CS for CS for SB 1404 First Engrossed
20101404e1
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, the Florida Psychiatric
12 Society, and veterans appointed by the Governor;
13 providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in
18 collaboration with the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
19 and the Department of Children and Families Services, shall seek
20 federal funding for veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention
21 programs and initiatives. Subject to the receipt of such
22 funding, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall implement and
23 administer a veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention grants
24 program. The department may focus grant awards to those areas of
25 the state which are considered underserved by United States
26 Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities and to
27 veterans who are otherwise ineligible for health care services
28 under the federal veterans’ benefits system. Programs and
29 initiatives awarded grants by the department must include both
30 veterans and their families in outreach and suicide prevention
31 efforts and coordinate their efforts with the United States
32 Department of Veterans Affairs.
33 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 14.20195, Florida
34 Statutes, is amended to read:
35 14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council; creation;
36 membership; duties.—There is created within the Statewide Office
37 for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention Coordinating
38 Council. The council shall develop strategies for preventing
39 suicide.
40 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council
41 shall consist of 32 28 voting members.
42 (a) Sixteen Fourteen members shall be appointed by the
43 director of the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the
44 following organizations:
45 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation
46 described in s. 394.655.
47 2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists.
48 3. The Florida Sheriffs Association.
49 4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.
50 5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention.
51 6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.
52 7. The Alzheimer’s Association.
53 8. The Florida School Board Association.
54 9. Volunteer Florida.
55 10. The state chapter of AARP.
56 11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.
57 12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health.
58 13. The Florida Counseling Association.
59 14. NAMI Florida.
60 15. The Florida Psychological Association.
61 16. The Florida Psychiatric Society.
62 (b) The following state officials or their designees shall
63 serve on the coordinating council:
64 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
65 2. The State Surgeon General.
66 3. The Commissioner of Education.
67 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration.
68 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice.
69 6. The Secretary of Corrections.
70 7. The executive director of the Department of Law
71 Enforcement.
72 8. The executive director of the Department of Veterans’
73 Affairs.
74 9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
75 10. The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
76 (c) The Governor shall appoint six four additional members
77 to the coordinating council. At least four of the appointees
78 must have expertise that is critical to the prevention of
79 suicide or represent an organization that is not already
80 represented on the coordinating council. At least two of the
81 appointees must be veterans, of whom one must be currently
82 enrolled as a student.
83 (d) For the members appointed by the director of the Office
84 of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to initial
85 terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed to
86 initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the
87 Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4
88 years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 3
89 years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms of 4
90 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled
91 in the same manner as the original appointment, and any member
92 who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death,
93 resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only
94 for the unexpired term of the member’s predecessor. A member is
95 eligible for reappointment.
96 (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall be a
97 nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall act as
98 chair.
99 (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve without
100 compensation. Any member of the coordinating council who is a
101 public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
102 travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
103 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.