Florida Senate - 2010 CS for CS for SB 1404
By the Committees on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs;
Military Affairs and Domestic Security; and Military Affairs and
Domestic Security
586-03221-10 20101404c2
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 a representative of the Florida
11 Psychological Association and veterans appointed by
12 the Governor; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in
17 collaboration with the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
18 and the Department of Children and Families Services, shall seek
19 federal funding for veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention
20 programs and initiatives. Subject to the receipt of such
21 funding, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall implement and
22 administer a veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention grants
23 program. The department may focus grant awards to those areas of
24 the state which are considered underserved by United States
25 Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities and to
26 veterans who are otherwise ineligible for health care services
27 under the federal veterans’ benefits system. Programs and
28 initiatives awarded grants by the department must include both
29 veterans and their families in outreach and suicide prevention
30 efforts and coordinate their efforts with the United States
31 Department of Veterans Affairs.
32 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 14.20195, Florida
33 Statutes, is amended to read:
34 14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council; creation;
35 membership; duties.—There is created within the Statewide Office
36 for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention Coordinating
37 Council. The council shall develop strategies for preventing
38 suicide.
39 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council
40 shall consist of 31 28 voting members.
41 (a) Fifteen Fourteen members shall be appointed by the
42 director of the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the
43 following organizations:
44 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation
45 described in s. 394.655.
46 2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists.
47 3. The Florida Sheriffs Association.
48 4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.
49 5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention.
50 6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.
51 7. The Alzheimer’s Association.
52 8. The Florida School Board Association.
53 9. Volunteer Florida.
54 10. The state chapter of AARP.
55 11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.
56 12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health.
57 13. The Florida Counseling Association.
58 14. NAMI Florida.
59 15. The Florida Psychological Association.
60 (b) The following state officials or their designees shall
61 serve on the coordinating council:
62 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
63 2. The State Surgeon General.
64 3. The Commissioner of Education.
65 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration.
66 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice.
67 6. The Secretary of Corrections.
68 7. The executive director of the Department of Law
69 Enforcement.
70 8. The executive director of the Department of Veterans’
71 Affairs.
72 9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
73 10. The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
74 (c) The Governor shall appoint six four additional members
75 to the coordinating council. At least four of the appointees
76 must have expertise that is critical to the prevention of
77 suicide or represent an organization that is not already
78 represented on the coordinating council. At least two of the
79 appointees must be veterans, of whom one must be currently
80 enrolled as a student.
81 (d) For the members appointed by the director of the Office
82 of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to initial
83 terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed to
84 initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the
85 Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4
86 years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 3
87 years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms of 4
88 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled
89 in the same manner as the original appointment, and any member
90 who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death,
91 resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only
92 for the unexpired term of the member’s predecessor. A member is
93 eligible for reappointment.
94 (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall be a
95 nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall act as
96 chair.
97 (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve without
98 compensation. Any member of the coordinating council who is a
99 public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
100 travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
101 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.