Senate Bill sb2630c1
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Florida Senate - 2005 CS for SB 2630
By the Committee on Children and Families; and Senators Crist
and Lynn
586-2123-05
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to caregivers for adults;
3 authorizing the Department of Elderly Affairs
4 to create a pilot program to train economically
5 disadvantaged workers who are a specified age
6 or older to act as companions and provide
7 certain services to frail and vulnerable adults
8 in the community; specifying additional
9 purposes of the pilot program; requiring an
10 evaluation and report to the Legislature;
11 providing an effective date.
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13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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15 Section 1. (1) Beginning in the 2005-2006 fiscal year
16 and for a period of no longer than 3 years, the Department of
17 Elderly Affairs may establish a pilot program to train
18 economically disadvantaged workers who are 55 years of age or
19 older to act as companions and provide personal assistance to
20 frail and vulnerable adults in the community. The department
21 shall use the resources of the Senior Community Service
22 Employment Program to support the pilot program to the
23 greatest extent allowed by federal law. The purposes of the
24 pilot program are to:
25 (a) Foster the development of training and employment
26 opportunities for economically disadvantaged workers who are
27 55 years of age or older;
28 (b) Encourage the use of economically disadvantaged
29 workers who are 55 years of age or older in providing
30 community-based care for frail and vulnerable adults who live
31 in the community;
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 CS for SB 2630
586-2123-05
1 (c) Assist in meeting the growing demand for in-home
2 companion care services and personal care services and in
3 preventing costly and premature institutional placements; and
4 (d) Act as a direct referral service for the
5 Department of Elderly Affairs.
6 (2) By January 1, 2008, if the pilot program is
7 established, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall submit a
8 report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
9 House of Representatives which includes the status of the
10 implementation of the program, the number of economically
11 disadvantaged workers who have been trained to provide
12 community-based care for frail and vulnerable older adults who
13 live in the community, the number of frail and vulnerable
14 older adults who have received such services, and
15 recommendations for further legislation, including a
16 recommendation regarding extending the pilot program
17 throughout the state.
18 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.
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Florida Senate - 2005 CS for SB 2630
586-2123-05
1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 2630
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4 Replaces the directive to the Department of Elderly Affairs
(DOEA) to create the Seniors Offering Services program as an
5 independent, not-for-profit corporation with authorization for
DOEA to establish a pilot program, using the resources of the
6 currently-existing Senior Community Service Employment Program
to the fullest extent allowed by federal law.
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Removes the geographic restriction as to the location of the
8 pilot program.
9 Requires that if the program is established, it must begin in
fiscal year 2005-06.
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Limits the duration of the pilot program to 3 years.
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Requires an evaluation of the program and a report to the
12 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives by January 1, 2008, if the program is
13 established.
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