Senate Bill sb1278

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1278

    By Senator Wise





    5-673A-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to persons with disabilities;

  3         creating the Interagency Services Committee for

  4         Persons with Disabilities; providing

  5         legislative intent; providing that the

  6         committee be staffed by member agencies of the

  7         committee; providing for the membership of the

  8         committee; providing duties and

  9         responsibilities for the committee; requiring

10         the committee to submit a report to the

11         Governor and the Legislature; providing an

12         effective date.

13  

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

15  

16         Section 1.  Interagency Services Committee for Persons

17  with Disabilities.--

18         (1)  There is created the Interagency Services

19  Committee for Persons with Disabilities. It is the intent of

20  the Legislature that the committee develop and implement a

21  coordinated, multidisciplinary, and interagency intervention

22  service system for young persons with disabilities.

23  Specifically, the intervention service system is intended to

24  eliminate barriers that impede educational opportunities and

25  to enhance educational opportunities leading to future

26  employment for persons with disabilities who are between the

27  ages of 3 years and 30 years.

28         (2)(a)  The committee shall consist of the following 11

29  members: the Commissioner of Education, the director of the

30  Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the director of of the

31  Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Secretary of Health

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1278
    5-673A-06




 1  Care Administration, the Secretary of Health, the Secretary of

 2  Children and Family Services, the director of Workforce

 3  Florida, Inc., the director of the Division of Blind Services,

 4  the director of the Commission for the Transportation

 5  Disadvantaged, the director of the Florida Housing Finance

 6  Corporation, and the director of Individuals in Supported

 7  Employment within the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

 8  The members of the committee shall designate one of its

 9  members as chairperson.

10         (b)  The Department of Children and Family Services,

11  the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and the

12  Agency for Persons with Disabilities shall provide staff

13  support to the committee. Meetings and records of the

14  committee are subject to ss. 119.07 and 286.011, Florida

15  Statutes. The chairperson may designate one of the agencies

16  providing staff support to perform administrative

17  responsibilities for the committee. The committee may invite

18  technical experts to appear at meetings and provide

19  information.

20         (c)  Committee members shall serve without compensation

21  but are entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in

22  carrying out their duties as provided in s. 112.061, Florida

23  Statutes. Members who are public officers or employees shall

24  be reimbursed through the budget entity through which they are

25  compensated. Persons invited to appear and speak at committee

26  meetings are also entitled to receive per diem and travel

27  expenses.

28         (3)  The committee shall:

29         (a)  Identify and assist in removing federal and state

30  barriers to the local coordination of services that are

31  provided to persons with disabilities.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1278
    5-673A-06




 1         (b)  Identify adequate, equitable, and flexible funding

 2  sources in order to streamline services that are provided to

 3  persons with disabilities.

 4         (c)  Develop guidelines for implementing policies to

 5  ensure a comprehensive and coordinated system for all services

 6  provided by state and local agencies, including

 7  multidisciplinary assessment practices for persons with

 8  disabilities.

 9         (d)  Develop an evaluation process to measure the

10  success of state and local interagency efforts in improving

11  the quality and coordination of services that are provided to

12  persons with disabilities.

13         (e)  Identify current systems for dispute resolution

14  and recommend guidelines to coordinate the systems.

15         (f)  Encourage each governmental agency, school

16  district, university, and community college to review

17  employment policies for the purpose of identifying jobs and

18  tasks that can be accomplished by individuals with

19  disabilities and to develop job classifications that identify

20  preferred employment for persons with disabilities.

21         (g)  Identify and eliminate state-imposed work

22  disincentives.

23         (h)  Eliminate barriers that impede options for living

24  within a community.

25         (i)  Assist in the revision of special competencies for

26  earning a high school diploma and course requirements

27  necessary for employment-related competencies.

28         (j)  Ensure that employment goals are a primary

29  objective of each support plan.

30  

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1278
    5-673A-06




 1         (k)  Develop incentives or preferences in the state

 2  procurement process for businesses that employ persons with

 3  disabilities.

 4         (l)  Develop collaborative relationships with federal,

 5  state, and local agencies in order to identify and align

 6  resources and eliminate barriers for expanding and improving

 7  inclusive options for living within a community.

 8         (m)  Coordinate transition services statewide for

 9  students with disabilities as they prepare to leave secondary

10  schools and access postsecondary institutions for training and

11  subsequent employment.

12         (n)  Develop an incentive system that rewards secondary

13  and postsecondary schools that place young persons with

14  disabilities into competitive employment.

15         (o)  Ensure that data systems transfer data between

16  agencies and that each agency reports annually on its efforts

17  to employ persons with disabilities.

18         (4)  The committee shall present a report of its

19  findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of

20  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

21  March 1, 2007. The committee is abolished on June 1, 2007.

22         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

23  

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Creates the Interagency Services Committee for Persons
      with Disabilities. Provides legislative intent. Provides
27    that the committee be staffed by member agencies of the
      committee. Provides for the membership of the committee.
28    Specifies duties and responsibilities for the committee.
      Requires the committee to submit a report to the Governor
29    and the Legislature.

30  

31  

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