Senate Bill sb0156

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (Corrected Copy)           SB 156

    By Senators Lynn, Atwater, Fasano and Hill





    7-85-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida 211 Network;

  3         amending s. 408.918, F.S.; requiring the

  4         Florida 211 Network to provide services in each

  5         county and to coordinate services with county

  6         emergency management agencies during disasters;

  7         providing requirements for distribution of

  8         state funds appropriated for such purposes;

  9         requiring local matching funds; requiring

10         expenditure reports to the Florida Alliance of

11         Information and Referral Services, the Agency

12         for Health Care Administration, and the

13         Legislature; defining the term "211 provider";

14         providing an appropriation; providing an

15         effective date.

16  

17         WHEREAS, the 2002 Legislature created the "Florida

18  Health and Human Services Access Act" in sections

19  408.911-408.918, Florida Statutes, and

20         WHEREAS, the act "authorizes the planning, development,

21  and, subject to appropriations, the implementation of a

22  statewide Florida 211 Network, which shall serve as the single

23  point of coordination for information and referral for health

24  and human services" in section 408.918(1), Florida Statutes,

25  and

26         WHEREAS, in order to participate in the Florida 211

27  Network, a 211 provider must be certified by the Agency for

28  Health Care Administration under section 408.918(2), Florida

29  Statutes, and

30         WHEREAS, 211 is the 911 telephone number for

31  nonemergency health and human services and for crisis response

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (Corrected Copy)           SB 156
    7-85-06




 1  information, is available in 36 counties, and represents 13.1

 2  million people, or 77.5 percent of the state's population, and

 3         WHEREAS, the Florida Alliance of Information and

 4  Referral Services is the statewide membership organization in

 5  which all 211 providers participate and which has drafted the

 6  Florida 211 Network business plan identifying the most

 7  efficient processes by which the Florida 211 Network should

 8  expand statewide, and

 9         WHEREAS, 211 providers, who answer 3 million telephone

10  inquiries about human services annually, have compiled

11  information on thousands of human services programs across the

12  state, and

13         WHEREAS, 211 call centers make it easier for 11 million

14  Floridians to get the information they need to keep them out

15  of emergency rooms, off government assistance, out of

16  "deep-end" social services programs, safe from abuse, and in

17  stable housing, and

18         WHEREAS, 211 call centers also help people find job

19  training and assistance, elder care and child care, and

20  before-school and after-school care that allow them to stay

21  employed, and

22         WHEREAS, during the 2004 hurricanes, 211 call centers

23  provided critically needed support to many emergency

24  operations centers, provided information to more than 100,000

25  Floridians impacted by hurricanes, were instrumental in

26  identifying unmet and emerging needs, and helped mobilize and

27  manage volunteers, and

28         WHEREAS, 211 will continue to be a critical part of

29  recovery efforts, providing a connection to help for people

30  whose lives have been dramatically affected by the 2004

31  hurricanes, NOW, THEREFORE,

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (Corrected Copy)           SB 156
    7-85-06




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

 2  

 3         Section 1.  Section 408.918, Florida Statutes, is

 4  amended to read:

 5         408.918  Florida 211 Network; uniform certification

 6  requirements.--

 7         (1)  The Legislature finds that a statewide Florida 211

 8  Network would be of great benefit to Floridians, particularly

 9  in times of disaster, and authorizes the planning,

10  development, and, subject to appropriations, the

11  implementation of a statewide Florida 211 Network, which shall

12  serve as the single point of coordination for information and

13  referral for health and human services. The objectives for

14  establishing the Florida 211 Network shall be to:

15         (a)  Provide comprehensive and cost-effective access to

16  health and human services information.

17         (b)  Improve access to accurate information by

18  simplifying and enhancing state and local health and human

19  services information and referral systems and by fostering

20  collaboration among information and referral systems.

21         (c)  Electronically connect local information and

22  referral systems to each other, to service providers, and to

23  consumers of information and referral services.

24         (d)  Establish and promote standards for data

25  collection and for distributing information among state and

26  local organizations.

27         (e)  Promote the use of a common dialing access code

28  and the visibility and public awareness of the availability of

29  information and referral services.

30         (f)  Provide a management and administrative structure

31  to support the Florida 211 Network and establish technical

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (Corrected Copy)           SB 156
    7-85-06




 1  assistance, training, and support programs for information and

 2  referral-service programs.

 3         (g)  Test methods for integrating information and

 4  referral services with local and state health and human

 5  services programs and for consolidating and streamlining

 6  eligibility and case management processes.

 7         (h)  Provide access to standardized, comprehensive data

 8  to assist in identifying gaps and needs in health and human

 9  services programs.

10         (i)  Provide a unified systems plan with a developed

11  platform, taxonomy, and standards for data management and

12  access.

13         (2)  In order to participate in the Florida 211

14  Network, a 211 provider must be certified by the Agency for

15  Health Care Administration. The agency shall develop criteria

16  for certification, as recommended by the Florida Alliance of

17  Information and Referral Services, and shall adopt the

18  criteria as administrative rules.

19         (a)  If any provider of information and referral

20  services or other entity leases a 211 number from a local

21  exchange company and is not certified by the agency, the

22  agency shall, after consultation with the local exchange

23  company and the Public Service Commission, request that the

24  Federal Communications Commission direct the local exchange

25  company to revoke the use of the 211 number.

26         (b)  The agency shall seek the assistance and guidance

27  of the Public Service Commission and the Federal

28  Communications Commission in resolving any disputes arising

29  over jurisdiction related to 211 numbers.

30         (3)(a)  The Florida 211 Network shall be expanded

31  statewide to provide services in each county. Each 211

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (Corrected Copy)           SB 156
    7-85-06




 1  provider shall coordinate with each county emergency

 2  management agency in the 211 service area to determine how the

 3  Florida 211 Network may be used in the event of a disaster.

 4         (b)  To implement the Florida 211 Network business

 5  plan, the agency shall distribute to the Florida Alliance of

 6  Information and Referral Services funds appropriated to the

 7  agency to expand the Florida 211 Network statewide and to

 8  enhance operations of existing 211 providers. The funds

 9  distributed to the Florida Alliance of Information and

10  Referral Services shall be made available to 211 providers on

11  a matching basis, with each 211 provider required to provide

12  $1 for each $1 provided to that 211 provider from state funds

13  appropriated for that purpose. At a minimum, the funds shall

14  be used to achieve statewide 211 coverage.

15         (c)1.  No later than December 15, 2006, each 211

16  provider that receives funding under this subsection shall

17  report to the Florida Alliance of Information and Referral

18  Services the expenditure of the state funds on a form

19  developed by the agency.

20         2.  No later than January 1, 2007, the Florida Alliance

21  of Information and Referral Services shall provide a statewide

22  report to the agency that includes the individual reports and

23  aggregated data provided by the 211 providers.

24         3.  No later than January 15, 2007, the agency shall

25  submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,

26  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives detailing

27  expenditure of the funds appropriated to it for the purposes

28  of this subsection.

29         (4)  As used in this section, the term "211 provider"

30  means an information and referral organization the primary

31  purpose of which is to maintain information about human

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (Corrected Copy)           SB 156
    7-85-06




 1  service resources in the community, supply descriptive

 2  information about the agencies or organizations that offer

 3  services, and assist consumers in accessing appropriate

 4  providers.

 5         Section 2.  The sum of $5 million is appropriated from

 6  the General Revenue Fund to the Agency for Health Care

 7  Administration to fund the statewide expansion of the Florida

 8  211 Network to all counties and to enhance the operations of

 9  existing 211 providers under s. 408.918, Florida Statutes, as

10  amended by this act.

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

12  law.

13  

14            *****************************************

15                          SENATE SUMMARY

16    Provides for the Florida 211 Network to expand its
      services to all counties in the state and coordinate
17    services with county emergency management agencies during
      disasters. Requires certain matching funds from 211
18    providers. Provides reporting requirements. (See bill for
      details.)
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