SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB's 2328 & 2252
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 973260
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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05/02/2003 04:29 PM .
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11 Senator Lee moved the following amendment:
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13 Senate Amendment
14 On page 28, line 8, through page 33, line 22, delete
15 those lines
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17 and insert:
18 Section 8. Section 445.048, Florida Statutes, is
19 amended to read:
20 445.048 Passport to Economic Progress demonstration
21 program.--
22 (1) AUTHORIZATION.--Notwithstanding any law to the
23 contrary, Workforce Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the
24 Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for
25 Workforce Innovation, shall implement a Passport to Economic
26 Progress demonstration program by November 1, 2001, consistent
27 with the provisions of this section in Hillsborough, and
28 Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Workforce Florida, Inc., must
29 consult with the applicable regional workforce boards and the
30 applicable local offices of the department which serve the
31 demonstration areas and must encourage community input into
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB's 2328 & 2252
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 973260
1 the implementation process.
2 (2) WAIVERS.--If Workforce Florida, Inc., in
3 consultation with the Department of Children and Family
4 Services, finds that federal waivers would facilitate
5 implementation of the demonstration program, the department
6 shall immediately request such waivers, and Workforce Florida,
7 Inc., shall report to the Governor, the President of the
8 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives if any
9 refusal of the federal government to grant such waivers
10 prevents the implementation of the demonstration program. If
11 Workforce Florida, Inc., finds that federal waivers to
12 provisions of the Food Stamp Program would facilitate
13 implementation of the demonstration program, the Department of
14 Children and Family Services shall immediately request such
15 waivers in accordance with s. 414.175.
16 (3) INCOME DISREGARD.--In order to provide an
17 additional incentive for employment, and notwithstanding the
18 amount specified in s. 414.095(12), for individuals residing
19 in the areas designated for this demonstration program, the
20 first $300 plus one-half of the remainder of earned income
21 shall be disregarded in determining eligibility for temporary
22 cash assistance. All other conditions and requirements of s.
23 414.095(12) shall continue to apply to such individuals.
24 (3)(4) TRANSITIONAL BENEFITS AND SERVICES.--In order
25 to assist them in making the transition to economic
26 self-sufficiency, former recipients of temporary cash
27 assistance residing within the areas designated for this
28 demonstration program shall be eligible for the following
29 benefits and services:
30 (a) Notwithstanding the time period specified in s.
31 445.030, transitional education and training support services
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB's 2328 & 2252
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 973260
1 as specified in s. 445.030 for up to 4 years after the family
2 is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance;
3 (b) Notwithstanding the time period specified in s.
4 445.031, transitional transportation support services as
5 specified in s. 445.031 for up to 4 years after the family is
6 no longer receiving temporary cash assistance; and
7 (c) Notwithstanding the time period specified in s.
8 445.032, transitional child care as specified in s. 445.032
9 for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving
10 temporary cash assistance.
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12 All other provisions of ss. 445.030, 445.031, and 445.032
13 shall apply to such individuals, as appropriate. This
14 subsection does not constitute an entitlement to transitional
15 benefits and services. If funds are insufficient to provide
16 benefits and services under this subsection, the board of
17 directors of Workforce Florida, Inc., may limit such benefits
18 and services or otherwise establish priorities for the
19 provisions of such benefits and services.
20 (4) INCENTIVES TO ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY.--
21 (a) The Legislature finds that:
22 1. There are former recipients of temporary cash
23 assistance who are working full time but whose incomes are
24 below the poverty level.
25 2. Having incomes below the federal poverty level
26 makes such individuals particularly vulnerable to reliance on
27 public assistance despite their best efforts to achieve or
28 maintain economic independence through employment.
29 3. It is necessary to implement a performance-based
30 program that defines economic incentives for achieving
31 specific benchmarks toward self-sufficiency while the
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB's 2328 & 2252
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 973260
1 individual is working full time.
2 (b) Workforce Florida, Inc., in cooperation with the
3 Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for
4 Workforce Innovation, shall offer performance-based incentive
5 bonuses as a component of the Passport to Economic Progress
6 demonstration program in the areas of the state which are
7 designated for the demonstration program. The bonuses do not
8 represent a program entitlement and shall be contingent on
9 achieving specific benchmarks prescribed in the
10 self-sufficiency plan. If the funds appropriated for this
11 purpose are insufficient to provide this financial incentive,
12 the board of directors of Workforce Florida, Inc., shall
13 reduce or suspend the bonuses in order not to exceed the
14 appropriation.
15 (5) WAGE SUPPLEMENTATION.--
16 (a) The Legislature finds that:
17 1. There are former recipients of temporary cash
18 assistance who are working full time but whose incomes are
19 below the federal poverty level.
20 2. Having incomes below the federal poverty level
21 makes such individuals particularly vulnerable to reliance on
22 public assistance despite their best efforts to achieve or
23 maintain economic independence through employment.
24 3. It is necessary to supplement the wages of such
25 individuals for a limited period of time in order to assist
26 them in fulfilling the transition to economic
27 self-sufficiency.
28 (b) Workforce Florida, Inc., in cooperation with the
29 Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for
30 Workforce Innovation, shall create a transitional wage
31 supplementation program by November 1, 2001, as a component of
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB's 2328 & 2252
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 973260
1 the Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program in the
2 areas designated for the demonstration program. This wage
3 supplementation program does not constitute an entitlement to
4 wage supplementation. If funds appropriated are insufficient
5 to provide wage supplementation, the board of directors of
6 Workforce Florida, Inc., may limit wage supplementation or
7 otherwise establish priorities for wage supplementation.
8 (c) To be eligible for an incentive bonus wage
9 supplementation under this subsection, an individual must:
10 1. Be a former recipient of temporary cash assistance
11 who last received such assistance on or after January 1, 2000;
12 2. Be employed full time, which for the purposes of
13 this subsection means employment averaging at least 32 hours
14 per week until the United States Congress enacts legislation
15 reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
16 block grant, and, after the reauthorization, means employment
17 complying with the employment requirements of the reauthorized
18 law; and
19 3. Have an average family income for the 6 months
20 preceding the date of application for an incentive bonus wage
21 supplementation which is less than 100 percent of the federal
22 poverty level.
23 (d) Workforce Florida, Inc., shall determine the
24 schedule for the payment of wage supplementation under this
25 subsection. An individual eligible for wage supplementation
26 under this subsection may receive a payment that equals the
27 amount necessary to bring the individual's total family income
28 for the period covered by the payment to 100 percent of the
29 federal poverty level. An individual may not receive wage
30 supplementation payments for more than a total of 12 months.
31 (e) The wage supplementation program authorized by
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB's 2328 & 2252
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 973260
1 this subsection shall be administered through the regional
2 workforce boards and the one-stop delivery system, under
3 policy guidelines, criteria, and applications developed by
4 Workforce Florida, Inc., in cooperation with the Department of
5 Children and Family Services and the Agency for Workforce
6 Innovation. To the maximum extent possible, the regional
7 workforce boards shall use electronic debit card technologies
8 to provide wage supplementation payments under this program.
9 (5)(6) EVALUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.--Workforce
10 Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the Department of Children
11 and Family Services, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and
12 the regional workforce boards in the areas designated for this
13 demonstration program, shall conduct a comprehensive
14 evaluation of the effectiveness of the demonstration program
15 operated under this section. By January 1, 2005 2003,
16 Workforce Florida, Inc., shall submit a report on such
17 evaluation to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
18 the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must
19 include recommendations as to whether the demonstration
20 program should be expanded to other service areas or statewide
21 and whether the program should be revised to enhance its
22 administration or effectiveness.
23 (6)(7) CONFLICTS.--If there is a conflict between the
24 implementation procedures described in this section and
25 federal requirements and regulations, federal requirements and
26 regulations shall control.
27 Section 9. The sum of $2,859,200 is appropriated from
28 the Welfare Transition Trust Fund to the Agency for Workforce
29 Innovation for implementing the Passport to Economic Progress
30 demonstration program during the 2003-2004 fiscal year.
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