House Bill hb0751

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 751

        By Representative Murman






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to community mental health

  3         services; requiring that the Department of

  4         Children and Family Services use certain funds

  5         to expand the provision of community mental

  6         health services; requiring the department to

  7         submit an implementation plan for the use of

  8         funds in each fiscal year to the Governor, the

  9         President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

10         House of Representatives; prohibiting the

11         release of funds for new community mental

12         health services until the implementation plan

13         is approved by the appropriations committees of

14         the Legislature; requiring that the

15         implementation plan include a schedule for

16         phasing in new community mental health

17         services; requiring the department to submit

18         reports concerning its progress toward

19         expanding community mental health services;

20         requiring that certain crisis services and

21         mental health services be provided by the

22         state's community mental health system by

23         specified dates; providing an effective date.

24

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

26

27         Section 1.  (1)  Pursuant to the General Appropriations

28  Acts for the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 fiscal years, funds

29  appropriated to the Department of Children and Family Services

30  for the purpose of expanding community mental health services

31  must be used to implement programs that emphasize treatment

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 751

    583-247-02






  1  services, rehabilitative services, support services, and

  2  case-management services, as defined in section 394.67(16),

  3  Florida Statutes. Following the 2002-2003 fiscal year, the

  4  Department of Children and Family Services must continue to

  5  expand the provision of these community mental health

  6  services.

  7         (2)(a)  The Department of Children and Family Services

  8  shall complete an implementation plan for the use of funds

  9  appropriated for this purpose. The implementation plan must

10  include a schedule for phasing-in the new community mental

11  health services in each service district of the department and

12  must describe how the new services will be integrated and

13  coordinated with all current community-based health and human

14  services.

15         (b)  By September 1 of each year, the Department of

16  Children and Family Services must submit to the Governor, the

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

18  Representatives the implementation plan for any new community

19  mental health program for which funds were appropriated under

20  the General Appropriations Act for the then-current fiscal

21  year. Notwithstanding section 216.192(1), Florida Statutes,

22  the Comptroller may not release funds appropriated for new

23  community mental health services until the appropriations

24  committees of the Legislature approve the implementation plan

25  submitted by the department. This paragraph does not apply to

26  a special legislative project designated for a specific

27  geographic area.

28         (3)  On October 1, 2002, and on October 1, 2003, the

29  Department of Children and Family Services shall submit a

30  report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the

31  Speaker of the House of Representatives concerning the

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 751

    583-247-02






  1  progress made toward expanding the provision of community

  2  mental health services as required by subsection (1) during

  3  the prior fiscal year.

  4         (4)  By January 1, 2004, the crisis services defined in

  5  section 394.67(4), Florida Statutes, shall be implemented, as

  6  appropriate, in the state's public community mental health

  7  system to serve children and adults who are experiencing an

  8  acute mental or emotional crisis, as defined in section

  9  394.67(18), Florida Statutes. By January 1, 2006, the mental

10  health services defined in section 394.67(16), Florida

11  Statutes, shall be implemented, as appropriate, in the state's

12  public community mental health system to serve adults and

13  older adults who have a severe and persistent mental illness

14  and to serve children who have a serious emotional disturbance

15  or mental illness, as defined in section 394.492(6), Florida

16  Statutes.

17         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

18  law.

19

20            *****************************************

21                          SENATE SUMMARY

22    Requires the Department of Children and Family Services
      to expand community mental health services that emphasize
23    treatment, rehabilitation, support, and case-management
      services. Requires that the department submit an
24    implementation plan for expanding such services to the
      Governor and Legislature by September 1 of each year.
25    Requires that the plan include a schedule for phasing-in
      new community mental health services in the department's
26    service districts. Prohibits the Comptroller from
      releasing funds appropriated for new community mental
27    health services until the implementation plan is approved
      by the appropriations committees of the Legislature.
28    Requires that the department submit reports to the
      Governor and Legislature concerning the progress made
29    toward expanding community mental health services.
      Requires certain crisis services and mental health
30    services to be implemented, as appropriate, in the
      state's community mental health system by specified
31    dates. (See bill for details.)

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