| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to screening of direct service providers; |
| 3 | amending s. 393.0655, F.S.; exempting staff and employees |
| 4 | of licensed comprehensive transitional education programs |
| 5 | for certain persons with developmental disabilities from |
| 6 | additional background screening by district school boards |
| 7 | under certain circumstances; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection (1) of |
| 12 | section 393.0655, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as |
| 13 | paragraphs (e) and (f), respectively, and a new paragraph (d) is |
| 14 | added to that subsection to read: |
| 15 | 393.0655 Screening of direct service providers.-- |
| 16 | (1) MINIMUM STANDARDS.--The agency shall require level 2 |
| 17 | employment screening pursuant to chapter 435 for direct service |
| 18 | providers who are unrelated to their clients, including support |
| 19 | coordinators, and managers and supervisors of residential |
| 20 | facilities or comprehensive transitional education programs |
| 21 | licensed under this chapter and any other person, including |
| 22 | volunteers, who provide care or services, who have access to a |
| 23 | client's living areas, or who have access to a client's funds or |
| 24 | personal property. Background screening shall include employment |
| 25 | history checks as provided in s. 435.03(1) and local criminal |
| 26 | records checks through local law enforcement agencies. |
| 27 | (d) Professional staff and employees of a comprehensive |
| 28 | transitional education program licensed under this chapter who |
| 29 | are required to undergo level 2 background screening pursuant to |
| 30 | this section shall not be required to undergo an additional |
| 31 | background screening by a district school board. The person must |
| 32 | submit to the district school board proof of compliance with the |
| 33 | background screening requirements in s. 435.04 and proof that |
| 34 | his or her license or certificate is active and in good standing |
| 35 | if he or she is a licensee or a certificateholder. |
| 36 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |