| 1 | The Future of Florida's Families Committee recommends the |
| 2 | following: |
| 3 |
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| 4 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 5 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 6 | A bill to be entitled |
| 7 | An act relating to motor vehicle insurance for foster |
| 8 | children; creating a pilot program to reimburse foster |
| 9 | parents, residential facilities, or foster children who |
| 10 | live independently a portion of the increased costs of |
| 11 | motor vehicle insurance for a foster child who has a |
| 12 | driver's license; directing the Department of Children and |
| 13 | Family Services to establish the pilot program in |
| 14 | Sarasota, DeSoto, Manatee, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties; |
| 15 | requiring that the person who incurs the increased cost |
| 16 | submit to the department documentation of that increase; |
| 17 | requiring that foster children be encouraged to pay the |
| 18 | remaining portion of the increase in cost; directing the |
| 19 | department to develop procedures for operating the pilot |
| 20 | program; requiring the department to submit a report with |
| 21 | recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature by a |
| 22 | specified date each year of the pilot program; providing |
| 23 | an appropriation; providing for apportionment of the |
| 24 | appropriation; providing an effective date. |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 27 |
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| 28 | Section 1. (1) The Legislature finds that the increased |
| 29 | cost of motor vehicle insurance for a foster child after that |
| 30 | child obtains a driver's license is borne by the foster parents, |
| 31 | the authorized representative of the residential facility, or |
| 32 | the foster child if living independently. This increase in the |
| 33 | cost of insurance creates an additional barrier for a foster |
| 34 | child in gaining independence and may limit the child's |
| 35 | opportunities for obtaining employment. In accordance with these |
| 36 | findings, the Department of Children and Family Services shall |
| 37 | establish a 3-year pilot program in Sarasota, Desoto, Manatee, |
| 38 | Pinellas, and Pasco Counties to pay a portion of the cost of |
| 39 | motor vehicle insurance for foster children who have obtained a |
| 40 | driver's license. |
| 41 | (2) To the extent that funding is available, the pilot |
| 42 | program shall provide funds to pay for a portion of the increase |
| 43 | in the cost of motor vehicle insurance incurred by foster |
| 44 | parents, residential facilities, and foster children living |
| 45 | independently. To be eligible for payment under the pilot |
| 46 | program, the person incurring the cost must submit to the |
| 47 | department appropriate documentation demonstrating the increase |
| 48 | in the cost of insurance. The amount of the payment provided to |
| 49 | the foster parent, residential facility, or foster child living |
| 50 | independently shall be one-half of the amount of the increase in |
| 51 | the cost of motor vehicle insurance which is incurred as a |
| 52 | result of adding the foster child to the policy or less than |
| 53 | one-half if another source of funding is available to pay for |
| 54 | the increase. The foster child must be encouraged to pay the |
| 55 | other half of the increase in insurance costs. |
| 56 | (3) The department shall develop procedures for operating |
| 57 | the pilot program, including, but not limited to, determining |
| 58 | eligibility, providing the payment, ensuring that payment is |
| 59 | limited solely to the additional cost of including the foster |
| 60 | child in the insurance policy, and ensuring that the payments |
| 61 | are made to eligible persons in the order each person is |
| 62 | determined eligible until the funds are exhausted. |
| 63 | (4) The department shall examine and use, to the extent |
| 64 | possible, other available options for funding the cost of the |
| 65 | motor vehicle insurance increase, such as, but not limited to, |
| 66 | through the child's master trust fund, social security income, |
| 67 | child support payments, and other income available to the child. |
| 68 | (5) Beginning January 1, 2007, and continuing for the |
| 69 | duration of the pilot program, the department shall submit to |
| 70 | the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of |
| 71 | the House of Representatives an annual report on the success and |
| 72 | outcomes achieved by the pilot program, with a recommendation as |
| 73 | to whether the pilot program should be continued, terminated, or |
| 74 | expanded. |
| 75 | Section 2. The sum of $150,000 is appropriated from the |
| 76 | General Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Family |
| 77 | Services for the purpose of implementing this act during the |
| 78 | 2006-2007 fiscal year. This sum shall be apportioned as follows: |
| 79 | $110,000 to be divided between Pinellas and Pasco Counties and |
| 80 | $40,000 to be divided among Manatee, Sarasota, and Desoto |
| 81 | Counties. |
| 82 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |