Florida Senate - 2010 CS for SB 1404
By the Committees on Military Affairs and Domestic Security; and
Military Affairs and Domestic Security
583-02386-10 20101404c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to veterans’ suicide prevention;
3 directing the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in
4 partnership with the Statewide Office for Suicide
5 Prevention and the Department of Children and Family
6 Services, to seek federal funding for a grants program
7 that addresses veterans’ outreach and suicide
8 prevention; amending s. 14.20195, F.S.; revising the
9 membership of the Suicide Prevention Coordinating
10 Council to include veterans appointed by the Governor;
11 providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in
16 collaboration with the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
17 and the Department of Children and Families Services, shall seek
18 federal funding for veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention
19 programs and initiatives. Subject to the receipt of such
20 funding, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall implement and
21 administer a veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention grants
22 program. The department may focus grant awards to those areas of
23 the state which are considered underserved by United States
24 Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities and to
25 veterans who are otherwise ineligible for health care services
26 under the federal veterans’ benefits system. Programs and
27 initiatives awarded grants by the department must include both
28 veterans and their families in outreach and suicide prevention
29 efforts and coordinate their efforts with the United States
30 Department of Veterans Affairs.
31 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 14.20195, Florida
32 Statutes, is amended to read:
33 14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council; creation;
34 membership; duties.—There is created within the Statewide Office
35 for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention Coordinating
36 Council. The council shall develop strategies for preventing
37 suicide.
38 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council
39 shall consist of 30 28 voting members.
40 (a) Fourteen members shall be appointed by the director of
41 the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the following
42 organizations:
43 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation
44 described in s. 394.655.
45 2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists.
46 3. The Florida Sheriffs Association.
47 4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.
48 5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention.
49 6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.
50 7. The Alzheimer’s Association.
51 8. The Florida School Board Association.
52 9. Volunteer Florida.
53 10. The state chapter of AARP.
54 11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.
55 12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health.
56 13. The Florida Counseling Association.
57 14. NAMI Florida.
58 (b) The following state officials or their designees shall
59 serve on the coordinating council:
60 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
61 2. The State Surgeon General.
62 3. The Commissioner of Education.
63 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration.
64 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice.
65 6. The Secretary of Corrections.
66 7. The executive director of the Department of Law
67 Enforcement.
68 8. The executive director of the Department of Veterans’
69 Affairs.
70 9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
71 10. The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
72 (c) The Governor shall appoint six four additional members
73 to the coordinating council. At least four of the appointees
74 must have expertise that is critical to the prevention of
75 suicide or represent an organization that is not already
76 represented on the coordinating council. At least two of the
77 appointees must be veterans, of whom one must be currently
78 enrolled as a student.
79 (d) For the members appointed by the director of the Office
80 of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to initial
81 terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed to
82 initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the
83 Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4
84 years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 3
85 years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms of 4
86 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled
87 in the same manner as the original appointment, and any member
88 who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death,
89 resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only
90 for the unexpired term of the member’s predecessor. A member is
91 eligible for reappointment.
92 (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall be a
93 nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall act as
94 chair.
95 (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve without
96 compensation. Any member of the coordinating council who is a
97 public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
98 travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
99 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.