CS/HB 915

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act for the relief of Pierreisna Archille; providing an
3	appropriation to compensate Pierreisna Archille, a
4	mentally disabled person, by and through Darlene Achille,
5	Limited Guardian of Property for Pierreisna Archille, for
6	injuries and damages sustained as a result of the
7	negligence of employees of the Department of Children and
8	Family Services; providing for reversion of funds;
9	providing a limitation on the payment of attorney's fees,
10	lobbying fees, costs, and other similar expenses relating
11	to the claim; providing an effective date.
12
13	WHEREAS, Pierreisna Archille, a 26-year-old moderately
14	retarded woman, has the cognitive ability of a child between
15	kindergarten and first-grade level, and
16	WHEREAS, because of allegations of neglect against her
17	biological mother and stepfather, Pierreisna Archille and her
18	sisters, Darlene and Muriel, were placed in foster care in 1993,
19	and
20	WHEREAS, in 1997, when Pierreisna Archille was 15 years
21	old, the Archille children were placed in the foster home of
22	Bonifacio and Josephine Velazquez, and
23	WHEREAS, the Velazquez foster home was licensed,
24	supervised, and monitored by the Department of Children and
25	Family Services and its employees and agents, and
26	WHEREAS, after placement of the Archille children in the
27	foster home, Darlene Achille complained that Bonifacio
28	Velazquez, the foster father, was sexually molesting her and was
29	also molesting S.A., a toddler, and
30	WHEREAS, after these complaints were made, both Darlene and
31	Muriel were removed from the Velazquez home, but Pierreisna
32	Archille remained in the home, and
33	WHEREAS, between June of 1998 through June of 1999,
34	Bonifacio Velazquez repeatedly raped and molested Pierreisna
35	Archille, resulting in her impregnation and subsequent birth of
36	a daughter, and
37	WHEREAS, after the birth of Pierreisna Archille's daughter,
38	Takeisha, Pierreisna Archille's younger sister, Darlene, then 19
39	years old, undertook the responsibility of helping Pierreisna
40	Archille take care of her daughter, and
41	WHEREAS, as a developmentally disabled person, Pierreisna
42	Archille is in need of funds necessary for her to care for her
43	daughter with the assistance of her sister, Darlene, and
44	WHEREAS, Pierreisna Archille continues to suffer nightmares
45	and extreme emotional and psychological trauma as a result of
46	the actions giving rise to this claim, and
47	WHEREAS, a life care continuum was formulated by
48	comprehensive rehabilitation consultants detailing the funds
49	necessary to provide treatment to Pierreisna Archille, as well
50	as to help provide for the support necessary for Pierreisna
51	Archille to take care of her daughter, and
52	WHEREAS, Dr. Fred Raffa, an economist, reduced such cost to
53	present value in the amount of $4,067,431, and
54	WHEREAS, the dependency court appointed a Limited Guardian
55	of Property for Pierreisna Archille for the purpose of assisting
56	in obtaining compensation for her damages, and
57	WHEREAS, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Limited
58	Guardian of Property for Pierreisna Archille in Naples, Florida,
59	against the Department of Children and Family Services, and
60	WHEREAS, Pierreisna Archille, by and through her previous
61	Limited Guardian of Property, Patrick Weber, and the Department
62	of Children and Family Services agreed to mediation to resolve
63	this matter and entered into a settlement agreement to
64	compensate Pierreisna Archille for her damages and to provide a
65	basis for this claim bill, and
66	WHEREAS, as a result of good-faith negotiations between the
67	parties at a court-sanctioned mediation, the Department of
68	Children and Family Services and the Limited Guardian of
69	Property agreed that $1.3 million is reasonable and fair
70	compensation for Pierreisna Archille's damages, and
71	WHEREAS, the Department of Children and Family Services has
72	already paid $100,000 in accordance with the provisions of s.
73	768.28, Florida Statutes, and
74	WHEREAS, with respect to the $100,000 already paid by the
75	department, deferred payment of attorney's fees and costs of
76	plaintiff's counsel was agreed to in order that Pierreisna
77	Archille could immediately have access to needed funds, and
78	WHEREAS, the Department of Children and Family Services
79	supports a claim bill in the amount of $1.2 million, NOW,
80	THEREFORE,
81
82	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
83
84	Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this act
85	are found and declared to be true.
86	Section 2.  (1)  There is appropriated from the General
87	Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Family Services
88	the sum of $1,200,000 to be paid to Pierreisna Archille, by and
89	through Darlene Achille, Limited Guardian of Property for
90	Pierreisna Archille, as relief for injuries and damages
91	sustained. After payment of attorney's fees and costs, lobbying
92	fees, and other similar expenses relating to this claim as
93	provided for in this section, outstanding medical liens, and
94	other immediate needs, the remaining funds shall be placed in a
95	special needs trust created for the exclusive use and benefit of
96	Pierreisna Archille. Any funds remaining in the special needs
97	trust upon the death of Pierreisna Archille, after payment of
98	any outstanding Medicaid liens, shall revert to the General
99	Revenue Fund of the State of Florida.
100	(2)  Any amount awarded under this act pursuant to the
101	waiver of sovereign immunity permitted under s. 768.28, Florida
102	Statutes, and this award is intended to provide the sole
103	compensation for all present and future claims arising out of
104	the factual situation described in the preamble to this act
105	which resulted in the injury to Pierreisna Archille. The total
106	amount paid for attorney's fees, lobbying fees, costs, and other
107	similar expenses relating to this claim may not exceed 25
108	percent of the amount awarded under subsection (1).
109	Section 3.  The Chief Financial Officer is authorized and
110	directed to draw a warrant in the sum of $1,200,000, payable to
111	Pierreisna Archille, by and through Darlene Achille, Limited
112	Guardian of Property for Pierreisna Archille, upon funds in the
113	State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Children and
114	Family Services, and the Chief Financial Officer is directed to
115	pay the same out of such funds in the State Treasury not
116	otherwise appropriated.
117	Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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