| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to suicide prevention; creating s. |
| 3 | 14.2019, F.S.; creating the Statewide Office for Suicide |
| 4 | Prevention as a unit of the Office of Drug Control in the |
| 5 | Executive Office of the Governor; providing the goals and |
| 6 | objectives of the office; creating the position of |
| 7 | statewide coordinator for the statewide office, contingent |
| 8 | upon a specific appropriation; authorizing the Statewide |
| 9 | Office for Suicide Prevention to seek and accept grants or |
| 10 | funds from any source to support its operation; creating |
| 11 | s. 14.20195, F.S.; creating the Suicide Prevention |
| 12 | Coordinating Council within the Statewide Office for |
| 13 | Suicide Prevention; providing the scope of activities for |
| 14 | the coordinating council; authorizing the coordinating |
| 15 | council to assemble an ad hoc committee to advise the |
| 16 | coordinating council; providing for membership on the |
| 17 | coordinating council; providing an appropriation and |
| 18 | authorizing additional positions; providing an effective |
| 19 | 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. Section 14.2019, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 24 | to read: |
| 25 | 14.2019 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.-- |
| 26 | (1) The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention is created |
| 27 | as a unit of the Office of Drug Control within the Executive |
| 28 | Office of the Governor. |
| 29 | (2) The statewide office shall, within available |
| 30 | resources: |
| 31 | (a) Develop a network of community-based programs to |
| 32 | improve suicide prevention initiatives. The network shall |
| 33 | identify and work to eliminate barriers to providing suicide |
| 34 | prevention services to individuals who are at risk of suicide. |
| 35 | The network shall consist of stakeholders advocating suicide |
| 36 | prevention, including, but not limited to, not-for-profit |
| 37 | suicide prevention organizations, faith-based suicide prevention |
| 38 | organizations, law enforcement agencies, first responders to |
| 39 | emergency calls, suicide prevention community coalitions, |
| 40 | schools and universities, mental health agencies, substance |
| 41 | abuse treatment agencies, health care providers, and school |
| 42 | personnel. |
| 43 | (b) Implement the statewide plan prepared by the Suicide |
| 44 | Prevention Coordinating Council. |
| 45 | (c) Increase public awareness concerning topics relating |
| 46 | to suicide prevention. |
| 47 | (d) Coordinate education and training curricula in suicide |
| 48 | prevention efforts for law enforcement personnel, first |
| 49 | responders to emergency calls, health care providers, school |
| 50 | employees, and other persons who may have contact with persons |
| 51 | at risk of suicide. |
| 52 | (3) Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the director |
| 53 | of the Office of Drug Control shall employ a coordinator for the |
| 54 | Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention who shall work under the |
| 55 | direction of the director to achieve the goals and objectives |
| 56 | set forth in this section. |
| 57 | (4) The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention may seek |
| 58 | and accept grants or funds from any federal, state, or local |
| 59 | source to support the operation and defray the authorized |
| 60 | expenses of the office and the Suicide Prevention Coordinating |
| 61 | Council. |
| 62 | (5) Agencies under the control of the Governor or the |
| 63 | Governor and Cabinet are directed, and all others are |
| 64 | encouraged, to provide information and support to the Statewide |
| 65 | Office for Suicide Prevention as requested. |
| 66 | Section 2. Section 14.20195, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 67 | to read: |
| 68 | 14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council; |
| 69 | creation; membership; duties.--There is created within the |
| 70 | Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention |
| 71 | Coordinating Council. The council shall develop strategies for |
| 72 | preventing suicide. |
| 73 | (1) SCOPE OF ACTIVITY.--The Suicide Prevention |
| 74 | Coordinating Council is a coordinating council as defined in s. |
| 75 | 20.03 and shall: |
| 76 | (a) Advise the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention |
| 77 | regarding the development of a statewide plan for suicide |
| 78 | prevention, with the guiding principle being that suicide is a |
| 79 | preventable problem. The statewide plan must: |
| 80 | 1. Align and provide direction for statewide suicide |
| 81 | prevention initiatives. |
| 82 | 2. Establish partnerships with state and private agencies |
| 83 | for the purpose of promoting public awareness of suicide |
| 84 | prevention. |
| 85 | 3. Address specific populations in this state who are at |
| 86 | risk for suicide. |
| 87 | 4. Identify ways to improve access to help individuals in |
| 88 | acute situations. |
| 89 | 5. Identify resources to support the implementation of the |
| 90 | statewide plan. |
| 91 | (b) Assemble an ad hoc advisory committee comprised of |
| 92 | members from outside the council, if necessary, in order for the |
| 93 | council to receive advice and assistance in carrying out its |
| 94 | responsibilities. |
| 95 | (c) Make findings and recommendations regarding suicide |
| 96 | prevention programs and activities. The council shall prepare an |
| 97 | annual report and present it to the Governor, the President of |
| 98 | the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by |
| 99 | January 1, 2008, and each year thereafter. The annual report |
| 100 | must describe the status of existing and planned initiatives |
| 101 | identified in the statewide plan for suicide prevention and any |
| 102 | recommendations arising therefrom. |
| 103 | (2) MEMBERSHIP.--The Suicide Prevention Coordinating |
| 104 | Council shall consist of 28 voting members. |
| 105 | (a) Fourteen members shall be appointed by the director of |
| 106 | the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the following |
| 107 | organizations: |
| 108 | 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation |
| 109 | described in s. 394.655. |
| 110 | 2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists. |
| 111 | 3. The Florida Sheriffs Association. |
| 112 | 4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA. |
| 113 | 5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention. |
| 114 | 6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition. |
| 115 | 7. The Alzheimer's Association. |
| 116 | 8. The Florida School Board Association. |
| 117 | 9. Volunteer Florida. |
| 118 | 10. The state chapter of AARP. |
| 119 | 11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association. |
| 120 | 12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health. |
| 121 | 13. The Florida Counseling Association. |
| 122 | 14. NAMI Florida. |
| 123 | (b) The following state officials or their designees shall |
| 124 | serve on the coordinating council: |
| 125 | 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs. |
| 126 | 2. The Secretary of Health. |
| 127 | 3. The Commissioner of Education. |
| 128 | 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration. |
| 129 | 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice. |
| 130 | 6. The Secretary of Corrections. |
| 131 | 7. The executive director of the Department of Law |
| 132 | Enforcement. |
| 133 | 8. The executive director of the Department of Veterans' |
| 134 | Affairs. |
| 135 | 9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services. |
| 136 | 10. The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation. |
| 137 | (c) The Governor shall appoint four additional members to |
| 138 | the coordinating council. The appointees must have expertise |
| 139 | that is critical to the prevention of suicide or represent an |
| 140 | organization that is not already represented on the coordinating |
| 141 | council. |
| 142 | (d) For the members appointed by the director of the |
| 143 | Office of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to |
| 144 | initial terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed |
| 145 | to initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the |
| 146 | Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4 |
| 147 | years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 3 |
| 148 | years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms of 4 |
| 149 | years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled |
| 150 | in the same manner as the original appointment, and any member |
| 151 | who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death, |
| 152 | resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only |
| 153 | for the unexpired term of the member's predecessor. A member is |
| 154 | eligible for reappointment. |
| 155 | (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall be a |
| 156 | nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall act as |
| 157 | chair. |
| 158 | (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve |
| 159 | without compensation. Any member of the coordinating council who |
| 160 | is a public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per diem |
| 161 | and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. |
| 162 | (3) MEETINGS.--The coordinating council shall meet at |
| 163 | least quarterly or upon the call of the chair. The council |
| 164 | meetings may be held via teleconference or other electronic |
| 165 | means. |
| 166 | Section 3. Two full-time equivalent positions are |
| 167 | authorized and the sum of $150,000 is appropriated from the |
| 168 | General Revenue Fund to the Office of Drug Control for the |
| 169 | purpose of implementing this act during the 2007-2008 fiscal |
| 170 | year. |
| 171 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |