Senate Bill sb1314c3

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    Florida Senate - 2005             CS for CS for CS for SB 1314

    By the Committees on Health and Human Services Appropriations;
    Judiciary; Children and Families; and Senators Rich, Lynn,
    Dawson, Smith, Wilson, Campbell and Bullard



    603-2320-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to independent living; amending

  3         s. 39.013, F.S.; authorizing a child in foster

  4         care to petition the court to retain

  5         jurisdiction of his or her case; limiting the

  6         court's continued jurisdiction to 1 year after

  7         the child's 18th birthday; identifying the

  8         issues to be considered by the court during its

  9         continued jurisdiction; providing that a

10         judicial review hearing is not required;

11         providing an exception; amending s. 39.701,

12         F.S.; requiring the Department of Children and

13         Family Services to include in its judicial

14         review study report verification that the child

15         has been provided with certain information

16         about the Road-to-Independence Scholarship

17         Program and with notice of the child's right to

18         petition the court for continuing jurisdiction;

19         amending s. 409.1451, F.S.; authorizing a child

20         who is eligible for the Road-to-Independence

21         Scholarship Program to continue to reside with

22         a licensed foster family or a group care

23         provider; requiring that the department enroll

24         certain young adults who were formerly in

25         foster care in the Florida KidCare program if

26         they do not otherwise have health insurance or

27         are not eligible for Medicaid; requiring that

28         the Independent Living Services Advisory

29         Council study the most effective way of

30         providing health insurance for young adults in

31         the program for independent living who are not

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 1         eligible for the Florida KidCare program;

 2         requiring the council to report its

 3         recommendations to the Legislature; requiring

 4         the Office of Program Policy Analysis and

 5         Government Accountability to conduct a study to

 6         determine the effect the appointment of a

 7         guardian ad litem has on the ability of young

 8         adults who were formerly in the foster care

 9         system; providing for issues to be studied;

10         requiring that a report be prepared and

11         presented to the Governor and the Legislature

12         by a specified date; providing an

13         appropriation; providing an effective date.

14  

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

16  

17         Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 39.013, Florida

18  Statutes, is amended to read:

19         39.013  Procedures and jurisdiction; right to

20  counsel.--

21         (2)  The circuit court shall have exclusive original

22  jurisdiction of all proceedings under this chapter, of a child

23  voluntarily placed with a licensed child-caring agency, a

24  licensed child-placing agency, or the department, and of the

25  adoption of children whose parental rights have been

26  terminated under pursuant to this chapter. Jurisdiction

27  attaches when the initial shelter petition, dependency

28  petition, or termination of parental rights petition is filed

29  or when a child is taken into the custody of the department.

30  The circuit court may assume jurisdiction over any such

31  proceeding regardless of whether the child was in the physical

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 1  custody of both parents, was in the sole legal or physical

 2  custody of only one parent, caregiver, or some other person,

 3  or was in the physical or legal custody of no person when the

 4  event or condition occurred that brought the child to the

 5  attention of the court. When the court obtains jurisdiction of

 6  any child who has been found to be dependent, the court shall

 7  retain jurisdiction, unless relinquished by its order, until

 8  the child reaches 18 years of age. However, if a youth

 9  petitions the court at any time before his or her 19th

10  birthday requesting the court's continued jurisdiction, the

11  juvenile court may retain jurisdiction under this chapter for

12  a period not to exceed 1 year following the youth's 18th

13  birthday for the purpose of determining whether appropriate

14  aftercare support, Road-to-Independence Scholarship,

15  transitional support, mental health, and developmental

16  disability services, to the extent otherwise authorized by

17  law, have been provided to the formerly dependent child who

18  was in the legal custody of the department immediately before

19  his or her 18th birthday or to meet any requirement of federal

20  law with respect to the court's ongoing jurisdiction pending

21  the Federal Government's issuance of a Special Immigrant

22  Juvenile Visa to a child who was formerly a dependent child. A

23  judicial review hearing is not required under this subsection

24  unless requested by the formerly dependent child or upon the

25  court's own motion for cause.

26         Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section

27  39.701, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

28         39.701  Judicial review.--

29         (6)(a)  In addition to the provisions of paragraphs

30  (1)(a) and (2)(a), the court shall hold a judicial review

31  hearing within 90 days after a youth's 17th birthday and shall

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 1  continue to hold timely judicial review hearings. In addition,

 2  the court may review the status of the child more frequently

 3  during the year prior to the youth's 18th birthday if

 4  necessary. At each review held under pursuant to this

 5  subsection, in addition to any information or report provided

 6  to the court, the foster parent, legal custodian, guardian ad

 7  litem, and the child shall be given the opportunity to address

 8  the court with any information relevant to the child's best

 9  interests, particularly as it relates to the provision of

10  independent living transition services. In addition to any

11  information or report provided to the court, the department

12  shall include in its judicial review social study report

13  written verification that the child:

14         1.  Has been provided with a current Medicaid card and

15  has been provided all necessary information concerning the

16  Medicaid program sufficient to prepare the youth to apply for

17  coverage upon reaching age 18, if such application would be

18  appropriate.

19         2.  Has been provided with a certified copy of his or

20  her birth certificate and, if the child does not have a valid

21  driver's license, a Florida identification card issued under

22  pursuant to s. 322.051.

23         3.  Has been provided information relating to Social

24  Security Insurance benefits if the child is eligible for these

25  such benefits. If the child has received these benefits and

26  they are being held in trust for the child, a full accounting

27  of those funds must shall be provided and the child must be

28  informed about how to access those funds.

29         4.  Has been provided with information and training

30  related to budgeting skills, interviewing skills, and

31  parenting skills.

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 1         5.  Has been provided with all relevant information

 2  related to the Road-to-Independence Scholarship, including,

 3  but not limited to, eligibility requirements, forms necessary

 4  to apply, and assistance in completing the forms. The child

 5  shall also be informed that, if he or she is eligible for the

 6  Road-to-Independence Scholarship Program, he or she may reside

 7  with the licensed foster family or group care provider with

 8  whom the child was residing at the time of attaining his or

 9  her 18th birthday or may reside in another licensed foster

10  home or with a group care provider arranged by the department.

11         6.  Has an open bank account, or has identification

12  necessary to open such an account, and has been provided with

13  essential banking skills.

14         7.  Has been provided with information on public

15  assistance and how to apply.

16         8.  Has been provided a clear understanding of where he

17  or she will be living on his or her 18th birthday, how living

18  expenses will be paid, and what educational program or school

19  he or she will be enrolled in.

20         9.  Has been provided with notice of the youth's right

21  to petition for the court's continuing jurisdiction for 1 year

22  after the youth's 18th birthday as specified in s. 39.013(2)

23  and with information on how to obtain access to the court.

24         Section 3.  Paragraphs (b) and (d) of subsection (5) of

25  section 409.1451, Florida Statutes, are amended, present

26  subsection (9) of that section is redesignated as subsection

27  (10), and a new subsection (9) is added to that section, to

28  read:

29         409.1451  Independent living transition services.--

30         (5)  SERVICES FOR YOUNG ADULTS FORMERLY IN FOSTER

31  CARE.--Based on the availability of funds, the department

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 1  shall provide or arrange for the following services to young

 2  adults formerly in foster care who meet the prescribed

 3  conditions and are determined eligible by the department. The

 4  categories of services available to assist a young adult

 5  formerly in foster care to achieve independence are:

 6         (b)  Road-to-Independence Scholarship Program.--

 7         1.  The Road-to-Independence Scholarship Program is

 8  intended to help eligible students who are former foster

 9  children in this state to receive the educational and

10  vocational training needed to achieve independence. The amount

11  of the award shall be based on the living and educational

12  needs of the young adult and may be up to, but may shall not

13  exceed, the amount of earnings that the student would have

14  been eligible to earn working a 40-hour-a-week federal minimum

15  wage job.

16         2.  A young adult who has reached 18 years of age but

17  is not yet 21 years of age is eligible for the initial award,

18  and a young adult under 23 years of age is eligible for

19  renewal awards, if he or she:

20         a.  Was a dependent child, under pursuant to chapter

21  39, and was living in licensed foster care or in subsidized

22  independent living at the time of his or her 18th birthday;

23         b.  Spent at least 6 months living in foster care

24  before reaching his or her 18th birthday;

25         c.  Is a resident of this state as defined in s.

26  1009.40; and

27         d.  Meets one of the following qualifications:

28         (I)  Has earned a standard high school diploma or its

29  equivalent as described in s. 1003.43 or s. 1003.435, or has

30  earned a special diploma or special certificate of completion

31  as described in s. 1003.438, and has been admitted for

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 1  full-time enrollment in an eligible postsecondary education

 2  institution as defined in s. 1009.533;

 3         (II)  Is enrolled full time in an accredited high

 4  school; or

 5         (III)  Is enrolled full time in an accredited adult

 6  education program designed to provide the student with a high

 7  school diploma or its equivalent.

 8         3.  A young adult applying for a Road-to-Independence

 9  Scholarship must apply for any other grants and scholarships

10  for which he or she may qualify. The department shall assist

11  the young adult in the application process and may use the

12  federal financial aid grant process to determine the funding

13  needs of the young adult.

14         4.  The amount of the award, whether it is being used

15  by a young adult working toward completion of a high school

16  diploma or its equivalent or working toward completion of a

17  postsecondary education program, shall be determined based on

18  an assessment of the funding needs of the young adult. This

19  assessment must shall consider the young adult's living and

20  educational costs and other grants, scholarships, waivers,

21  earnings, and other income to be received by the young adult.

22  An award shall be available only to the extent that other

23  grants and scholarships are not sufficient to meet the living

24  and educational needs of the young adult, but an award may

25  shall not be less than $25 in order to maintain Medicaid

26  eligibility for the young adult as provided in s. 409.903.

27         5.a.  The department must advertise the availability of

28  the program and must ensure that the children and young adults

29  leaving foster care, foster parents, or family services

30  counselors are informed of the availability of the program and

31  the application procedures.

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 1         b.  A young adult must apply for the initial award

 2  during the 6 months immediately preceding his or her 18th

 3  birthday, and the department shall provide assistance with the

 4  application process. A young adult who fails to make an

 5  initial application, but who otherwise meets the criteria for

 6  an initial award, may make one application for the initial

 7  award if the such application is made before the young adult's

 8  21st birthday. If the young adult does not apply for an

 9  initial award before his or her 18th birthday, the department

10  shall inform that young adult of the opportunity to apply

11  before turning 21 years of age.

12         c.  If funding for the program is available, the

13  department shall issue awards from the scholarship program for

14  each young adult who meets all the requirements of the

15  program.

16         d.  An award shall be issued at the time the eligible

17  student reaches 18 years of age.

18         e.  A young adult who is eligible for the

19  Road-to-Independence Program and who so desires shall be

20  allowed to reside with remain in the licensed foster family or

21  group care provider with whom he or she was residing at the

22  time of attaining his or her 18th birthday or to reside in

23  another licensed foster home or with a group care provider

24  arranged by the department.

25         f.  If the award recipient transfers from one eligible

26  institution to another and continues to meet eligibility

27  requirements, the award must be transferred with the

28  recipient.

29         g.  Scholarship funds awarded to any eligible young

30  adult under this program are in addition to any other services

31  

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 1  provided to the young adult by the department through its

 2  independent living transition services.

 3         h.  The department shall provide information concerning

 4  young adults receiving the Road-to-Independence Scholarship to

 5  the Department of Education for inclusion in the student

 6  financial assistance database, as provided in s. 1009.94.

 7         i.  Scholarship funds are intended to help eligible

 8  students who are former foster children in this state to

 9  receive the educational and vocational training needed to

10  become independent and self-supporting. The Such funds shall

11  be terminated when the young adult has attained one of four

12  postsecondary goals under pursuant to subsection (3) or

13  reaches 23 years of age, whichever occurs earlier. In order to

14  initiate postsecondary education, to allow for a change in

15  career goal, or to obtain additional skills in the same

16  educational or vocational area, a young adult may earn no more

17  than two diplomas, certificates, or credentials. A young adult

18  attaining an associate of arts or associate of science degree

19  shall be permitted to work toward completion of a bachelor of

20  arts or a bachelor of science degree or an equivalent

21  undergraduate degree. Road-to-Independence Scholarship funds

22  may shall not be used for education or training after a young

23  adult has attained a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science

24  degree or an equivalent undergraduate degree.

25         j.  The department shall evaluate and renew each award

26  annually during the 90-day period before the young adult's

27  birthday. In order to be eligible for a renewal award for the

28  subsequent year, the young adult must:

29         (I)  Complete the number of hours, or the equivalent

30  considered full time by the educational institution, in the

31  last academic year in which the young adult earned a

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 1  scholarship, except for a young adult who meets the

 2  requirements of s. 1009.41.

 3         (II)  Maintain appropriate progress as required by the

 4  educational institution, except that, if the young adult's

 5  progress is insufficient to renew the scholarship at any time

 6  during the eligibility period, the young adult may restore

 7  eligibility by improving his or her progress to the required

 8  level.

 9         k.  Scholarship funds may be terminated during the

10  interim between an award and the evaluation for a renewal

11  award if the department determines that the award recipient is

12  no longer enrolled in an educational institution as defined in

13  sub-subparagraph 2.d., or is no longer a state resident. The

14  department shall notify a student who is terminated and inform

15  the student of his or her right to appeal.

16         l.  An award recipient who does not qualify for a

17  renewal award or who chooses not to renew the award may

18  subsequently apply for reinstatement. An application for

19  reinstatement must be made before the young adult reaches 23

20  years of age, and a student may not apply for reinstatement

21  more than once. In order to be eligible for reinstatement, the

22  young adult must meet the eligibility criteria and the

23  criteria for award renewal for the scholarship program.

24         (d)  Payment of aftercare, scholarship, or transitional

25  support funds.--Payment of aftercare, scholarship, or

26  transitional support funds shall be made directly to the

27  recipient unless the recipient requests in writing to the

28  community-based care lead agency, or the department, that the

29  payments or a portion of the payments be made directly on the

30  recipient's behalf in order to secure services such as

31  housing, counseling, education, or employment training as part

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 1  of the young adult's own efforts to achieve self-sufficiency.

 2  The young adult who resides continues with a foster family may

 3  shall not be included as a child in calculating any licensing

 4  restriction on the number of children in the foster home.

 5         (9)  MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR YOUNG ADULTS FORMERLY IN

 6  FOSTER CARE.--The department shall enroll in the Florida

 7  KidCare program, outside the open enrollment period, each

 8  young adult who is eligible as described in s. 409.1451(2)(b)

 9  and who has not yet reached his or her 19th birthday.

10         (a)  A young adult who was formerly in foster care at

11  the time of his or her 18th birthday and who is 18 years of

12  age but not yet 19, shall pay the premium for the Florida

13  KidCare program as required in s. 409.814.

14         (b)  A young adult who has health insurance coverage

15  from a third party through his or her employer or who is

16  eligible for Medicaid is not eligible for enrollment under

17  this subsection.

18         Section 4.  The Independent Living Services Advisory

19  Council shall conduct a study to determine the most effective

20  way to address the health insurance needs of young adults who

21  are in the Independent Living Program of the Department of

22  Children and Family Services once the young adults are no

23  longer eligible for the Florida KidCare program. The

24  department and the Agency for Health Care Administration shall

25  assist the advisory council in conducting the study. The

26  advisory council shall provide a report containing

27  recommendations to the Legislature by January 2, 2006.

28         Section 5.  The Office of Program Policy Analysis and

29  Government Accountability, in consultation with the Statewide

30  Guardian Ad Litem Office, shall conduct a study to determine

31  the effect the appointment of a guardian ad litem has on the

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 1  ability of young adults who were formerly in the foster care

 2  system to obtain life skills and education for independent

 3  living and employment, to have a quality of life appropriate

 4  for their age, and to assume personal responsibility for

 5  becoming self-sufficient adults. The study shall be conducted

 6  with input from the key stakeholders in the independent living

 7  transition service system and the guardian ad litem program.

 8  The results of the study and recommendations related to the

 9  relationship between the involvement of a guardian ad litem

10  and future success realized by young adults formerly in foster

11  care, shall be provided to the Governor, the President of the

12  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on or

13  before December 15, 2005.

14         Section 6.  The nonrecurring sum of $1,100,000 from the

15  General Revenue Fund shall be appropriated to the Department

16  of Children and Family Services for Fiscal Year 2005-2006 to

17  implement the provisions of this act.

18         Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

19  

20          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
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22                                 

23  
      -  Requires the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
24       Government Accountability, in consultation with the
         Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office, to conduct a study to
25       determine the effect of guardian ad litem on the ability
         of young adults who were formerly in foster care to
26       obtain the services and education needed to achieve
         independence.
27  
      -  Appropriates $1,100,000 from nonrecurring general revenue
28       to the Department of Children and Family Services to
         implement the provisions of this legislation.
29  

30  

31  

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