--
28 (2)(a) The Department of Children and Family Services
29 shall establish and operate the Relative Caregiver Program
30 pursuant to eligibility guidelines established in this section
31 as further implemented by rule of the department. The Relative
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HB 161, First Engrossed
1 Caregiver Program shall, within the limits of available
2 funding, provide financial assistance to:
3 1. Relatives who are within the fifth degree by blood
4 or marriage to the parent or stepparent of a child and who are
5 caring full-time for that dependent child in the role of
6 substitute parent as a result of a court's determination of
7 child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and subsequent placement
8 with the relative pursuant to this chapter.
9 2. Relatives who are within the fifth degree by blood
10 or marriage to the parent or stepparent of a child and who are
11 caring full-time for that dependent child, and a dependent
12 half-brother or half-sister of that dependent child, in the
13 role of substitute parent as a result of a court's
14 determination of child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and
15 subsequent placement with the relative pursuant to this
16 chapter.
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18 Such placement may be either court-ordered temporary legal
19 custody to the relative under protective supervision of the
20 department pursuant to s. 39.521(1)(b)3., or court-ordered
21 placement in the home of a relative as a permanency option
22 pursuant to s. 39.622. The Relative Caregiver Program shall
23 offer financial assistance to caregivers who are relatives and
24 who would be unable to serve in that capacity without the
25 relative caregiver payment because of financial burden, thus
26 exposing the child to the trauma of placement in a shelter or
27 in foster care.
28 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of section
29 239.117, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
30 239.117 Workforce development postsecondary student
31 fees.--
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HB 161, First Engrossed
1 (4) The following students are exempt from the payment
2 of registration, matriculation, and laboratory fees:
3 (c) A student for whom the state is paying a foster
4 care board payment pursuant to s. 409.145(3) or pursuant to
5 parts II and III of chapter 39 for whom the permanency
6 planning goal pursuant to part III of chapter 39 is long-term
7 foster care or independent living, or is or was at the time he
8 or she reached 18 years of age in the custody of a relative
9 under s. 39.5085, or who is adopted from the Department of
10 Children and Family Services after May 5, 1997. Such an
11 exemption includes fees associated with enrollment in
12 vocational-preparatory instruction and completion of the
13 college-level communication and computation skills testing
14 program. Such an exemption is shall be available to any
15 student adopted from the Department of Children and Family
16 Services after May 5, 1997; however, the exemption remains
17 shall be valid for no more than 4 years after the date of
18 graduation from high school.
19 Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
20 240.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
21 240.35 Student fees.--Unless otherwise provided, the
22 provisions of this section apply only to fees charged for
23 college credit instruction leading to an associate in arts
24 degree, an associate in applied science degree, or an
25 associate in science degree and noncollege credit
26 college-preparatory courses defined in s. 239.105.
27 (2)(a) Any student for whom the state is paying a
28 foster care board payment pursuant to s. 409.145(3) or parts
29 II and III of chapter 39, for whom the permanency planning
30 goal pursuant to part III of chapter 39 is long-term foster
31 care or independent living, who is or was at the time he or
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HB 161, First Engrossed
1 she reached 18 years of age in the custody of a relative under
2 s. 39.5085, or who is adopted from the Department of Children
3 and Family Services after May 5, 1997, shall be exempt from
4 the payment of all undergraduate fees, including fees
5 associated with enrollment in college-preparatory instruction
6 or completion of the college-level communication and
7 computation skills testing program. Before a fee exemption can
8 be given, the student shall have applied for and been denied
9 financial aid, pursuant to s. 240.404, which would have
10 provided, at a minimum, payment of all student fees. Such
11 exemption shall be available to any student who was in the
12 custody of a relative under s. 39.5085 at the time he or she
13 reached 18 years of age or was adopted from the Department of
14 Children and Family Services after May 5, 1997; however, the
15 exemption shall be valid for no more than 4 years after the
16 date of graduation from high school.
17 Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section
18 411.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
19 411.01 Florida Partnership for School Readiness;
20 school readiness coalitions.--
21 (6) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.--The school readiness program
22 shall be established for children under the age of
23 kindergarten eligibility. Priority for participation in the
24 school readiness program shall be given to children who meet
25 one or more of the following criteria:
26 (a) Children under the age of kindergarten eligibility
27 who are:
28 1. Children determined to be at risk of abuse,
29 neglect, or exploitation and who are currently clients of the
30 Family Safety Program Office of the Department of Children and
31 Family Services.
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HB 161, First Engrossed
1 2. Children at risk of welfare dependency, including
2 economically disadvantaged children, children of participants
3 in the welfare transition program, children of migrant
4 farmworkers, and children of teen parents.
5 3. Children of working families whose family income
6 does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
7 4. Children for whom the state is paying a relative
8 caregiver payment under s. 39.5085.
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10 An "economically disadvantaged" child means a child whose
11 family income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty
12 level. Notwithstanding any change in a family's economic
13 status, but subject to additional family contributions in
14 accordance with the sliding fee scale, a child who meets the
15 eligibility requirements upon initial registration for the
16 program shall be considered eligible until the child reaches
17 kindergarten age.
18 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
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