Senate Bill sb0564
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 564
By Senator Rich
34-491A-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to children's services;
3 creating the Children and Youth Cabinet;
4 providing legislative intent; providing
5 organization, membership, and duties and
6 responsibilities of the cabinet; providing for
7 an advisory board; requiring the cabinet to
8 prepare an annual report; providing an
9 effective date.
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11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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13 Section 1. Children's cabinet; organization;
14 responsibilities; annual report.--
15 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the
16 "Children and Youth Cabinet Act."
17 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--
18 (a) The Legislature finds that all state agencies and
19 programs that touch the lives of children and youth must work
20 in a coordinated and comprehensive fashion, with an emphasis
21 on providing a continuum of services that benefit children
22 from prenatal care through programs supporting successful
23 transition to self-sufficient adulthood. The Legislature
24 further finds that creating a Children and Youth Cabinet is
25 the best method by which the state might achieve the visions
26 and plans necessary to ensure that this state is the first
27 place families think of when asked, "Where do you want to
28 raise a child?"
29 (b) The Legislature, in collaboration with the
30 Governor, intends to develop and implement a shared vision
31 among the branches of government in order to improve child and
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1 family outcomes in this state. By working collaboratively, the
2 Legislature intends to invest in the education and skills of
3 our children and youth, develop a cohesive vision and plan
4 that ensures a long-term commitment to children and youth
5 issues, align public resources serving children and youth to
6 support their healthy growth and development, and promote
7 increased efficiency and improved service delivery by all
8 governmental agencies that provide services for children,
9 youth, and their families.
10 (3) ORGANIZATION.--There is created the Children and
11 Youth Cabinet.
12 (a) The cabinet shall ensure that the public policy of
13 this state relating to children and youth is developed to
14 promote interdepartmental collaboration and program
15 implementation in order that services designed for children
16 and youth are planned, managed, and delivered in a holistic
17 and integrated manner to improve the children's
18 self-sufficiency, safety, economic stability, health, and
19 quality of life.
20 (b) The cabinet is created in the Executive Office of
21 the Governor, which shall provide administrative support and
22 service to the cabinet.
23 (c) The cabinet shall meet for its organizational
24 session no later than October 1, 2007. Thereafter, the cabinet
25 shall meet at least six times each year in different regions
26 of the state in order to solicit input from the public and any
27 other individual offering testimony relevant to the issues
28 considered. Each meeting must include a public-comment
29 session.
30 (4) MEMBERS.--The cabinet shall consist of 15 members
31 including the Governor and the following persons:
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 564
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1 (a)1. The Secretary of Children and Family Services;
2 2. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice;
3 3. The director of the Agency for Persons with
4 Disabilities;
5 4. The director of the Agency for Workforce
6 Innovation;
7 5. The Secretary of Health;
8 6. The Secretary of Health Care Administration;
9 7. The Commissioner of Education;
10 8. The director of the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem
11 Office;
12 9. The director of the Office of Child Abuse
13 Prevention; and
14 10. Five members representing children and youth
15 advocacy organizations, who are not service providers and who
16 are appointed by the Governor.
17 (b) The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
18 House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme
19 Court, the Attorney General, and the Chief Financial Officer,
20 or their appointed designees, shall serve as ex officio
21 members of the cabinet.
22 (c) The Governor or the Governor's designee shall
23 serve as the chair of the cabinet.
24 (d) Nongovernmental members of the cabinet shall serve
25 without compensation, but are entitled to receive per diem and
26 travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida
27 Statutes, while in performance of their duties.
28 (5) DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.--The Children and
29 Youth Cabinet shall:
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1 (a) Develop and implement a shared and cohesive vision
2 using integrated services to improve child, youth, and family
3 outcomes in this state.
4 (b) Develop, no later than December 31, 2007, a
5 strategic plan to achieve the goals of the shared and cohesive
6 vision. The plan must be centered upon a long-term commitment
7 to children and youth issues and align all public resources to
8 serve children and youth and their families in a manner that
9 supports the healthy growth and development of children. The
10 plan must prepare the children and youth to be responsible
11 citizens and productive members of the workforce. The plan
12 must include a continuum of services that will benefit
13 children from prenatal care through services for youth in
14 transition to adulthood.
15 (c) Develop and implement measurable outcomes for each
16 state department, agency, and program which are consistent
17 with the strategic plan. The cabinet must establish a baseline
18 measurement for each outcome and regularly report on the
19 progress made toward achieving the desired outcome.
20 (d) Design and implement actions that will promote
21 collaboration, creativity, increased efficiency, information
22 sharing, and improved service delivery between and within
23 state governmental organizations that provide services for
24 children and youth and their families. In particular, the
25 efforts must include the long-range planning process mandated
26 by s. 216.013, Florida Statutes.
27 (e) Foster public awareness of children and youth
28 issues and develop new partners in the effort to serve
29 children and youth.
30 (f) Create a children and youth impact statement for
31 evaluating proposed legislation, requested appropriations, and
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1 programs. The impact statement shall be shared with the
2 Legislature in their deliberative process.
3 (g) Develop a children-and-youth-based budget through
4 a children and youth estimating conference that has a
5 structure and nomenclature that includes all relevant
6 departments, funding streams, and programs. The budget shall
7 facilitate improved coordination and efficiency, explore
8 options for and allow maximization of federal financial
9 participation, and implement the state's vision and strategic
10 plan.
11 (h) Engage in other activities that will implement
12 improved collaboration of agencies in order to create, manage,
13 and promote coordinated policies, programs, and
14 service-delivery systems that support children and youth.
15 (6) ADVISORY BOARD.--The Governor may appoint an
16 advisory board to assist the cabinet in its tasks. The board
17 shall include persons who can provide to the cabinet the best
18 available technical and professional research and assistance.
19 If an advisory board is created it should include
20 representatives of children and youth advocacy organizations
21 and youth, wherever practicable, who have been recipients of
22 services and programs operated or funded by state agencies.
23 (7) ANNUAL REPORT.--The Children and Youth Cabinet
24 shall, by February 1 of each year, provide an annual report to
25 the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
26 House of Representatives, and the public concerning its
27 activities and progress towards making this state the first
28 place families think of when asked, "Where do they want to
29 raise their children?"
30 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Creates the Children and Youth Cabinet. Provides
legislative intent. Provides organization, membership,
4 and duties and responsibilities of the cabinet. Provides
for an advisory board. Requires the cabinet to prepare an
5 annual report.
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