HB 0751CS

CHAMBER ACTION




1The Utilities & Telecommunications Committee recommends the
2following:
3
4     Council/Committee Substitute
5     Remove the entire bill and insert:
6
A bill to be entitled
7An act relating to the Florida 211 Network; amending s.
8408.918, F.S.; requiring the Florida 211 Network to
9provide services in each county and to coordinate services
10with county emergency operations centers during disasters;
11providing requirements for distribution of state funds
12appropriated for such purposes; requiring local matching
13funds; requiring expenditure reports to the Florida
14Alliance of Information and Referral Services, the Agency
15for Health Care Administration, and the Legislature;
16providing an appropriation; providing an effective date.
17
18     WHEREAS, the 2002 Legislature created the "Florida Health
19and Human Services Access Act" in sections 408.911-408.918,
20Florida Statutes, and
21     WHEREAS, the act "authorizes the planning, development,
22and, subject to appropriations, the implementation of a
23statewide Florida 211 Network, which shall serve as the single
24point of coordination for information and referral for health
25and human services" in section 408.918(1), Florida Statutes, and
26     WHEREAS, in order to participate in the Florida 211
27Network, a 211 provider must be certified by the Agency for
28Health Care Administration under section 408.918(2), Florida
29Statutes, and
30     WHEREAS, 211 is the 911 telephone number for nonemergency
31health and human services and for crisis response information,
32is available in 36 counties, and represents 13.1 million people,
33or 77.5 percent of the state's population, and
34     WHEREAS, the Florida Alliance of Information and Referral
35Services is the statewide membership organization in which all
36211 providers participate and which has drafted the Florida 211
37Network business plan identifying the most efficient processes
38by which the Florida 211 Network should expand statewide, and
39     WHEREAS, 211 providers, who answer 3 million telephone
40inquiries about human services annually, have compiled
41information on thousands of human services programs across the
42state, and
43     WHEREAS, 211 call centers make it easier for 11 million
44Floridians to get the information they need to keep them out of
45emergency rooms, off government assistance, out of "deep-end"
46social services programs, safe from abuse, and in stable
47housing, and
48     WHEREAS, 211 call centers also help people find job
49training and assistance, elder care and child care, and before-
50school and after-school care that allow them to stay employed,
51and
52     WHEREAS, during the 2004 hurricanes, 211 call centers
53provided critically needed support to many emergency operations
54centers, provided information to more than 100,000 Floridians
55impacted by hurricanes, were instrumental in identifying unmet
56and emerging needs, and helped mobilize and manage volunteers,
57and
58     WHEREAS, 211 will continue to be a critical part of
59recovery efforts, providing a connection to help for people
60whose lives have been dramatically affected by the 2004
61hurricanes, NOW, THEREFORE,
62
63Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
64
65     Section 1.  Section 408.918, Florida Statutes, is amended
66to read:
67     408.918  Florida 211 Network; uniform certification
68requirements.--
69     (1)  The Legislature finds that a statewide Florida 211
70Network would be of great benefit to Floridians, particularly in
71times of disaster, and authorizes the planning, development,
72and, subject to appropriations, the implementation of a
73statewide Florida 211 Network, which shall serve as the single
74point of coordination for information and referral for health
75and human services. The objectives for establishing the Florida
76211 Network shall be to:
77     (a)  Provide comprehensive and cost-effective access to
78health and human services information.
79     (b)  Improve access to accurate information by simplifying
80and enhancing state and local health and human services
81information and referral systems and by fostering collaboration
82among information and referral systems.
83     (c)  Electronically connect local information and referral
84systems to each other, to service providers, and to consumers of
85information and referral services.
86     (d)  Establish and promote standards for data collection
87and for distributing information among state and local
88organizations.
89     (e)  Promote the use of a common dialing access code and
90the visibility and public awareness of the availability of
91information and referral services.
92     (f)  Provide a management and administrative structure to
93support the Florida 211 Network and establish technical
94assistance, training, and support programs for information and
95referral-service programs.
96     (g)  Test methods for integrating information and referral
97services with local and state health and human services programs
98and for consolidating and streamlining eligibility and case
99management processes.
100     (h)  Provide access to standardized, comprehensive data to
101assist in identifying gaps and needs in health and human
102services programs.
103     (i)  Provide a unified systems plan with a developed
104platform, taxonomy, and standards for data management and
105access.
106     (2)  In order to participate in the Florida 211 Network, a
107211 provider must be certified by the Agency for Health Care
108Administration. The agency shall develop criteria for
109certification, as recommended by the Florida Alliance of
110Information and Referral Services, and shall adopt the criteria
111as administrative rules.
112     (a)  If any provider of information and referral services
113or other entity leases a 211 number from a local exchange
114company and is not certified by the agency, the agency shall,
115after consultation with the local exchange company and the
116Public Service Commission, request that the Federal
117Communications Commission direct the local exchange company to
118revoke the use of the 211 number.
119     (b)  The agency shall seek the assistance and guidance of
120the Public Service Commission and the Federal Communications
121Commission in resolving any disputes arising over jurisdiction
122related to 211 numbers.
123     (3)(a)  The Florida 211 Network shall be expanded statewide
124to provide services in each county. Each 211 provider and each
125county emergency operations center in the 211 service area shall
126execute memoranda of agreement specifying how they will
127coordinate in the event of a disaster.
128     (b)  To implement the Florida 211 Network business plan,
129the agency shall distribute to the Florida Alliance of
130Information and Referral Services funds appropriated to the
131agency to expand the Florida 211 Network statewide and to
132enhance operations of existing 211 providers. The funds
133distributed to the Florida Alliance of Information and Referral
134Services shall be made available to 211 providers on a matching
135basis, with each 211 provider required to provide $1 for each $1
136provided to that 211 provider from state funds appropriated for
137that purpose. At a minimum, the funds shall be used to achieve
138statewide coverage.
139     (c)1.  No later than December 15, 2005, each 211 provider
140that receives funding under this subsection shall report to the
141Florida Alliance of Information and Referral Services the
142expenditure of the state funds on a form developed by the
143agency.
144     2.  No later than January 1, 2006, the Florida Alliance of
145Information and Referral Services shall provide a statewide
146report to the agency that includes the individual reports and
147aggregated data provided by the 211 providers.
148     3.  No later than January 15, 2006, the agency shall submit
149a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
150Speaker of the House of Representatives detailing expenditure of
151the funds appropriated to it for the purposes of this
152subsection.
153     Section 2.  The sum of $5 million is appropriated from the
154General Revenue Fund to the Agency for Health Care
155Administration to fund the statewide expansion of the Florida
156211 Network to all counties and to enhance the operations of
157existing 211 providers pursuant to s. 408.918, Florida Statutes,
158as amended by this act.
159     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.