Senate Bill sb1442

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1442

    By Senator Baker





    20-1355-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the screening of employees

  3         of a transitional education program; amending

  4         s. 393.0655, F.S.; providing that professional

  5         staff members and employees of such program who

  6         undergo level 2 background screening may not be

  7         required by the district school board to

  8         undergo an additional background screening if

  9         the person meets certain requirements;

10         providing an effective date.

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

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14         Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 393.0655, Florida

15  Statutes, is amended to read:

16         393.0655  Screening of direct service providers.--

17         (1)  MINIMUM STANDARDS.--The agency shall require level

18  2 employment screening pursuant to chapter 435 for direct

19  service providers who are unrelated to their clients,

20  including support coordinators, and managers and supervisors

21  of residential facilities or comprehensive transitional

22  education programs licensed under this chapter and any other

23  person, including volunteers, who provide care or services,

24  who have access to a client's living areas, or who have access

25  to a client's funds or personal property. Background screening

26  shall include employment history checks as provided in s.

27  435.03(1) and local criminal records checks through local law

28  enforcement agencies.

29         (a)  A volunteer who assists on an intermittent basis

30  for less than 40 hours per month does not have to be screened

31  if the volunteer is under the direct and constant visual

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1442
    20-1355-07




 1  supervision of persons who meet the screening requirements of

 2  this section.

 3         (b)  Licensed physicians, nurses, or other

 4  professionals licensed and regulated by the Department of

 5  Health are not subject to background screening pursuant to

 6  this section if they are providing a service that is within

 7  their scope of licensed practice.

 8         (c)  A person selected by the family or the individual

 9  with developmental disabilities and paid by the family or the

10  individual to provide supports or services is not required to

11  have a background screening under this section.

12         (d)  Professional staff members and employees of a

13  comprehensive transitional education program licensed under

14  this chapter who are required to undergo level 2 background

15  screening pursuant to this section may not be required by a

16  district school board to undergo an additional background

17  screening if such person submits to the district school board

18  evidence that he or she meets the screening standards in s.

19  435.04 and his or her license or certificate is active and in

20  good standing if such person is a licensee or

21  certificateholder.

22         (e)(d)  Persons 12 years of age or older, including

23  family members, residing with a direct services provider who

24  provides services to clients in his or her own place of

25  residence are subject to background screening; however, such

26  persons who are 12 to 18 years of age shall be screened for

27  delinquency records only.

28         (f)(e)  A direct service provider who is awaiting the

29  completion of background screening is temporarily exempt from

30  the screening requirements under this section if the provider

31  is under the direct and constant visual supervision of persons

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1442
    20-1355-07




 1  who meet the screening requirements of this section. Such

 2  exemption expires 90 days after the direct service provider

 3  first provides care or services to clients, has access to a

 4  client's living areas, or has access to a client's funds or

 5  personal property.

 6         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

 7  law.

 8  

 9            *****************************************

10                          SENATE SUMMARY

11    Provides that licensed professional staff members and
      employees of a transitional education program who have to
12    undergo level 2 background screening may not be required
      to undergo an additional background screening by a
13    district school board as long as the person submits the
      background screening to the district school board.
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