| 1 | The Committee on Judiciary recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to the Child Advocacy Trust Fund; creating |
| 7 | the Child Advocacy Trust Fund within the Department of |
| 8 | Children and Family Services; providing for sources of |
| 9 | funds and purposes; requiring the development of an |
| 10 | allocation methodology for distributing funds deposited in |
| 11 | the trust fund; providing for funds to establish child |
| 12 | advocacy centers; providing for future legislative review |
| 13 | and termination or re-creation of the trust fund; |
| 14 | providing a contingent effective date. |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 17 |
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| 18 | Section 1. Child Advocacy Trust Fund.-- |
| 19 | (1)(a) The Child Advocacy Trust Fund is created within the |
| 20 | Department of Children and Family Services for the purpose of |
| 21 | receiving funds collected from the additional court cost imposed |
| 22 | in cases of certain crimes against minors under s. 938.10, |
| 23 | Florida Statutes. Funds shall be appropriated to the Department |
| 24 | of Children and Family Services for the specific purpose of |
| 25 | funding child advocacy centers. Funds shall be disbursed to the |
| 26 | Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, Inc., as |
| 27 | established under s. 39.3035, Florida Statutes, for the purpose |
| 28 | of providing community-based services that augment, but that do |
| 29 | not duplicate, services provided by state agencies. |
| 30 | (b) The Board of Directors of the Florida Network of |
| 31 | Children's Advocacy Centers, Inc., shall retain 10 percent of |
| 32 | all revenues collected to be used to match local contributions, |
| 33 | at a rate not to exceed an equal match, in communities |
| 34 | establishing child advocacy centers. The board of directors may |
| 35 | use up to 5 percent of the remaining funds to support the |
| 36 | activities of the network office and must develop funding |
| 37 | criteria and an allocation methodology that ensure an equitable |
| 38 | distribution of remaining funds among network participants. The |
| 39 | criteria and methodology must take into account factors that |
| 40 | include, but need not be limited to, the center's accreditation |
| 41 | status with respect to the National Children's Alliance, the |
| 42 | number of clients served, and the population of the area being |
| 43 | served by the child advocacy center. |
| 44 | (2) Pursuant to Section 19(f)(2), Article III of the State |
| 45 | Constitution, the trust fund shall, unless terminated sooner, be |
| 46 | terminated on July 1, 2008. Before its scheduled termination, |
| 47 | the trust fund shall be reviewed as provided in s. 215.3206(1) |
| 48 | and (2), Florida Statutes. |
| 49 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004, if |
| 50 | House Bill 515 or similar legislation is adopted in the same |
| 51 | legislative session or an extension thereof and becomes law. |