House Bill hb0771c1

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002              CS/HB 771

        By the Council for Smarter Government and Representatives
    Jordan, Bense, Paul, Bennett and Cantens





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to veterans; amending ss.

  3         296.04 and 296.34, F.S.; revising provisions

  4         relating to the state appointment and duties of

  5         the veterans' homes' administrators; defining

  6         duties of the administrators; eliminating a

  7         residency requirement; amending s. 296.11,

  8         F.S.; eliminating a requirement that certain

  9         interest be deposited into the Grants and

10         Donations Trust Fund; amending s. 296.12, F.S.;

11         requiring an accounting of certain funds in the

12         Residents' Deposits Trust Fund and eliminating

13         a requirement that interest accrued in the fund

14         be deposited into the Grants and Donations

15         Trust Fund; amending s. 296.32, F.S.;

16         authorizing more than one veterans' nursing

17         home; amending s. 296.33, F.S.; revising

18         definitions; creating s. 296.335, F.S.;

19         designating the "Clifford Chester Sims State

20         Veterans' Nursing Home" in Bay County; amending

21         s. 296.38, F.S.; requiring the accounting of

22         certain funds; eliminating a requirement that

23         interest accrued be deposited in the Grants and

24         Donations Trust Fund; providing an effective

25         date.

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

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29         Section 1.  Subsections (1), (3), and (4) of section

30  296.04, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

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  1         296.04  Administrator; duties and qualifications;

  2  responsibilities.--

  3         (1)  The director shall appoint an administrator who

  4  shall be responsible for the overall operation serve as the

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

  6  shall have the immediate custody and control of all property

  7  used in connection with the home in accordance with chapter

  8  273.

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

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

11  position shall be assigned to the Selected Exempt Service

12  under part V of chapter 110.  The director shall give veterans

13  afford applicants veterans' preference in selecting an

14  administrator, as provided appointment in accordance with ss.

15  295.07 and 295.085.  In addition, the administrator must have

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

17  college and 3 years of administrative experience in a health

18  care facility, or any equivalent combination of experience,

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

20  administration of a health care facility.

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

22  department all applications approved by him or her for

23  employment with the home.

24         (b)  All employees who fill authorized and established

25  positions appropriated for the home shall be state employees.

26  The department shall classify such employees in the manner

27  prescribed in chapter 110.

28         Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 296.11, Florida

29  Statutes, is amended to read:

30         296.11  Funds of home and disposition of moneys.--

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  1         (2)  The home shall deposit all moneys received

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

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

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

  5  Donations Trust Fund must be expended for the common benefit

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

  7  recreational equipment, and recreational supplies subject to

  8  the requirements of chapter 216.

  9         Section 3.  Section 296.12, Florida Statutes, is

10  amended to read:

11         296.12  Residents' Deposits Trust Fund.--

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

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

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

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

16  State Treasury. The home's financial manager shall account for

17  all moneys deposited and any interest accruing on the trust

18  fund.

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

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

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

22  Moneys voluntarily deposited and interest earned with the home

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

24  will of the resident.  Upon the resident's death, any balance

25  that remains and is neither disposed of by will nor paid to

26  his or her heirs at law must be paid to the state in

27  accordance with the provisions of chapter 717.

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

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

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

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

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

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

  3  provided in chapter 717.

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

  5  accounted for by the financial manager and deposited to the

  6  Grants and Donations Trust Fund.

  7         Section 4.  Section 296.32, Florida Statutes, is

  8  amended to read:

  9         296.32  Purpose.--The purpose of this part is to

10  provide for the establishment of basic standards for the

11  operation of veterans' nursing homes the Veterans' Nursing

12  Home of Florida for eligible veterans in need of such

13  services.

14         Section 5.  Section 296.33, Florida Statutes, is

15  amended to read:

16         296.33  Definitions.--As When used in this part, unless

17  the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term:

18         (1)  "Administrator" means the licensed person who has

19  been appointed to serve as the chief executive of the home and

20  has the general administrative charge of the facility.

21         (2)  "Department" means the Florida Department of

22  Veterans' Affairs.

23         (3)  "Director" means the executive director of the

24  Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs.

25         (4)  "Home" means a licensed health care facility

26  operated by the department pursuant to part II of chapter 400.

27         (5)(4)  "Resident" means any eligible veteran admitted

28  to the home.

29         (6)(5)  "Veteran" means a person as defined in s.

30  1.01(14).

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  1         (6)  "Veterans' Nursing Home of Florida," hereinafter

  2  referred to as the "home," means a licensed health care

  3  facility operated by the department pursuant to the provisions

  4  of part II of chapter 400.

  5         Section 6.  Section 296.335, Florida Statutes, is

  6  created to read:

  7         296.335  Veterans' nursing home designation.--The state

  8  veterans' nursing home located in Bay County shall be

  9  designated as the "Clifford Chester Sims State Veterans'

10  Nursing Home."

11         Section 7.  Section 296.34, Florida Statutes, is

12  amended to read:

13         296.34  Administrator; qualifications, duties, and

14  responsibilities.--

15         (1)  The director shall appoint an administrator of

16  each the home who shall be responsible for the overall

17  operation the chief executive of the home and the care of the

18  residents.

19         (2)  The position shall be assigned to the Selected

20  Exempt Service under part V of chapter 110.  The director

21  shall give veterans preference in selecting an administrator,

22  appointment as provided in ss. 295.07 and 295.085 to

23  applicants for the position of administrator.

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

25  employment and at all times while employed as the

26  administrator, must shall:

27         (a)  Be a resident of the state.

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

29  administrator under in accordance with the provisions of part

30  II of chapter 468 and the rules promulgated by the Board of

31  Nursing Home Administrators.

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  1         (3)  The administrator shall have the immediate custody

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

  3  in accordance with chapter 273.  The administrator shall

  4  determine the eligibility of applicants for admission to the

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

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

  7  proper administration of the home, including rules for the

  8  preservation of order and enforcement of discipline in the

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

10  possible to the rules and regulations for comparable

11  facilities of the United States Department of Veterans

12  Affairs.

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

14  department all applications approved by him or her for

15  employment with the home.

16         (b)  All employees who fill authorized and established

17  positions appropriated for the home shall be state employees.

18  The department shall classify such employees in the manner

19  prescribed in chapter 110.

20         (5)  The administrator shall administer and enforce all

21  rules of the home, including rules of discipline, and shall

22  have the power to dismiss any resident of the home for any

23  infraction of rules, subject to the approval of the director.

24         Section 8.  Subsection (3) of section 296.38, Florida

25  Statutes, is amended to read:

26         296.38  Funds of home and disposition of moneys.--

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

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

29  subsection shall be deposited into the Residents' Deposits

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

31  not a part of the State Treasury. The home's financial manager

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002              CS/HB 771

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  1  shall account for all moneys deposited and any interest

  2  accruing on the trust fund.

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

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

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

  6  Moneys voluntarily deposited and interest earned with the home

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

  8  will of the resident. Any balance remaining upon the

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

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

11  with the provisions of chapter 717.

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

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

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

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

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

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

18  provided in chapter 717.

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

20  accounted for by the financial manager and deposited to the

21  Grants and Donations Trust Fund.

22         Section 9.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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