HB 3

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to children's zones; creating s. 409.147,
3	F.S.; providing legislative findings and intent; providing
4	policy and purpose; providing definitions; providing a
5	process for nominating and selecting a children's zone;
6	providing for the governing body of a county or
7	municipality to adopt a resolution designating a
8	children's zone; specifying contents of the resolution;
9	requiring the governing body to establish a children's
10	zone planning team; providing powers and responsibilities
11	of the planning team; requiring the planning team to
12	designate working groups; specifying focus areas for the
13	working groups; providing for the development of a
14	strategic community plan; providing objectives for each
15	focus area; requiring the governing body to create a
16	corporation not for profit for specified purposes;
17	establishing the Magic City Children's Zone, Inc., pilot
18	project; providing for management by an entity organized
19	as a corporation not for profit; providing geographic
20	boundaries for the zone; providing for designation and
21	appointment of a board of directors; providing for
22	meetings and duties of the board of directors; providing
23	per diem and travel expenses; requiring the board to enter
24	into a contract to develop a business plan; providing for
25	reports to the Legislature; requiring the Department of
26	Children and Family Services to contract with certain
27	private nonprofit corporations for specified purposes;
28	requiring the corporation to implement the Magic City
29	Children's Zone, Inc., pilot project; providing
30	appropriations; providing an effective date.
31
32	WHEREAS, the State of Florida is often referred to as the
33	Sunshine State, a term that suggests warm weather, a carefree
34	lifestyle, and unlimited potential for nurturing hope and
35	realizing dreams for a fulfilling and productive life, and
36	WHEREAS, communities within the state suffering from
37	fragile infrastructures and multiple social ills are home to
38	families for whom those obstacles limit, or completely preclude,
39	their ability to create a good quality of life for themselves
40	and for their children, and
41	WHEREAS, a proposed community initiative known as a
42	children's zone, which is modeled after the long-established and
43	successful Harlem Children's Zone, seeks to change that
44	experience, and
45	WHEREAS, the initiative will be based on the belief that in
46	order to help children from troubled communities become healthy
47	adults and responsible, fulfilled members of their communities,
48	two things must happen: first, they must be surrounded by a
49	critical mass of adults who are effective parents engaged in
50	activities with their children; and second, early in their
51	lives, they must be exposed to sound health care, intellectual
52	and social stimulation, and consistent guidance from loving,
53	attentive adults, and
54	WHEREAS, the initiative seeks to establish a comprehensive,
55	community-based, coordinated, and targeted system of strategies
56	and services to revitalize communities with an increased sense
57	of culture, pride, and togetherness, to support parents, and to
58	provide comprehensive care for all children within the zone,
59	NOW, THEREFORE,
60
61	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
62
63	Section 1.  Section 409.147, Florida Statutes, is created
64	to read:
65	409.147  Children's zones.--
66	(1)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--
67	(a)  The Legislature finds that:
68	1.  There are neighborhoods in the state where the
69	infrastructure and opportunities that middle-class communities
70	take for granted are nonexistent or so marginal that they are
71	ineffective.
72	2.  Children living in these neighborhoods are read to by
73	an adult on a regular basis and attend a prekindergarten
74	education program at a much lower rate than children in other
75	communities. These children experience below-average performance
76	on standardized tests and graduate from high school in fewer
77	numbers. Most of these children are eligible for the free or
78	reduced-price school lunch program.
79	3.  Children in these neighborhoods often suffer from high
80	rates of asthma, a higher risk of lead poisoning, and inadequate
81	health care, and they are routinely exposed to violence and
82	crime.
83	4.  In spite of these obstacles, these neighborhoods are
84	many times home to strong individuals and institutions that are
85	committed to making a difference in the lives of children and
86	their families.
87	(b)  It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to
88	assist disadvantaged areas within the state in creating a
89	community-based service network that develops, coordinates, and
90	provides quality education, accessible health care, youth
91	development programs, opportunities for employment, and safe and
92	affordable housing for children and families living within its
93	boundaries.
94	(2)  POLICY AND PURPOSE.--It is the policy of this state to
95	provide the necessary means to assist local communities, the
96	children and families who live in those communities, and the
97	private sector in creating a sound educational, social, and
98	economic environment. To achieve this objective, the state
99	intends to provide investments sufficient to encourage community
100	partners to commit financial and other resources to severely
101	disadvantaged areas. The purpose of this section is to establish
102	a process that clearly identifies the severely disadvantaged
103	areas and provides guidance for developing a new social service
104	paradigm that systematically coordinates programs that address
105	the critical needs of children and their families and for
106	directing efforts to rebuild the basic infrastructure of the
107	community. The Legislature, therefore, declares the creation of
108	children's zones, through the collaborative efforts of
109	government and the private sector, to be a public purpose.
110	(3)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:
111	(a)  "Governing body" means the commission or other
112	legislative body charged with governing a county or
113	municipality.
114	(b)  "Ounce" means the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida,
115	Inc.
116	(c)  "Planning team" means a children's zone planning team
117	established under this section.
118	(d)  "Resident" means a person who lives or operates a
119	small community-based business or organization within the
120	boundaries of the children's zone.
121	(4)  CHILDREN'S ZONE NOMINATING PROCESS.--A county or
122	municipality, or a county and one or more municipalities
123	together, may apply to Ounce to designate an area as a
124	children's zone after the governing body:
125	(a)  Adopts a resolution that:
126	1.  Finds that an area exists in such county or
127	municipality, or in the county and one or more municipalities,
128	that chronically exhibits extreme and unacceptable levels of
129	poverty, unemployment, physical deterioration, as well as
130	limited access to quality educational, health care, and social
131	services.
132	2.  Determines that the rehabilitation, conservation, or
133	redevelopment, or a combination thereof, of the area is
134	necessary in the interest of improving the health, wellness,
135	education, living conditions, and livelihoods of the children
136	and families who live in the county or municipality.
137	3.  Determines that the revitalization of the area can
138	occur only if the state and the private sector invest resources
139	to improve infrastructure and the provision of services.
140	(b)  Establishes a children's zone planning team as
141	provided in subsection (5).
142	(c)  Develops and adopts a strategic community plan as
143	provided in subsection (6).
144	(d)  Creates a corporation not for profit as provided in
145	subsection (7).
146	(5)  CHILDREN'S ZONE PLANNING TEAM.--
147	(a)  After the governing body adopts the resolution
148	described in subsection (4), the county or municipality shall
149	establish a children's zone planning team.
150	(b)  The planning team shall include residents and
151	representatives from community-based organizations and other
152	community institutions. At least half of the members of the
153	planning team shall be residents.
154	(c)  The planning team shall:
155	1.  Develop a planning process that sets the direction for,
156	builds a commitment to, and develops the capacity to realize the
157	children's zone concept.
158	2.  Develop a vision of what the children's zone will look
159	like when the challenges, problems, and opportunities in the
160	children's zone are successfully addressed.
161	3.  Identify important opportunities, strengths,
162	challenges, and problems in the children's zone.
163	4.  Develop a strategic community plan consisting of goals,
164	objectives, tasks, the designation of responsible parties, the
165	identification of resources needed, timelines for implementation
166	of the plan, and procedures for monitoring outcomes.
167	(d)  The planning team shall designate working groups to
168	specifically address each of the following focus areas:
169	1.  Early development and care of children.
170	2.  Education of children and youth.
171	3.  Health and wellness.
172	4.  Youth support.
173	5.  Parent and guardian support.
174	6.  Adult education, training, and jobs.
175	7.  Community safety.
176	8.  Housing and community development.
177	(6)  CHILDREN'S ZONE STRATEGIC COMMUNITY PLAN.--After the
178	governing body adopts the resolution described in subsection
179	(4), the working groups shall develop objectives and identify
180	strategies for each focus area. The objectives, specified by
181	focus area, for a working group may include, but not be limited
182	to:
183	(a)  Early development and care of children.
184	1.  Providing resources to enable every child to be
185	adequately nurtured during the first 3 years of life.
186	2.  Ensuring that all schools are ready for children and
187	all children are ready for school.
188	3.  Facilitating enrollment in half-day or full-day
189	prekindergarten for all 3-year old and 4-year old children.
190	4.  Strengthening parent and guardian relationships with
191	care providers.
192	5.  Providing support and education for families and child
193	care providers.
194	(b)  Education of children and youth.
195	1.  Increasing the level and degree of accountability of
196	persons who are responsible for the development and well-being
197	of all children in the children's zone.
198	2.  Changing the structure and function of schools to
199	increase the quality and amount of time spent on instruction and
200	increase programmatic options and offerings.
201	3.  Creating a safe and respectful environment for student
202	learning.
203	4.  Identifying and supporting points of alignment between
204	the children's zone community plan and the school district's
205	strategic plan.
206	(c)  Health and wellness.
207	1.  Facilitating enrollment of all eligible children in the
208	Florida Kidcare program and providing full access to high-
209	quality drug and alcohol treatment services.
210	2.  Eliminating health disparities between racial and
211	cultural groups, including improving outcomes and increasing
212	interventions.
213	3.  Providing fresh, good quality, affordable, and
214	nutritious food within the children's zone.
215	4.  Providing all children in the children's zone with
216	access to safe structured and unstructured recreation.
217	(d)  Youth support.
218	1.  Increasing the high school graduation rate.
219	2.  Increasing leadership development and employment
220	opportunities for youth.
221	(e)  Parent and guardian support.
222	1.  Increasing parent and adult literacy.
223	2.  Expanding access for parents to critical resources,
224	such as jobs, transportation, day care, and after-school care.
225	3.  Improving the effectiveness of the ways in which
226	support systems communicate and collaborate with parents and the
227	ways in which parents communicate and collaborate with support
228	systems.
229	4.  Making the services of the Healthy Families Florida
230	program available to provide multiyear support to expectant
231	parents and persons caring for infants and toddlers.
232	(f)  Adult education, training, and jobs.
233	1.  Creating job opportunities for adults that lead to
234	career development.
235	2.  Establishing a career and technical school or a
236	satellite of such a school in the children's zone that includes
237	a one-stop career center.
238	(g)  Community safety.
239	1.  Providing a safe environment for all children at home,
240	in school, and in the community.
241	2.  Eliminating the economic, political, and social forces
242	that lead to a lack of safety within the family, the community,
243	schools, and institutional structures.
244	3.  Assessing policies and practices, including sentencing,
245	incarceration, detention, and data reporting, in order to reduce
246	youth violence, crime, and recidivism.
247	(h)  Housing and community development.
248	1.  Strengthening the residential real estate market.
249	2.  Building on existing efforts to promote socioeconomic
250	diversity when developing a comprehensive land use strategic
251	plan.
252	3.  Promoting neighborhood beautification strategies.
253	(7)  CHILDREN'S ZONE CORPORATION.--After the governing body
254	adopts the resolution described in subsection (4), the county or
255	municipality shall create a corporation not for profit which
256	shall be registered, incorporated, organized, and operated in
257	compliance with chapter 617. The purpose of the corporation is
258	to facilitate fundraising, to secure broad community ownership
259	of the children's zone, and, if the area selected by the
260	governing body is designated as a children's zone, to:
261	(a)  Begin to transfer responsibility for planning from the
262	planning team to the corporation.
263	(b)  Begin the implementation and governance of the
264	children's zone community plan.
265	(8)  CREATION OF MAGIC CITY CHILDREN'S ZONE, INC., PILOT
266	PROJECT.--
267	(a)  There is created within the Liberty City neighborhood
268	in Miami-Dade County a 10-year pilot project zone that, by
269	November 1, 2008, shall be managed by an entity organized as a
270	corporation not for profit which shall be registered,
271	incorporated, organized, and operated in compliance with chapter
272	617. The corporation shall be known as the Magic City Children's
273	Zone, Inc., and shall be administratively housed within the
274	Belafonte Tacolcy Center. However, Magic City Children's Zone,
275	Inc., is not subject to control, supervision, or direction by
276	the Belafonte Tacolcy Center in any manner. The Legislature
277	determines, however, that public policy dictates that the
278	corporation operate in the most open and accessible manner
279	consistent with its public purpose. Therefore, the Legislature
280	specifically declares that the corporation is subject to chapter
281	119, relating to public records, chapter 286, relating to public
282	meetings and records, and chapter 287, relating to procurement
283	of commodities or contractual services.
284	(b)  This pilot project zone is designed to encompass an
285	area that is large enough to include all of the necessary
286	components of community life, including, but not limited to,
287	schools, places of worship, recreational facilities, commercial
288	areas, and common space, yet small enough to allow programs and
289	services to reach every willing member of the neighborhood.
290	Therefore, the geographic boundaries of the pilot project zone
291	are:
292	1.  Northwest 79th Street to the north;
293	2.  Northwest 36th Street to the south;
294	3.  North Miami Avenue to the east; and
295	4.  Northwest 27th Avenue to the west.
296	(c)1.  The corporation shall be governed by a 15-member
297	board of directors. The board of directors shall consist of the
298	following members:
299	a.  The chief executive officer of the Belafonte Tacolcy
300	Center.
301	b.  The executive director of the Carrie P. Meek
302	Entrepreneurial Education Center, Miami-Dade College.
303	c.  The director of the Parks and Recreation Department of
304	the City of Miami.
305	d.  The director of the Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center.
306	e.  The chief executive officer of the Urban League of
307	Greater Miami.
308	f.  The director of the Liberty City Service Partnership.
309	g.  The regional superintendent of the Miami-Dade County
310	Public Schools.
311	h.  The president of the Student Government Association of
312	Northwestern High School.
313	i.  The president of the Student Government Association of
314	Edison High School.
315	j.  The president of the Parent Teacher Student Association
316	of Northwestern High School.
317	k.  The president of the Parent Teacher Student Association
318	of Edison High School.
319	l.  Four members from the local private business sector, to
320	be appointed by a majority vote of the members designated in
321	sub-subparagraphs a.-k., all of whom must have significant
322	experience in one of the focus areas specified in subsection
323	(6).
324	2.  All members of the board of directors shall be
325	appointed no later than 90 days following the incorporation of
326	the Magic City Children's Zone, Inc., and:
327	a.  Eleven members initially appointed pursuant to this
328	paragraph shall each serve a 4-year term.
329	b.  The remaining initial four appointees shall each serve
330	a 2-year term.
331	c.  Each member appointed thereafter shall serve a 4-year
332	term.
333	d.  A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner in which
334	the original appointment was made, and a member appointed to
335	fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of that term.
336	e.  A member may not serve more than 8 years in consecutive
337	terms.
338	3.  The board of directors shall annually elect a
339	chairperson and a vice chairperson from among the board's
340	members. The members may, by a vote of eight members, remove a
341	member from the position of chairperson or vice chairperson
342	before the expiration of his or her term as chairperson or vice
343	chairperson. His or her successor shall be elected to serve for
344	the balance of the term of the chairperson or vice chairperson
345	who was removed.
346	4.  The board of directors shall meet at least four times
347	each year upon the call of the chairperson, at the request of
348	the vice chairperson, or at the request of a majority of the
349	membership. A majority of the membership constitutes a quorum.
350	The board of directors may take official action by a majority
351	vote of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is
352	present. The board may conduct its meetings through
353	teleconferences or other similar means.
354	5.  A member of the board of directors may be removed by a
355	majority of the membership. Absence from three consecutive
356	meetings results in automatic removal.
357	6.  Each member of the board of directors shall serve
358	without compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for per
359	diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061 while in the
360	performance of his or her duties.
361	7.  The corporation shall create a standing advisory board
362	to assist in any part of its delegated duties. The membership of
363	the standing advisory board shall reflect the expertise
364	necessary for the implementation of the children's zone pilot
365	project.
366	8.  The board of directors has the power and duty to:
367	a.  Adopt articles of incorporation and bylaws necessary to
368	govern its activities.
369	b.  Begin to transfer responsibility for planning from the
370	children's zone planning team to the corporation.
371	c.  Begin the implementation and governance of the
372	children's zone community plan.
373	d.  Enter into a contract with a management consultant who
374	has experience working with social service and educational
375	entities for the purpose of developing a 10-year comprehensive
376	business plan to carry out the provisions of this section.
377	(d)  Magic City Children's Zone, Inc., shall submit an
378	annual report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of
379	the House of Representatives by January 31, 2009, and by January
380	31 of each year thereafter, which shall include a comprehensive
381	and detailed report of its operations, activities, and
382	accomplishments for the prior year as well as its goals for the
383	current year. The initial report shall also include information
384	concerning the status of the development of a business plan.
385	Section 2.  The Department of Children and Family Services
386	shall contract with an existing private nonprofit corporation,
387	incorporated for the purpose of identifying, funding,
388	supporting, and evaluating programs and community initiatives to
389	improve the development and life outcomes of children and to
390	preserve and strengthen families with a primary emphasis on
391	education and community support. The existing private nonprofit
392	corporation shall implement the Magic City Children's Zone,
393	Inc., pilot project.
394	Section 3.  The sum of $3.6 million in nonrecurring revenue
395	is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund and the sum of
396	$28,362 in nonrecurring revenue is appropriated from the Tobacco
397	Settlement Trust Fund to the Department of Children and Families
398	for the 2008-2009 fiscal year as a grant for a 3-year period for
399	the purposes of implementing this act, which includes
400	contracting with a nonprofit corporation for the development of
401	a business plan and for the evaluation, fiscal management, and
402	oversight of the pilot program.
403	Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.