Florida Senate - 2009                              CS for SB 770
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Fasano
       
       
       
       586-02991A-09                                          2009770c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to area agencies on aging; amending s.
    3         20.41, F.S.; revising provisions relating to the
    4         Department of Elderly Affairs; deleting references to
    5         the boards of area agencies on aging; amending s.
    6         430.203, F.S.; extending the period of designation as
    7         a lead agency; requiring that each area agency on
    8         aging, rather than the department, develop request for
    9         proposals for a community care for the elderly lead
   10         agency; prohibiting the Division of Administrative
   11         Hearings from hearing disputes relating to the
   12         request-for-proposal process developed by the area
   13         agencies; amending s. 430.2053, F.S.; conforming
   14         cross-references; providing an effective date.
   15  
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Subsections (6), (7), (8), and (9) of section
   19  20.41, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   20         20.41 Department of Elderly Affairs.—There is created a
   21  Department of Elderly Affairs.
   22         (6) In accordance with the federal Older Americans Act of
   23  1965, as amended, the department shall designate and contract
   24  with area agencies on aging in each of the department’s planning
   25  and service areas to carry out programmatic and funding
   26  requirements. Area agencies on aging shall ensure the a
   27  coordinated and integrated provision of long-term care services
   28  to the elderly and shall ensure the provision of prevention and
   29  early intervention services. The department shall have overall
   30  responsibility for information system planning. The department
   31  shall ensure, through the development of equipment, software,
   32  data, and connectivity standards, the ability to share and
   33  integrate information collected and reported by the area
   34  agencies in support of their contracted obligations to the
   35  state.
   36         (7)The department shall contract with the governing body,
   37  hereafter referred to as the “board,” of an area agency on aging
   38  to fulfill programmatic and funding requirements. The board
   39  shall be responsible for the overall direction of the agency’s
   40  programs and services and shall ensure that the agency is
   41  administered in accordance with the terms of its contract with
   42  the department, legal requirements, established agency policy,
   43  and effective management principles. The board shall also ensure
   44  the accountability of the agency to the local communities
   45  included in the planning and service area of the agency.
   46         (7)(8)Each The area agency on aging board shall, in
   47  consultation with the secretary, appoint a chief executive
   48  officer, hereafter referred to as the “executive director,” to
   49  whom shall be delegated responsibility for agency management and
   50  for implementation of board policy, and who shall be accountable
   51  for the agency’s performance.
   52         (8)(9) Area agencies on aging are subject to chapter 119,
   53  relating to public records, and, when considering any contracts
   54  requiring the expenditure of funds, are subject to ss. 286.011
   55  286.012, relating to public meetings.
   56         Section 2. Subsection (9) of section 430.203, Florida
   57  Statutes, is amended to read:
   58         430.203 Community care for the elderly; definitions.—As
   59  used in ss. 430.201-430.207, the term:
   60         (9) “Lead agency” means an agency designated at least once
   61  every 6 3 years by an area agency on aging pursuant to as the
   62  result of a request for proposal process to be in place no later
   63  than the state fiscal year 1996-1997.
   64         (a) The guidelines for the request for proposal shall must
   65  be developed by the department in consultation with the area
   66  agencies on aging and. Such guidelines must include requirements
   67  for the assurance of quality and cost-efficiency of services,
   68  minimum personnel standards, and employee benefits. The Division
   69  of Administrative Hearings does not have jurisdiction to
   70  consider disputes relating to a request for proposals or the
   71  awarding of a contract pursuant to a request for proposals under
   72  this subsection.
   73         (b)The area agency on aging, in consultation with the
   74  department, shall exempt from the competitive bid process any
   75  contract with a provider who meets or exceeds established
   76  minimum standards, as determined by the department.
   77         (b)(c) In each community care service system, the lead
   78  agency must be given the authority and responsibility to
   79  coordinate some or all of the services, either directly or
   80  through subcontracts, for functionally impaired elderly persons.
   81  These services must include case management, homemaker and chore
   82  services, respite care, adult day care, personal care services,
   83  home-delivered meals, counseling, information and referral, and
   84  emergency home repair services. The lead agency shall must
   85  compile community care statistics and monitor, when applicable,
   86  subcontracts with agencies providing core services.
   87         Section 3. Subsection (7) of section 430.2053, Florida
   88  Statutes, is amended to read:
   89         430.2053 Aging resource centers.—
   90         (7) The aging resource center shall have a governing body
   91  which shall be the same entity described in s. 20.41(6) s.
   92  20.41(7), and an executive director who may be the same person
   93  as described in s. 20.41(7) s. 20.41(8). The governing body
   94  shall annually evaluate the performance of the executive
   95  director.
   96         Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.