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