Senate Bill sb0224c2

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 224

    By the Committees on Health and Human Services Appropriations;
    Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and Senators Lynn,
    King, Geller, Rich, Wilson and Oelrich



    603-2629-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to suicide prevention; creating

  3         s. 14.2019, F.S.; creating the Statewide Office

  4         for Suicide Prevention as a unit of the Office

  5         of Drug Control in the Executive Office of the

  6         Governor; providing the goals and objectives of

  7         the office; creating the position of statewide

  8         coordinator for the statewide office,

  9         contingent upon a specific appropriation;

10         authorizing the Statewide Office for Suicide

11         Prevention to seek and accept grants or funds

12         from any source to support its operation;

13         requiring that revenues from grants be

14         deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust

15         Fund within the Executive Office of the

16         Governor; creating s. 14.20195, F.S.; creating

17         the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council

18         within the Statewide Office for Suicide

19         Prevention; providing the scope of activities

20         for the coordinating council; authorizing the

21         coordinating council to assemble an ad hoc

22         committee to advise the coordinating council;

23         providing for membership on the coordinating

24         council; providing an effective date.

25  

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

27  

28         Section 1.  Section 14.2019, Florida Statutes, is

29  created to read:

30         14.2019  Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.--

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 224
    603-2629-07




 1         (1)  The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention is

 2  created as a unit of the Office of Drug Control within the

 3  Executive Office of the Governor.

 4         (2)  The statewide office shall, within available

 5  resources:

 6         (a)  Develop a network of community-based programs to

 7  improve suicide prevention initiatives. The network shall

 8  identify and work to eliminate barriers to providing suicide

 9  prevention services to individuals who are at risk of suicide.

10  The network shall consist of stakeholders advocating suicide

11  prevention, including, but not limited to, not-for-profit

12  suicide prevention organizations, faith-based suicide

13  prevention organizations, law enforcement agencies, first

14  responders to emergency calls, suicide prevention community

15  coalitions, schools and universities, mental health agencies,

16  substance abuse treatment agencies, health care providers, and

17  school personnel.

18         (b)  Prepare and implement the statewide plan with

19  advice of the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council.

20         (c)  Increase public awareness concerning topics

21  relating to suicide prevention.

22         (d)  Coordinate education and training curricula in

23  suicide prevention efforts for law enforcement personnel,

24  first responders to emergency calls, health care providers,

25  school employees, and other persons who may have contact with

26  persons at risk of suicide.

27         (3)  Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the

28  director of the Office of Drug Control shall employ a

29  coordinator for the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention

30  who shall work under the direction of the director to achieve

31  the goals and objectives set forth in this section.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 224
    603-2629-07




 1         (4)  The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention may

 2  seek and accept grants or funds from any federal, state, or

 3  local source to support the operation and defray the

 4  authorized expenses of the office and the Suicide Prevention

 5  Coordinating Council. Revenues from grants shall be deposited

 6  in the Grants and Donations Trust Fund within the Executive

 7  Office of the Governor. In accordance with s. 216.181(11), the

 8  Executive Office of the Governor may request changes to the

 9  approved operating budget to allow the expenditure of any

10  additional grant funds collected pursuant to this subsection.

11         (5)  Agencies under the control of the Governor or the

12  Governor and Cabinet are directed, and all others are

13  encouraged, to provide information and support to the

14  Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention as requested.

15         Section 2.  Section 14.20195, Florida Statutes, is

16  created to read:

17         14.20195  Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council;

18  creation; membership; duties.--There is created within the

19  Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention

20  Coordinating Council. The council shall develop strategies for

21  preventing suicide.

22         (1)  SCOPE OF ACTIVITY.--The Suicide Prevention

23  Coordinating Council is a coordinating council as defined in

24  s. 20.03 and shall:

25         (a)  Advise the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention

26  regarding the development of a statewide plan for suicide

27  prevention, with the guiding principle being that suicide is a

28  preventable problem. The statewide plan must:

29         1.  Align and provide direction for statewide suicide

30  prevention initiatives.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 224
    603-2629-07




 1         2.  Establish partnerships with state and private

 2  agencies for the purpose of promoting public awareness of

 3  suicide prevention.

 4         3.  Address specific populations in this state who are

 5  at risk for suicide.

 6         4.  Identify ways to improve access to crisis services

 7  for individuals in acute situations.

 8         5.  Identify resources to support the implementation of

 9  the statewide plan.

10         (b)  Assemble an ad hoc advisory committee comprised of

11  members from outside the council, if necessary, in order for

12  the council to receive advice and assistance in carrying out

13  its responsibilities.

14         (c)  Make findings and recommendations regarding

15  suicide prevention programs and activities. The council shall

16  prepare an annual report and present it to the Governor, the

17  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

18  Representatives by January 1, 2008, and each year thereafter.

19  The annual report must describe the status of existing and

20  planned initiatives identified in the statewide plan for

21  suicide prevention and any recommendations arising therefrom.

22         (2)  MEMBERSHIP.--The Suicide Prevention Coordinating

23  Council shall consist of 28 voting members.

24         (a)  Fourteen members shall be appointed by the

25  director of the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the

26  following organizations:

27         1.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation

28  described in s. 394.655.

29         2.  The Florida Association of School Psychologists.

30         3.  The Florida Sheriffs Association.

31         4.  The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 224
    603-2629-07




 1         5.  The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention.

 2         6.  The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.

 3         7.  The Alzheimer's Association.

 4         8.  The Florida School Board Association.

 5         9.  Volunteer Florida.

 6         10.  The state chapter of AARP.

 7         11.  The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.

 8         12.  The Florida Council for Community Mental Health.

 9         13.  The Florida Counseling Association.

10         14.  NAMI Florida.

11         (b)  The following state officials or their designees

12  shall serve on the coordinating council:

13         1.  The Secretary of Elderly Affairs.

14         2.  The Secretary of Health.

15         3.  The Commissioner of Education.

16         4.  The Secretary of Health Care Administration.

17         5.  The Secretary of Juvenile Justice.

18         6.  The Secretary of Corrections.

19         7.  The executive director of the Department of Law

20  Enforcement.

21         8.  The executive director of the Department of

22  Veterans' Affairs.

23         9.  The Secretary of Children and Family Services.

24         10.  The director of the Agency for Workforce

25  Innovation.

26         (c)  The Governor shall appoint four additional members

27  to the coordinating council. The appointees must have

28  expertise that is critical to the prevention of suicide or

29  represent an organization that is not already represented on

30  the coordinating council.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 224
    603-2629-07




 1         (d)  For the members appointed by the director of the

 2  Office of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to

 3  initial terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed

 4  to initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the

 5  Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4

 6  years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of

 7  3 years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms

 8  of 4 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be

 9  filled in the same manner as the original appointment, and any

10  member who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of

11  death, resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall

12  serve only for the unexpired term of the member's predecessor.

13  A member is eligible for reappointment.

14         (e)  The director of the Office of Drug Control shall

15  be a nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall

16  act as chair.

17         (f)  Members of the coordinating council shall serve

18  without compensation. Any member of the coordinating council

19  who is a public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per

20  diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.

21         (3)  MEETINGS.--The coordinating council shall meet at

22  least quarterly or upon the call of the chair. The council

23  meetings may be held via teleconference or other electronic

24  means.

25         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

26  

27          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
28                          CS for SB 224

29                                 

30  Removes the appropriation of two full-time equivalent
    positions and $150,000 from the General Revenue Fund for
31  Fiscal Year 07-08 to the Statewide Office of Suicide
    Prevention.
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