Senate Bill sb0434c1

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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 434

    By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
    Senator Jones




    586-2160-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to caregivers for adults;

  3         authorizing the Department of Elderly Affairs

  4         to create a pilot program in certain counties

  5         to train economically disadvantaged workers who

  6         are a specified age or older to act as

  7         companions and provide certain services to

  8         frail and vulnerable adults in the community;

  9         specifying additional purposes of the pilot

10         program; requiring an evaluation and report to

11         the Legislature; providing an appropriation;

12         providing an effective date.

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

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16         Section 1.  (1)  Beginning in the 2007-2008 fiscal year

17  and for a period of no longer than 3 years, the Department of

18  Elderly Affairs may establish a pilot program in Pasco County,

19  Pinellas County, or both to train economically disadvantaged

20  workers who are 55 years of age or older to act as companions

21  and provide personal assistance to frail and vulnerable adults

22  in the community. The purposes of the pilot program are to:

23         (a)  Foster the development of training and employment

24  opportunities for economically disadvantaged workers who are

25  55 years of age or older;

26         (b)  Encourage the use of economically disadvantaged

27  workers who are 55 years of age or older in providing

28  community-based care for frail and vulnerable adults who live

29  in the community;

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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 434
    586-2160-07




 1         (c)  Assist in meeting the growing demand for in-home

 2  companion care services and personal care services and

 3  preventing costly and premature institutional placements; and

 4         (d)  Act as a direct referral service for the

 5  Department of Elderly Affairs.

 6         (2)  By January 1, 2010, if the pilot program is

 7  established, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall submit a

 8  report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

 9  House of Representatives which includes the status of the

10  implementation of the program, the number of economically

11  disadvantaged workers who have been trained to provide

12  community-based care for frail and vulnerable older adults who

13  live in the community, the number of frail and vulnerable

14  older adults who have received such services, and

15  recommendations for further legislation, including a

16  recommendation regarding extending the pilot program

17  throughout the state.

18         Section 2.  The sum of $100,000 is appropriated from

19  the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Elderly Affairs

20  for the purpose of supporting the pilot program created by

21  this act.

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

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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 434
    586-2160-07




 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                         Senate Bill 434

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 4  The Committee Substitute makes the following provisions:

 5  -    Adds Pasco County and/or Pinellas County as the service
         area for the pilot Program.
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    -    Deletes the provision allowing the Department of Elder
 7       Affairs to use federal funds to support the pilot
         program.
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    -    Provides an Appropriation in the ammount of $100,000 from
 9       the General Revenue Fund to DOEA to support the pilot
         program.
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