1

The Committee on Judiciary (Gaetz) recommended the following

2

amendment:

3

4

     Senate Amendment (with title amendment)

5

     Delete lines 943-1223

6

and insert:

7

     Section 17.  Section 985.664, Florida Statutes, is amended

8

to read:

9

     985.664  Juvenile justice circuit boards and juvenile

10

justice county councils.--

11

     (1)  There is authorized a juvenile justice circuit board to

12

be established in each of the 20 judicial circuits and a juvenile

13

justice county council to be established in each of the 67

14

counties. The purpose of each juvenile justice circuit board and

15

each juvenile justice county council is to provide advice and

16

direction to the department and the Children and Youth Cabinet in

17

the development and implementation of juvenile justice programs

18

and to work collaboratively with the department in seeking

19

program improvements and policy changes to address the emerging

20

and changing needs of Florida's youth who are at risk of

21

delinquency.

22

     (2)  Each juvenile justice county council shall develop a

23

juvenile justice prevention and early intervention plan for the

24

county and shall collaborate with the circuit board and other

25

county councils assigned to that circuit in the development of a

26

comprehensive plan for the circuit. As part of such plan, each

27

council and board shall make provision for continual monitoring

28

to identify and remedy disproportionate minority contact with the

29

juvenile justice system. The Children and Youth Cabinet shall

30

consider these local plans in implementing s. 402.56(5).

31

     (3)  Juvenile justice circuit boards and county councils

32

shall also participate in facilitating interagency cooperation

33

and information sharing with local school authorities, law

34

enforcement agencies, state attorneys, public defenders, judicial

35

entities, local representatives of the department, the Department

36

of Children and Family Services, and faith-based and community-

37

based organizations for the purposes of forwarding the goals of

38

the county or circuit plan. Such interagency collaborations shall

39

specify how the community's entities will cooperate, collaborate,

40

and share information to achieve the goals of the juvenile

41

justice prevention and early intervention plan or the

42

comprehensive plan for the circuit.

43

     (4)  Juvenile justice circuit boards and county councils may

44

apply for and receive public or private grants to be administered

45

by one of the community partners that support one or more

46

components of the county or circuit plan.

47

     (5)  Juvenile justice circuit boards and county councils

48

shall advise and assist the department in the evaluation and

49

award of prevention and early intervention grant programs,

50

including the Community Juvenile Justice Partnership Grant

51

program established in s. 985.676 and proceeds from the Invest in

52

Children license plate annual use fees.

53

     (6)  Each juvenile justice circuit board shall provide an

54

annual report to the department and to the Children and Youth

55

Cabinet describing the activities of the circuit board and each

56

of the county councils contained within its circuit. Such reports

57

must be agreed upon and signed by each acting chair of the board

58

and council and submitted to the Children and Youth Cabinet

59

through the department secretary or the secretary's designee. The

60

department may prescribe a format and content requirements for

61

submission of annual reports.

62

     (7)  Membership of the juvenile justice circuit board may

63

not exceed 18 members, except as provided in subsections (8) and

64

(9). Members must include the state attorney, the public

65

defender, and the chief judge of the circuit, or their respective

66

designees. The remaining 15 members of the board must be

67

appointed by the county councils within that circuit. The board

68

where possible must be composed of an equitable number of members

69

include at least one representative from each county council

70

within the circuit, taking into account differences in

71

population. In appointing members to the circuit board, the

72

county councils must reflect:

73

     (a)  The circuit's geography and population distribution.

74

     (b)  Juvenile justice partners, including, but not limited

75

to, representatives of law enforcement, the school system, and

76

the Department of Children and Family Services.

77

     (c)  Diversity in the judicial circuit.

78

     (d) Representation from residents of the targeted high-

79

crime zip code communities as identified by the department and

80

based on referral rates within the county.

81

     (8)  At any time after the adoption of initial bylaws

82

pursuant to subsection (12), a juvenile justice circuit board may

83

revise the bylaws to increase the number of members by not more

84

than three in order to adequately reflect the diversity of the

85

population and community organizations or agencies in the

86

circuit.

87

     (9)  If county councils are not formed within a circuit, the

88

circuit board may establish its membership in accordance with

89

subsection (10). For juvenile justice circuit boards organized

90

pursuant to this subsection, the state attorney, public defender,

91

and chief circuit judge, or their respective designees, shall be

92

members of the circuit board.

93

     (10)  Membership of the juvenile justice county councils, or

94

juvenile justice circuit boards established under subsection (9),

95

must include representation from residents of the targeted high-

96

crime zip code communities as identified by the department and

97

based on referral rates within the county and may also include

98

representatives from the following entities:

99

     (a)  Representatives from the school district, which may

100

include elected school board officials, the school

101

superintendent, school or district administrators, teachers, and

102

counselors.

103

     (b)  Representatives of the board of county commissioners.

104

     (c)  Representatives of the governing bodies of local

105

municipalities within the county.

106

     (d)  A representative of the corresponding circuit or

107

regional entity of the Department of Children and Family

108

Services.

109

     (e)  Representatives of local law enforcement agencies,

110

including the sheriff or the sheriff's designee.

111

     (f)  Representatives of the judicial system.

112

     (g)  Representatives of the business community.

113

     (h)  Representatives of other interested officials, groups,

114

or entities, including, but not limited to, a children's services

115

council, public or private providers of juvenile justice programs

116

and services, students, parents, and advocates. Private providers

117

of juvenile justice programs may not exceed one-third of the

118

voting membership.

119

     (i)  Representatives of the faith community.

120

     (j)  Representatives of victim-service programs and victims

121

of crimes.

122

     (k)  Representatives of the Department of Corrections.

123

     (11)  Each juvenile justice county council, or juvenile

124

justice circuit board established under subsection (9), must

125

provide for the establishment of an executive committee of not

126

more than 10 members. The duties and authority of the executive

127

committee must be addressed in the bylaws.

128

     (12)  Each juvenile justice circuit board and county council

129

shall develop bylaws that provide for officers and committees as

130

the board or council deems necessary and shall specify the

131

qualifications, method of selection, and term for each office

132

created. The bylaws shall address at least the following issues:

133

process for appointments to the board or council; election or

134

appointment of officers; filling of vacant positions; duration of

135

member terms; provisions for voting; meeting attendance

136

requirements; and the establishment and duties of an executive

137

committee, if required under subsection (11).

138

     (13) The secretary shall meet at least annually,

139

individually or collectively, by telephone or in person, with the

140

chair of the juvenile justice circuit boards and the Children and

141

Youth Cabinet in order to:

142

     1. Advise juvenile justice circuit board chairs of

143

statewide juvenile justice issues and activities.

144

     2. Provide and receive comments on prevention and

145

intervention program budget priorities.

146

     3. Provide and receive comments on the planning process.

147

     4. Discuss program development, program implementation,

148

quality assurance, and program outcomes.

149

     (14)(13) Members of juvenile justice circuit boards and

150

county councils are subject to the provisions of part III of

151

chapter 112.

152

     (15) Juvenile justice circuit boards and county councils

153

shall use due diligence in notifying the community of board

154

vacancies through various community outreach outlets such as

155

community newspapers, churches, and free public announcements.

156

     Section 18.  Section 985.668, Florida Statutes, is amended

157

to read:

158

     985.668  Innovation zones.--The department shall encourage

159

each of the juvenile justice circuit boards, in consultation with

160

the juvenile justice county council within the circuit, to

161

propose at least one innovation zone within the circuit for the

162

purpose of implementing any experimental, pilot, or demonstration

163

project that furthers the legislatively established goals of the

164

department. An innovation zone is a defined geographic area such

165

as a circuit, commitment region, county, municipality, service

166

delivery area, school campus, or neighborhood providing a

167

laboratory for the research, development, and testing of the

168

applicability and efficacy of model programs, policy options, and

169

new technologies for the department.

170

     (1)(a)  The juvenile justice circuit board shall submit a

171

proposal for an innovation zone to the secretary. If the purpose

172

of the proposed innovation zone is to demonstrate that specific

173

statutory goals can be achieved more effectively by using

174

procedures that require modification of existing rules, policies,

175

or procedures, the proposal may request the secretary to waive

176

such existing rules, policies, or procedures or to otherwise

177

authorize use of alternative procedures or practices. Waivers of

178

such existing rules, policies, or procedures must comply with

179

applicable state or federal law.

180

     (b)  For innovation zone proposals that the secretary

181

determines require changes to state law, the secretary may submit

182

a request for a waiver from such laws, together with any proposed

183

changes to state law, to the chairs of the appropriate

184

legislative committees for consideration.

185

     (c)  For innovation zone proposals that the secretary

186

determines require waiver of federal law, the secretary may

187

submit a request for such waivers to the applicable federal

188

agency.

189

     (2)  An innovation zone project may not have a duration of

190

more than 2 years, but the secretary may grant an extension.

191

     (3)  Before implementing an innovation zone under this

192

subsection, the secretary shall, in conjunction with the Office

193

of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, develop

194

measurable and valid objectives for such zone within a negotiated

195

reasonable period of time. Moneys designated for an innovation

196

zone in one operating circuit may not be used to fund an

197

innovation zone in another operating circuit.

198

     (4)  Program models for innovation zone projects include,

199

but are not limited to:

200

     (a)  A forestry alternative work program that provides

201

selected juvenile offenders an opportunity to serve in a forestry

202

work program as an alternative to incarceration, in which

203

offenders assist in wildland firefighting, enhancement of state

204

land management, environmental enhancement, and land restoration.

205

     (b)  A collaborative public/private dropout prevention

206

partnership that trains personnel from both the public and

207

private sectors of a target community who are identified and

208

brought into the school system as an additional resource for

209

addressing problems which inhibit and retard learning, including

210

abuse, neglect, financial instability, pregnancy, and substance

211

abuse.

212

     (c)  A support services program that provides economically

213

disadvantaged youth with support services, jobs, training,

214

counseling, mentoring, and prepaid postsecondary tuition

215

scholarships.

216

     (d)  A juvenile offender job training program that offers an

217

opportunity for juvenile offenders to develop educational and job

218

skills in a 12-month to 18-month nonresidential training program,

219

teaching the offenders skills such as computer-aided design,

220

modular panel construction, and heavy vehicle repair and

221

maintenance which will readily transfer to the private sector,

222

thereby promoting responsibility and productivity.

223

     (e)  An infant mortality prevention program that is designed

224

to discourage unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and alcohol or

225

drug consumption, reduce the incidence of babies born prematurely

226

or with low birth weight, reduce health care cost by enabling

227

babies to be safely discharged earlier from the hospital, reduce

228

the incidence of child abuse and neglect, and improve parenting

229

and problem-solving skills.

230

     (f)  A regional crime prevention and intervention program

231

that serves as an umbrella agency to coordinate and replicate

232

existing services to at-risk children, first-time juvenile

233

offenders, youth crime victims, and school dropouts.

234

     (g)  An alternative education outreach school program that

235

serves delinquent repeat offenders between 14 and 18 years of age

236

who have demonstrated failure in school and who are referred by

237

the juvenile court.

238

     (h)  A drug treatment and prevention program that provides

239

early identification of children with alcohol or drug problems to

240

facilitate treatment, comprehensive screening and assessment,

241

family involvement, and placement options.

242

     (i)  A community resource mother or father program that

243

emphasizes parental responsibility for the behavior of children,

244

and requires the availability of counseling services for children

245

at high risk for delinquent behavior.

246

     Section 19.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) and subsection

247

(3) of section 985.676, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

248

     985.676  Community juvenile justice partnership grants.--

249

     (2)  GRANT APPLICATION PROCEDURES.--

250

     (a)  Each entity wishing to apply for an annual community

251

juvenile justice partnership grant, which may be renewed for a

252

maximum of 2 additional years for the same provision of services,

253

shall submit a grant proposal for funding or continued funding to

254

the department. The department shall establish the grant

255

application procedures. In order to be considered for funding,

256

the grant proposal shall include the following assurances and

257

information:

258

     1.  A letter from the chair of the juvenile justice circuit

259

board confirming that the grant application has been reviewed and

260

found to support one or more purposes or goals of the juvenile

261

justice plan as developed by the board.

262

     2.  A rationale and description of the program and the

263

services to be provided, including goals and objectives.

264

     3.  A method for identification of the juveniles most likely

265

to be involved in the juvenile justice system who will be the

266

focus of the program.

267

     4.  Provisions for the participation of parents and

268

guardians in the program.

269

     5.  Coordination with other community-based and social

270

service prevention efforts, including, but not limited to, drug

271

and alcohol abuse prevention and dropout prevention programs,

272

that serve the target population or neighborhood.

273

     6.  An evaluation component to measure the effectiveness of

274

the program in accordance with s. 985.632.

275

     7.  A program budget, including the amount and sources of

276

local cash and in-kind resources committed to the budget. The

277

proposal must establish to the satisfaction of the department

278

that the entity will make a cash or in-kind contribution to the

279

program of a value that is at least equal to 20 percent of the

280

amount of the grant.

281

     8.  The necessary program staff.

282

     (b)  The department shall consider the following in awarding

283

such grants:

284

     1.  The recommendations of the juvenile justice county

285

council as to the priority that should be given to proposals

286

submitted by entities within a county.

287

     2.  The recommendations of the juvenile justice circuit

288

board as to the priority that should be given to proposals

289

submitted by entities within a circuit.

290

291

As the first priority, the department shall fund applications

292

that meet the requirements of this section and also fulfill the

293

local juvenile justice circuit board and county council plans.

294

     (3) RESTRICTIONS.--This section does not prevent a program

295

initiated under a community juvenile justice partnership grant

296

established pursuant to this section from continuing to operate

297

beyond the 3-year maximum funding period if it can find other

298

funding sources. Likewise, This section does not restrict the

299

number of programs an entity may apply for or operate.

300

301

================ T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================

302

And the title is amended as follows:

303

     On line 46, after the semicolon,

304

insert:

305

requiring that juvenile justice circuit boards and county

306

councils participate in facilitating interagency

307

cooperation and information sharing with certain entities;

308

requiring that such collaborations specify certain

309

information; providing requirements for the annual reports

310

required to be submitted by each juvenile justice circuit

311

board;

4/8/2008  7:57:00 AM     4-06771-08