Senate Bill sb1910er

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  2         An act relating to workforce innovation;

  3         amending s. 445.048, F.S.; requiring that

  4         Workforce Florida, Inc., expand the Passport to

  5         Economic Progress demonstration program to a

  6         statewide program; authorizing Workforce

  7         Florida, Inc., to designate regional workforce

  8         boards to participate in the program; deleting

  9         the provision relating to the disregarding of

10         income for purposes of determing eligibility

11         for cash assistance; requiring that Workforce

12         Florida, Inc., offer incentive bonuses;

13         providing requirements for the incentive

14         bonuses; providing that the bonuses are not an

15         entitlement; deleting obsolete provisions;

16         requiring Workforce Florida, Inc., to submit

17         evaluations and recommendations for the program

18         as part of its annual report to the

19         Legislature; deleting obsolete provisions;

20         creating the Florida Youth Summer Jobs Pilot

21         Program; providing eligibility requirements for

22         program participants and public employers;

23         requiring the program to be administered by a

24         regional workforce board in consultation with

25         Workforce Florida, Inc.; providing employment

26         and educational requirements; requiring the

27         regional workforce board to make an annual

28         report; providing certain uses for program

29         funds; providing an effective date.

30  

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


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 1         Section 1.  Section 445.048, Florida Statutes, as

 2  amended by section 53 of chapter 2004-269, Laws of Florida, is

 3  amended to read:

 4         445.048  Passport to Economic Progress demonstration

 5  program.--

 6         (1)  AUTHORIZATION.--Notwithstanding any law to the

 7  contrary, Workforce Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the

 8  Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for

 9  Workforce Innovation, shall implement a Passport to Economic

10  Progress demonstration program by November 1, 2001, consistent

11  with the provisions of this section in Hillsborough and

12  Manatee counties. Workforce Florida, Inc., may designate

13  regional workforce boards to participate in the program.

14  Expenses for the program may come from appropriated revenues

15  or from funds otherwise available to a regional workforce

16  board which may be legally used for such purposes. Workforce

17  Florida, Inc., must consult with the applicable regional

18  workforce boards and the applicable local offices of the

19  Department of Children and Family Services which serve the

20  program demonstration areas and must encourage community input

21  into the implementation process.

22         (2)  WAIVERS.--If Workforce Florida, Inc., in

23  consultation with the Department of Children and Family

24  Services, finds that federal waivers would facilitate

25  implementation of the demonstration program, the department

26  shall immediately request such waivers, and Workforce Florida,

27  Inc., shall report to the Governor, the President of the

28  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives if any

29  refusal of the federal government to grant such waivers

30  prevents the implementation of the demonstration program. If

31  Workforce Florida, Inc., finds that federal waivers to


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 1  provisions of the Food Stamp Program would facilitate

 2  implementation of the demonstration program, the Department of

 3  Children and Family Services shall immediately request such

 4  waivers in accordance with s. 414.175.

 5         (3)  INCOME DISREGARD.--In order to provide an

 6  additional incentive for employment, and notwithstanding the

 7  amount specified in s. 414.095(12), for individuals residing

 8  in the areas designated for this demonstration program, the

 9  first $300 plus one-half of the remainder of earned income

10  shall be disregarded in determining eligibility for temporary

11  cash assistance. All other conditions and requirements of s.

12  414.095(12) shall continue to apply to such individuals.

13         (3)(4)  TRANSITIONAL BENEFITS AND SERVICES.--In order

14  to assist them in making the transition to economic

15  self-sufficiency, former recipients of temporary cash

16  assistance participating in the passport residing within the

17  areas designated for this demonstration program shall be

18  eligible for the following benefits and services:

19         (a)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s.

20  445.030, transitional education and training support services

21  as specified in s. 445.030 for up to 4 years after the family

22  is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance;

23         (b)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s.

24  445.031, transitional transportation support services as

25  specified in s. 445.031 for up to 4 years after the family is

26  no longer receiving temporary cash assistance; and

27         (c)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s.

28  445.032, transitional child care as specified in s. 445.032

29  for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving

30  temporary cash assistance.

31  


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 1  All other provisions of ss. 445.030, 445.031, and 445.032

 2  shall apply to such individuals, as appropriate. This

 3  subsection does not constitute an entitlement to transitional

 4  benefits and services. If funds are insufficient to provide

 5  benefits and services under this subsection, the board of

 6  directors of Workforce Florida, Inc., or its agent, may limit

 7  such benefits and services or otherwise establish priorities

 8  for the provisions of such benefits and services.

 9         (4)(5)  INCENTIVES TO ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY WAGE

10  SUPPLEMENTATION.--

11         (a)  The Legislature finds that:

12         1.  There are former recipients of temporary cash

13  assistance and families who are eligible for temporary

14  assistance for needy families who are working full time but

15  whose incomes are below 200 percent of the federal poverty

16  level.

17         2.  Having incomes below 200 percent of the federal

18  poverty level makes such individuals particularly vulnerable

19  to reliance on public assistance despite their best efforts to

20  achieve or maintain economic independence through employment.

21         3.  It is necessary to implement a performance-based

22  program that defines economic incentives for achieving

23  specific benchmarks toward self-sufficiency while the

24  individual is working full-time 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 offer performance-based incentive

31  bonuses create a transitional wage supplementation program by


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 1  November 1, 2001, as a component of the Passport to Economic

 2  Progress demonstration program in the areas designated for the

 3  demonstration program. This wage supplementation program does

 4  not constitute an entitlement to wage supplementation. The

 5  bonuses do not represent a program entitlement and shall be

 6  contingent on achieving specific benchmarks prescribed in the

 7  self-sufficiency plan. If the funds appropriated for this

 8  purpose are insufficient to provide this financial incentive

 9  wage supplementation, the board of directors of Workforce

10  Florida, Inc., may reduce or suspend the bonuses in order not

11  to exceed the appropriation or may direct the regional boards

12  to use resources otherwise given to the regional workforce to

13  pay such bonuses if such payments comply with applicable state

14  and federal laws limit wage supplementation or otherwise

15  establish priorities for wage supplementation.

16         (c)  To be eligible for an incentive bonus wage

17  supplementation under this subsection, an individual must:

18         1.  Be a former recipient of temporary cash assistance

19  who last received such assistance on or after January 1, 2000,

20  or be part of a family that is eligible for temporary

21  assistance for needy families;

22         2.  Be employed full time, which for the purposes of

23  this subsection means employment averaging at least 32 hours

24  per week, until the United States Congress enacts legislation

25  reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

26  block grant and, after the reauthorization, means employment

27  complying with the employment requirements of the

28  reauthorization; and

29         3.  Have an average family income for the 6 months

30  preceding the date of application for an incentive bonus wage

31  


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 1  supplementation which is less than 200 100 percent of the

 2  federal poverty level.

 3         (d)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall determine the

 4  schedule for the payment of wage supplementation under this

 5  subsection. An individual eligible for wage supplementation

 6  under this subsection may receive a payment that equals the

 7  amount necessary to bring the individual's total family income

 8  for the period covered by the payment to 100 percent of the

 9  federal poverty level. An individual may not receive wage

10  supplementation payments for more than a total of 12 months.

11         (e)  The wage supplementation program authorized by

12  this subsection shall be administered through the regional

13  workforce boards and the one-stop delivery system, under

14  policy guidelines, criteria, and applications developed by

15  Workforce Florida, Inc., in cooperation with the Department of

16  Children and Family Services and the Agency for Workforce

17  Innovation. To the maximum extent possible, the regional

18  workforce boards shall use electronic debit card technologies

19  to provide wage supplementation payments under this program.

20         (5)(6)  EVALUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.--Workforce

21  Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the Department of Children

22  and Family Services, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and

23  the regional workforce boards in the areas designated for this

24  demonstration program, shall conduct a comprehensive

25  evaluation of the effectiveness of the demonstration program

26  operated under this section. Evaluations and recommendations

27  for the program shall be submitted by Workforce Florida, Inc.,

28  as part of its annual report to the Legislature. By January 1,

29  2003, Workforce Florida, Inc., shall submit a report on such

30  evaluation to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and

31  the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must


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 1  include recommendations as to whether the demonstration

 2  program should be expanded to other service areas or statewide

 3  and whether the program should be revised to enhance its

 4  administration or effectiveness.

 5         (6)(7)  CONFLICTS.--If there is a conflict between the

 6  implementation procedures described in this section and

 7  federal requirements and regulations, federal requirements and

 8  regulations shall control.

 9         Section 2.  Florida Youth Summer Jobs Pilot Program.--

10         (1)  CREATION.--Contingent upon appropriations, there

11  is created the Florida Youth Summer Jobs Pilot Program within

12  workforce development district 22 served by the Broward

13  Workforce Development Board. The board shall, in consultation

14  with Workforce Florida, Inc., provide a program offering

15  at-risk and disadvantaged children summer jobs in partnership

16  with local communities and public employers.

17         (2)  ELIGIBILITY.--

18         (a)  Children at least 14 but not more than 18 years of

19  age are eligible to participate in the program if they are:

20         1.  At risk of welfare dependency, including

21  economically disadvantaged children, children of participants

22  in the welfare transition program, children of migrant

23  farmworkers, and children of teen parents. For purposes of

24  this section, "economically disadvantaged children" are those

25  whose family income is below 150 percent of the federal

26  poverty level;

27         2.  Children of working families whose family income

28  does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level;

29         3.  Juvenile offenders;

30         4.  Children in foster care; or

31         5.  Children with disabilities.


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 1         (b)  Employers are eligible to participate in the

 2  program under the following conditions:

 3         1.  The employer shall meet the program requirements of

 4  subsection (3).

 5         2.  The employer shall pay the state minimum wage to a

 6  program participant hired under the program.

 7         3.  The maximum hours required of a program participant

 8  per week shall not exceed 30 hours.

 9         4.  The employer shall comply with state and federal

10  child labor and antidiscrimination laws.

11         (3)  PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.--

12         (a)  The program shall:

13         1.  Provide the program participant a work experience

14  that will teach personal responsibility and reinforce the

15  obligations and rewards of holding a job.

16         2.  Allow for an academic enrichment component that

17  will assist the program participant in remaining in or

18  returning to school.

19         3.  Provide documented learning experiences relevant to

20  the type of work performed and tailored to the needs of the

21  program participant.

22         4.  Allow for the provision of life skills training by

23  the local community or a third-party provider contracted by

24  the local community if such skills training takes up no more

25  than 10 percent of the program participant's work time.

26         (b)  The program may begin on the day after the end of

27  the regular school year in the local community and shall end

28  before the first regular day of school in the local community.

29         (4)  GOVERNANCE.--

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 1         (a)  The pilot program shall be administered by the

 2  regional workforce board in consultation with Workforce

 3  Florida, Inc.

 4         (b)  The regional workforce board shall report to

 5  Workforce Florida, Inc., the number of at-risk and

 6  disadvantaged children who enter the program, the types of

 7  work activities they participate in, and the number of

 8  children who return to school, go on to postsecondary school,

 9  or enter the workforce full time at the end of the program.

10  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall report to the Legislature by

11  November 1 of each year on the performance of the program.

12         (5)  FUNDING.--

13         (a)  The regional workforce board shall, consistent

14  with state and federal laws, use funds appropriated

15  specifically for the pilot program to provide youth wage

16  payments and educational enrichment activities. The regional

17  workforce board and local communities may obtain private or

18  state and federal grants or other sources of funds in addition

19  to any appropriated funds.

20         (b)  Program funds shall be used as follows:

21         1.  No less than 85 percent of the funds shall be used

22  for youth wage payments or educational enrichment activities.

23  These funds shall be matched on a one-to-one basis by each

24  local community that participates in the program.

25         2.  No more than 2 percent of the funds may be used for

26  administrative purposes.

27         3.  The remainder of the funds may be used for

28  transportation assistance, childcare assistance, or other

29  assistance to enable a program participant to enter or remain

30  in the program.

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 1         (c)  The regional workforce board shall pay a

 2  participating employer an amount equal to one-half of the

 3  wages paid to a youth participating in the program. Payments

 4  shall be made monthly for the duration that the youth

 5  participant is employed as documented by the employer and

 6  confirmed by the regional workforce board.

 7         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

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