Senate Bill sb1826

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1826

    By Senator Argenziano





    3-928-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to housing for the mentally

  3         ill; expressing legislative intent to support

  4         stable housing for persons who have a mental

  5         illness; providing that such housing must be

  6         available in diverse settings; providing for

  7         rulemaking by the Department of Children and

  8         Family Services; providing an effective date.

  9

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

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12         Section 1.  Supportive housing for persons with mental

13  illness.--

14         (1)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--It is the intent of the

15  Legislature to support the promotion and production of stable

16  housing for persons who have a mental illness. The Legislature

17  seeks to ensure that residents of this state who have a mental

18  illness have access to supportive housing programs or

19  equivalent services that are made available equally to all

20  individuals who have a serious mental illness irrespective of

21  their location, type of residence, or living situation.

22         (2)  AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING.--Supportive housing

23  services must be available to persons who have a mental

24  illness, whether living in their own homes, in rental

25  apartments, in licensed limited mental health assisted living

26  facilities, or in other situations of the individual's

27  choosing.

28         (3)  RULES.--The Department of Children and Family

29  Services shall, no later than December 1, 2003, adopt rules to

30  implement this act. The rules shall, at a minimum, include:

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1826
    3-928-03




  1         (a)  A definition of state-funded supportive housing

  2  for persons who have a serious mental illness.

  3         (b)  Provider-certification procedures and oversight

  4  responsibilities.

  5         (c)  Provider training and educational requirements.

  6         (d)  Standards that relate to individual rights,

  7  health, and safety of consumers.

  8         (e)  Standards that relate to the use of state funds

  9  for rental subsidies and other support services.

10         (f)  Standards for the provision of state-funded

11  supportive housing services.

12         (g)  Standards that relate to appropriateness of

13  placement and procedures for addressing a crisis and

14  after-hours care needs.

15         (h)  Requirements for district planning.

16         (i)  Provision for a single statewide complaint and

17  grievance system.

18         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

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21                          SENATE SUMMARY

22    Expresses the legislative intent that stable housing be
      made available for persons who have a mental illness.
23    Provides that such housing must be available in diverse
      settings. Requires that the Department of Children and
24    Family Services adopt rules and specifies the content of
      the rules.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.