Florida Senate - 2009                                     SB 128
       
       
       
       By Senator Bullard
       
       
       
       
       39-00222-09                                            2009128__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to emergency management; amending s.
    3         414.095, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
    4         and Family Services, to the extent permitted by
    5         federal law, to expedite application procedures for
    6         persons who reside in an area damaged by a major
    7         disaster and who apply for temporary cash assistance;
    8         requiring that the application process be completed
    9         within a specified time; requiring the department to
   10         train its employees who are responsible for
   11         determining eligibility for temporary cash assistance
   12         in order to expedite the application process for the
   13         victims of a major disaster and to assist the victims
   14         in contacting agencies that provide temporary shelter,
   15         food, food stamps, and other relief; amending s.
   16         252.36, F.S.; authorizing the Governor to employ such
   17         measures and give such directions to certain specified
   18         agencies as are necessary for the purpose of
   19         addressing the needs for immediate cash, shelter, or
   20         food assistance for children, families, and the
   21         elderly and disabled during an emergency; providing an
   22         effective date.
   23         
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25         
   26         Section 1. Present subsection (18) of section 414.095,
   27  Florida Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (19), and a new
   28  subsection (18) is added to that section, to read:
   29         414.095 Determining eligibility for temporary cash
   30  assistance.—
   31         (18) EXPEDITED APPLICATION PROCESS.—
   32         (a) To the extent permitted by federal law or regulation,
   33  the department shall expedite application procedures for
   34  applicants who reside in an area damaged by a major disaster, as
   35  defined in s. 252.34. The department must complete the
   36  application process within 10 calendar days after receiving a
   37  completed application.
   38         (b) The department shall train its employees who are
   39  responsible for determining eligibility for temporary cash
   40  assistance in order to expedite the application process for the
   41  victims of major disasters and to assist the victims in
   42  contacting appropriate agencies that provide temporary shelter,
   43  food, food stamps, and other relief.
   44         Section 2. Present subsections (8), (9), and (10) of
   45  section 252.36, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections
   46  (9), (10), and (11), respectively, and a new subsection (8) is
   47  added to that section, to read:
   48         252.36 Emergency management powers of the Governor.—
   49         (8) The Governor shall employ such measures and give such
   50  directions to the Department of Children and Family Services,
   51  the Agency for Workforce Development, the Department of Elderly
   52  Affairs, and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities as are
   53  reasonably necessary for the purpose of securing compliance with
   54  the provisions of ss. 252.31-252.60 or with the findings or
   55  recommendations of such agencies regarding the need for
   56  immediate cash, shelter, or food assistance for children,
   57  families, and the elderly and disabled during an emergency.
   58         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.