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