Senate Bill sb0156c2

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    Florida Senate - 2006                     CS for CS for SB 156

    By the Committees on Health and Human Services Appropriations;
    Community Affairs; and Senators Lynn, Atwater, Fasano, Hill,
    Posey and Rich



    603-2245-06

  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 appropriations; 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                     CS for CS for SB 156
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 1  information, is available in 42 counties, and represents 14.7

 2  million people, or 82.5 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, have compiled information on

10  thousands of human services programs across the state, and

11         WHEREAS, 211 call centers make it easier for 14 million

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

13  of emergency rooms, off government assistance, out of

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

15  stable housing, and

16         WHEREAS, 211 call centers also help people find job

17  training and assistance, elder care and child care, and

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

19  employed, and

20         WHEREAS, during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons,

21  211 call centers provided critically needed support to many

22  emergency operations centers, provided information to

23  Floridians impacted by hurricanes, were instrumental in

24  identifying unmet and emerging needs, and helped mobilize and

25  manage volunteers, and

26         WHEREAS, 211 call centers will continue to be a

27  critical part of recovery efforts, providing a connection to

28  help for people whose lives have been dramatically affected by

29  the 2005 hurricanes, NOW, THEREFORE,

30  

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

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    Florida Senate - 2006                     CS for CS for SB 156
    603-2245-06




 1         Section 1.  Section 408.918, Florida Statutes, is

 2  amended to read:

 3         408.918  Florida 211 Network; uniform certification

 4  requirements.--

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

 6  Network would be of great benefit to Floridians, particularly

 7  in times of disaster, and authorizes the planning,

 8  development, and, subject to appropriations, the

 9  implementation of a statewide Florida 211 Network, which shall

10  serve as the single point of coordination for information and

11  referral for health and human services. The objectives for

12  establishing the Florida 211 Network shall be to:

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

14  health and human services information.

15         (b)  Improve access to accurate information by

16  simplifying and enhancing state and local health and human

17  services information and referral systems and by fostering

18  collaboration among information and referral systems,

19  including those serving persons with disabilities and special

20  health care needs.

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                     CS for CS for SB 156
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 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         (c)  The agency is designated as the lead entity for

31  purposes of receiving and distributing funds that may become

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    Florida Senate - 2006                     CS for CS for SB 156
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 1  available from the Federal Government to support the Florida

 2  211 Network.

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

 4  statewide to provide services in each county. Each 211

 5  provider shall coordinate with each county emergency

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

 7  Florida 211 Network may be used in the event of a disaster,

 8  including how a 211 provider will respond with information

 9  that is essential to assisting individuals during a natural

10  disaster.

11         (b)  To implement the Florida 211 Network business

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

13  Information and Referral Services funds appropriated to the

14  agency to expand the Florida 211 Network statewide and to

15  enhance operations of existing 211 providers. The funds

16  distributed to the Florida Alliance of Information and

17  Referral Services shall be made available to 211 providers on

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

19  $1 for each $1 provided to that 211 provider from state funds

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

21  be used to achieve statewide 211 coverage.

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

23  provider that receives funding under this subsection shall

24  report to the Florida Alliance of Information and Referral

25  Services the expenditure of the state funds on a form

26  developed by the agency.

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

28  of Information and Referral Services shall provide a statewide

29  report to the agency which includes the individual reports and

30  aggregated data provided by the 211 providers.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                     CS for CS for SB 156
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 1         3.  No later than February 15, 2007, the agency shall

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

 3  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives detailing

 4  expenditure of the funds appropriated to it for the purposes

 5  of this subsection.

 6         (4)  As used in this section, the term "Florida 211

 7  Network Provider" or "211 provider" means an information and

 8  referral organization the primary purpose of which is to

 9  maintain information about human service resources in the

10  community, supply descriptive information about the agencies

11  or organizations that offer services, and assist consumers in

12  accessing appropriate providers.

13         Section 2.  The sum of $5 million is appropriated for

14  the 2006-2007 fiscal year from nonrecurring general revenue to

15  the Agency for Health Care Administration to fund the

16  statewide expansion of the Florida 211 Network to all counties

17  and to enhance the operations of existing 211 providers under

18  s. 408.918, Florida Statutes, as amended by this act. Any

19  funds that are not encumbered for the 2006-2007 fiscal year

20  shall revert on June 30, 2007, and may be reappropriated for

21  the 2007-2008 fiscal year for the same purposes.

22         Section 3.  The sums of $193,516 in recurring General

23  Revenue and $7,830 of nonrecurring General Revenue are

24  appropriated to the Agency for Health Care Administration and

25  3 full-time equivalent positions are authorized, for the

26  2006-2007 fiscal year for the purpose of implementing the

27  provisions of this act.

28         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

29  law.

30  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                     CS for CS for SB 156
    603-2245-06




 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                          CS for SB 156

 3                                 

 4  Ensures that 211 providers will collaborate with information
    and referral providers specializing in information regarding
 5  people with disabilities and special health care needs.

 6  Designates the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) as
    the lead entity for receiving and distributing funds received
 7  from the federal government to support the Florida 211
    Network.
 8  
    Changes the date requiring AHCA to submit a statewide
 9  expenditure report to the Governor and the Legislature from
    January 15, 2007 to February 15, 2007.
10  
    Defines the term "Florida 211 Network Provider" or "211
11  provider".

12  Provides an appropriation and authorizes 3 full time
    equivalent positions to the Agency for Health Care
13  Administration to implement the provisions in the bill.

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