Senate Bill sb0564c1

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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 564

    By the Committee on Governmental Operations; and Senators
    Rich, Lynn, Hill, Peaden, Margolis and Wilson




    585-2418-07

  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.

10  

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

12  

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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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 564
    585-2418-07




 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, which is a coordinating council as defined in

12  s. 20.03, Florida Statutes.

13         (a)  The cabinet shall ensure that the public policy of

14  this state relating to children and youth is developed to

15  promote interdepartmental collaboration and program

16  implementation in order that services designed for children

17  and youth are planned, managed, and delivered in a holistic

18  and integrated manner to improve the children's

19  self-sufficiency, safety, economic stability, health, and

20  quality of life.

21         (b)  The cabinet is created in the Executive Office of

22  the Governor, which shall provide administrative support and

23  service to the cabinet.

24         (c)  The cabinet shall meet for its organizational

25  session no later than October 1, 2007. Thereafter, the cabinet

26  shall meet at least six times each year in different regions

27  of the state in order to solicit input from the public and any

28  other individual offering testimony relevant to the issues

29  considered. Each meeting must include a public-comment

30  session.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 564
    585-2418-07




 1         (4)  MEMBERS.--The cabinet shall consist of 15 members

 2  including the Governor and the following persons:

 3         (a)1.  The Secretary of Children and Family Services;

 4         2.  The Secretary of Juvenile Justice;

 5         3.  The director of the Agency for Persons with

 6  Disabilities;

 7         4.  The director of the Agency for Workforce

 8  Innovation;

 9         5.  The Secretary of Health;

10         6.  The Secretary of Health Care Administration;

11         7.  The Commissioner of Education;

12         8.  The director of the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem

13  Office;

14         9.  The director of the Office of Child Abuse

15  Prevention; and

16         10.  Five members representing children and youth

17  advocacy organizations, who are not service providers and who

18  are appointed by the Governor.

19         (b)  The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the

20  House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme

21  Court, the Attorney General, and the Chief Financial Officer,

22  or their appointed designees, shall serve as ex officio

23  members of the cabinet.

24         (c)  The Governor or the Governor's designee shall

25  serve as the chair of the cabinet.

26         (d)  Nongovernmental members of the cabinet shall serve

27  without compensation, but are entitled to receive per diem and

28  travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida

29  Statutes, while in performance of their duties.

30         (5)  DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.--The Children and

31  Youth Cabinet shall:

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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 564
    585-2418-07




 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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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 564
    585-2418-07




 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?" The annual report may include

30  recommendations for needed legislation or rulemaking

31  authority.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                            CS for SB 564
    585-2418-07




 1         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

 2  

 3          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 4                         Senate Bill 564

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    council as defined in s. 20.03, F.S.
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