HB 0749 2003
   
1 CHAMBER ACTION
2         
3         
4         
5         
6          The Committee on Future of Florida's Families recommends the
7    following:
8         
9          Committee Substitute
10          Remove the entire bill and insert:
11 A bill to be entitled
12          An act relating to care for persons with disabilities;
13    providing a popular name; providing legislative findings;
14    creating the Florida Lifespan Respite Care Program;
15    authorizing the Department of Children and Family Services
16    to contract for the Florida Lifespan Respite Care Program;
17    providing a contingent appropriation; creating s.
18    393.0662, F.S.; creating the Relative Caregiver Program;
19    providing definitions; providing for reimbursement;
20    requiring that training and education programs be provided
21    by the department; providing minimum criteria for such
22    training; requiring oversight of relative caregivers by
23    the department and support coordinators; authorizing the
24    Agency for Health Care Administration to require
25    monitoring of relative caregivers; providing for the
26    certification of relative caregivers by the department;
27    establishing minimum qualifications for certification;
28    requiring the agency to establish a schedule for
29    compensation for services provided by relative caregivers;
30    limiting such compensation; providing for revocation of
31    certification of relative caregivers; requiring and
32    authorizing the adoption of rules by the agency; providing
33    an effective date.
34         
35          WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that families are an
36    important source of care for children and adults with
37    disabilities, and
38          WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that families and relative
39    caregivers are an important part of the continuum of long-term
40    and short-term care, and
41          WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that it is beneficial to the
42    state to maximize the state’s participation in the Medicaid
43    program, pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act, and
44          WHEREAS, it is a worthy and efficient goal to support the
45    efforts of families and relative caregivers to care for
46    individuals at home, and
47          WHEREAS, care provided at home by family members and
48    relatives can be cost-effective and humane, and families and
49    relative caregivers receiving occasional respite care services
50    are less likely to request admission of an individual to a
51    nursing home, foster care, or other out-of-home care at public
52    expense, and
53          WHEREAS, respite care services reduce family and relative
54    caregiver stress, enhance family and relative caregiver coping
55    abilities, and strengthen family’s and relative caregiver’s
56    abilities to meet the challenging demands of caring for an
57    individual with special circumstances, and
58          WHEREAS, respite care services reduce the risk of
59    maltreatment, abuse, and neglect of children, senior citizens,
60    and other vulnerable groups, and
61          WHEREAS, a lead statewide entity for coordinating respite
62    care services without regard to age or disabling condition is a
63    cost-effective and efficient approach to improve community-based
64    services and enable the dissemination of respite care
65    information and resources to families and relative caregivers,
66    NOW, THEREFORE,
67         
68          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
69         
70          Section 1. This act may be known by the popular name the
71    “Stephanie Banguera Act.”
72          Section 2. (1) The Florida Lifespan Respite Care Program
73    is created to:
74          (a) Develop statewide respite care advocacy and service
75    delivery networks.
76          (b) Provide, supplement, and improve respite care services
77    to families and relative caregivers.
78          (c) Promote innovative, flexible, and comprehensive
79    approaches to the delivery of respite care.
80          (d) Recruit and train respite care programs, workers, and
81    volunteers.
82          (2) The Department of Children and Family Services shall
83    contract with an established statewide respite coalition to
84    establish and develop the Florida Lifespan Respite Care Program.
85          (3) The contract with the statewide respite coalition to
86    establish the Florida Lifespan Respite Care Program shall
87    require the statewide respite coalition to:
88          (a) Develop criteria, procedures, and timelines for the
89    establishment of five lifespan respite care networks to provide
90    respite care services funded through the Florida Lifespan
91    Respite Care Program.
92          (b) Provide policy and program development supports,
93    including, but not limited to, data collection and information
94    on unmet respite care needs across the lifespan.
95          (c) Identify and promote resolution of local and state-
96    level respite care policy concerns across the lifespan.
97          (d) Provide training and technical assistance to
98    community-based lifespan respite care service networks.
99          (e) Develop and distribute respite care information.
100          (f) Promote the exchange of information and coordination
101    among state and local governments and community-based respite
102    care providers to encourage the efficient provision of respite
103    care services and reduce duplication of effort.
104          Section 3. Subject to a specific appropriation and any
105    limitations established by the General Appropriations Act or
106    chapter 216, Florida Statutes, the Department of Children and
107    Family Services may expend up to $300,000 in general revenue
108    funds to establish and develop the Florida Lifespan Respite Care
109    Program.
110          Section 4. Section 393.0662, Florida Statutes, is created
111    to read:
112          393.0662 Relative Caregiver Program.--
113          (1) DEFINITIONS.--For purposes of this section:
114          (a) "Certification” means that a relative meets all of the
115    requirements to be enrolled as a Medicaid waiver provider as a
116    relative caregiver.
117          (b) "Relative caregiver" means an individual who is the
118    father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandfather,
119    grandmother, great-grandfather, great-grandmother, uncle, aunt,
120    first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law,
121    mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law,
122    sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter,
123    stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, or half-sister of the
124    disabled child or adult and who lives permanently and
125    continuously with the disabled child or young adult.
126          (2) REIMBURSEMENT.--Subject to the requirements of
127    federally approved Medicaid waivers and a specific
128    appropriation, and any limitations established in the General
129    Appropriations Act or chapter 216, the Agency for Health Care
130    Administration in cooperation with the Department of Children
131    and Family Services may develop a plan to reimburse relative
132    caregivers of children and young adults ages 5 through 21 who
133    are recipients of home and community-based Medicaid waiver
134    services pursuant to a 1915(c) Medicaid waiver designed to serve
135    persons with developmental disabilities.
136          (3) TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS.--
137          (a) The department must provide training and education
138    programs for relative caregivers.
139          (b) Training and education programs must include
140    information relating to:
141          1. State law and rules governing relative caregivers.
142          2. Identifying and meeting the personal care needs of
143    disabled children and young adults.
144          3. Monitoring the health of the recipient.
145          (c) Relative caregivers must complete the training and
146    education program within a reasonable time determined by the
147    department. Failure to complete the training and education
148    program within the time set by the department shall subject the
149    relative caregiver to revocation of his or her certification.
150          (d) If the support coordinator or the department
151    determines that a relative caregiver requires specific training
152    or education beyond that required under this section, the
153    department may require the relative caregiver to complete such
154    training or education.
155          (e) The department shall specify by rule training and
156    education programs and training requirements for the relative
157    caregiver.
158          (4) OVERSIGHT; MONITORING.--In order to ensure that the
159    developmental services Medicaid waiver recipient in the care of
160    the relative caregiver is receiving adequate care, the support
161    coordinator shall make visits to the home in which the disabled
162    child or young adult under the care of the relative caregiver
163    resides. The frequency of such visits shall be determined by the
164    support coordinator and the department. The Agency for Health
165    Care Administration may require periodic visits by appropriate
166    professionals to monitor the recipient’s care and well-being.
167          (5) CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.--The department shall provide
168    by rule for the certification of relative caregivers. At a
169    minimum, such rule shall require that as a condition for
170    certification as a relative caregiver, an applicant shall
171    establish, to the satisfaction of the department, that the
172    applicant:
173          (a) Has the time and willingness to provide the services
174    required.
175          (b) Has a relative in need of the services of a caregiver
176    and the relative is willing to receive such services from the
177    applicant.
178          (c) Has the skills necessary to provide such services or
179    has agreed to complete the training necessary to obtain such
180    skills.
181          (d) Will comply with the Medicaid provider agreement
182    requirements of s. 409.907.
183          (6) COMPENSATION.--The Agency for Health Care
184    Administration shall establish a schedule for compensation for
185    services delivered by a relative caregiver. In no instance shall
186    the compensation authorized by this section exceed compensation
187    that would be paid to Medicaid providers who are registered,
188    licensed, or certified to provide similar care.
189          (7) VIOLATIONS; PENALTIES.--In addition to any other
190    liability or penalty provided by law, relative caregivers are
191    subject to the requirements of s. 409.913. The department shall
192    revoke certification of a relative caregiver when the department
193    determines the care by the relative caregiver directly threatens
194    the physical or emotional health, safety, or security of the
195    recipient or establishes the possibility that death or serious
196    physical or emotional harm could result from the care or lack of
197    care rendered by the relative caregiver.
198          (8) RULES.--The agency shall adopt rules as needed to
199    implement this section.
200          Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.