Senate Bill sb2032c1
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2032
By the Committee on Health and Human Services Appropriations;
and Senators Margolis and Lynn
603-2635-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to immigrant survivors of human
3 trafficking and other serious crimes; requiring
4 the Department of Children and Family Services
5 to provide services to immigrant survivors of
6 human trafficking, domestic violence, and other
7 serious crimes; providing for the same state
8 and local benefits that refugees receive;
9 ensuring that immigrant survivors of serious
10 crimes have access to state-funded services for
11 refugees; providing survivors of serious crimes
12 with supportive services; creating a
13 state-funded component of the cash, medical,
14 and social services programs for refugees to
15 serve victims during a temporary waiting
16 period; providing that a sworn statement by a
17 victim is sufficient evidence for the purposes
18 of determining eligibility for services if
19 supported by at least one piece of additional
20 evidence; providing for a public-awareness
21 program for employers and other organizations
22 that may come into contact with immigrant
23 survivors of human trafficking; providing an
24 effective date.
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26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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28 Section 1. The Department of Children and Family
29 Services shall establish a structure by which the department
30 shall:
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2032
603-2635-07
1 (1) Provide services to immigrant survivors of human
2 trafficking, domestic violence, and other serious crimes,
3 during the interim period between the time the survivor
4 applies for a visa and receives such visa from the United
5 States Department of Homeland Security or receives
6 certification from the United States Department of Health and
7 Human Services;
8 (2) Ensure that immigrant survivors of serious crimes
9 are eligible to receive existing state and local benefits and
10 services to the same extent that refugees receive those
11 benefits and services;
12 (3) Ensure that immigrant survivors of serious crimes
13 have access to state-funded services that are equivalent to
14 the federal programs that provide cash, medical services, and
15 social service for refugees;
16 (4) Provide survivors of serious crimes with medical
17 care, mental health care, and basic assistance in order to
18 help them secure housing, food, and supportive services;
19 (5) Create a state-funded component of the cash,
20 medical, and social services programs for refugees for the
21 purpose of serving immigrant survivors during the temporary
22 period while they wait for federal processing to be completed;
23 (6) Provide that a sworn statement by a survivor is
24 sufficient evidence for the purposes of determining
25 eligibility if that statement is supported by at least one
26 item of additional evidence, including, but not limited to:
27 (a) Police and court records;
28 (b) News articles;
29 (c) Documentation from a professional agency;
30 (d) Physical evidence; or
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2032
603-2635-07
1 (e) A statement from an individual having knowledge of
2 the circumstances providing the basis for the claim;
3 (7) Develop a public-awareness program for employers
4 and other organizations that may come into contact with
5 immigrant survivors of human trafficking in order to provide
6 education and raise awareness of the problem.
7 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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9 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
10 SB 2032
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12 Removes the contingency making the Immigrant Survivors of
Human Trafficking program subject to available funds.
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