ENROLLED HB 1099, Engrossed 1 2003 Legislature
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to domestic violence centers; amending s.
3	39.903, F.S.; removing a requirement that the Department
4	of Children and Family Services approve or reject
5	applications for funding received from domestic violence
6	centers; providing for the provision of technical
7	assistance and the distribution of funds for domestic
8	violence centers by a statewide association whose primary
9	purpose is to provide technical assistance to certified
10	domestic violence centers; providing that such association
11	shall implement, administer, and evaluate the services
12	provided by the certified domestic violence centers;
13	limiting the services and funding to certified domestic
14	violence centers; amending s. 39.905, F.S.; providing that
15	the Department of Children and Family Services shall
16	approve, rather than develop, a funding distribution
17	formula for state funds provided to certified domestic
18	violence centers; providing requirements for contracts
19	between the statewide association and certified domestic
20	violence centers; providing an effective date.
21
22	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24	Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection
25	(7) of section 39.903, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
26	39.903 Duties and functions of the department with respect
27	to domestic violence.--
28	(1) The department shall:
29	(c) Receive and approve or reject applications for
30	certification of domestic violence centers, and receive and
31	approve or reject applications for funding of domestic violence
32	centers. When approving funding for a newly certified domestic
33	violence center, the department shall make every effort to
34	minimize any adverse economic impact on existing certified
35	centers or services provided within the same district. In order
36	to minimize duplication of services, the department shall make
37	every effort to encourage subcontracting relationships with
38	existing centers within the district. If any of the required
39	services are exempted from certificationby the department under
40	s. 39.905(1)(c), the center shall not receive funding for those
41	services.
42	(7) The department shall contract with a statewide
43	association whose primary purpose is to represent and provide
44	technical assistance to certifieddomestic violence centers.
45	This association shall implement, administer, and evaluate all
46	services provided by the certified domestic violence centers.
47	The association shall receive and approve or reject applications
48	for funding of certified domestic violence centers. When
49	approving funding for a newly certified domestic violence
50	center, the association shall make every effort to minimize any
51	adverse economic impact on existing certified domestic violence
52	centers or services provided within the same service area. In
53	order to minimize duplication of services, the association shall
54	make every effort to encourage subcontracting relationships with
55	existing certified domestic violence centers within the same
56	service area. In distributing funds allocated by the Legislature
57	for certified domestic violence centers, the association shall
58	use a formula approved by the department as specified in s.
59	39.905(7)(a)receive 2 percent of the Domestic Violence Trust
60	Fund for this purpose.
61	Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 39.905, Florida
62	Statutes, is amended to read:
63	39.905 Domestic violence centers.--
64	(7)(a) All funds collected and appropriated to the
65	domestic violence program for certified domestic violence
66	centers shall be distributed annually by the department to each
67	district according to an allocation formula approveddetermined
68	by the department. In developing the formula, the factors of
69	department shall consider population, a rural characteristics,
70	and geographical area factor, and the incidence of domestic
71	violence shall be considered.
72	(b) A contract between the statewide associationa
73	districtand a certified domestic violence center shall contain
74	provisions assuring the availability and geographic
75	accessibility of services throughout the district. For this
76	purpose, a center may distribute funds through subcontracts or
77	to center satellites, provided such arrangements and any
78	subcontracts are approved by the statewide associationdistrict.
79	Section 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2004.