HB 923

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to homelessness; amending ss. 320.02,
3	322.08, and 322.18, F.S.; requiring the motor vehicle
4	registration form and registration renewal form, the
5	driver license application form, and the driver license
6	application form for renewal issuance or renewal extension
7	to include an option to make a voluntary contribution to
8	aid the homeless; providing for such contributions to be
9	deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the
10	Department of Children and Family Services and used by the
11	State Office on Homelessness for certain purposes;
12	providing that voluntary contributions for the homeless
13	are not income of a revenue nature for the purpose of
14	applying certain service charges; creating s. 414.161,
15	F.S.; establishing a homelessness prevention grant
16	program; requiring grant applicants to be ranked
17	competitively; providing preference for certain grant
18	applicants; providing eligibility requirements; providing
19	grant limitations and restrictions; requiring lead
20	agencies for local homeless assistance continuums of care
21	to track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a
22	specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.;
23	limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies may
24	spend on administrative costs; providing that funding
25	shall be appropriated as a fixed capital outlay item;
26	amending s. 420.625, F.S.; deleting a cross-reference to
27	conform; amending s. 420.6275, F.S.; revising legislative
28	findings relating to the Housing First approach to
29	homelessness; repealing s. 414.16, F.S., relating to the
30	emergency assistance program for families with children
31	that have lost shelter or face loss of shelter due to an
32	emergency; providing an effective date.
33
34	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36	Section 1.  Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (15) of
37	section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
38	320.02  Registration required; application for
39	registration; forms.-
40	(15)
41	(i)  Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for
42	motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must
43	include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per
44	applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to
45	this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations
46	Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and
47	used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants
48	made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the
49	public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature
50	for homeless persons seeking assistance.
51
52	For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
53	215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
54	income of a revenue nature.
55	Section 2.  Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida
56	Statutes, is amended to read:
57	322.08  Application for license.-
58	(7)  The application form for a driver's license or
59	duplicate thereof shall include language permitting the
60	following:
61	(a)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
62	contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
63	for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
64	organ and tissue donor registry.
65	(b)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
66	contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
67	Blind.
68	(c)  A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
69	shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
70	Incorporated.
71	(d)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
72	shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
73	International.
74	(e)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
75	shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund.
76	(f)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
77	shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
78	(g)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, to Stop
79	Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart
80	Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.
81	(h)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
82	of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made
83	pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants
84	and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and
85	Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to
86	supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide
87	information to the public about homelessness in the state, and
88	provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance.
89
90	A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
91	funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
92	service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
93	under paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g), and (h) and
94	under s. 322.18(9) are not income of a revenue nature.
95	Section 3.  Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (9) of
96	section 322.18, Florida Statutes, to read:
97	322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;
98	expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.-
99	(9)
100	(c)  The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal
101	extension shall include language permitting a voluntary
102	contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless.
103	Contributions made pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited
104	into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of
105	Children and Family Services and used by the State Office on
106	Homelessness to supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and
107	(5), provide information to the public about homelessness in the
108	state, and provide literature for homeless persons seeking
109	assistance. For the purpose of applying the service charge
110	provided in s. 215.20, contributions received under this
111	paragraph are not income of a revenue nature.
112	Section 4.  Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created
113	to read:
114	414.161  Homelessness prevention grants.-
115	(1)  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant
116	program to provide emergency financial assistance to families
117	facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or
118	other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the
119	concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and
120	administer moneys appropriated to it to provide homelessness
121	prevention grants annually to lead agencies for local homeless
122	assistance continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office
123	on Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the
124	state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations,
125	gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source
126	that is intended to assist families to prevent them from
127	becoming homeless.
128	(2)  GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked
129	competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who
130	leverage additional private funds and public funds, who
131	demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention
132	programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the
133	commitment of other assistance and services to address family
134	health, employment, and education needs.
135	(3)  ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead
136	agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance
137	continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The
138	homelessness prevention program must be included in the
139	continuum of care plan.
140	(4)  GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency
141	may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay
142	past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs,
143	other past due bills creating a family's financial crisis,
144	provision of case management services, and program
145	administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award.
146	The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for
147	each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be
148	covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered.
149	(5)  PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency shall be required to
150	track, monitor, and report on each family assisted for at least
151	12 months after the last assistance provided to the family. The
152	goal for the homelessness prevention program shall be to enable
153	at least 85 percent of the families assisted to remain in their
154	homes and avoid becoming homeless during the ensuing year.
155	Section 5.  Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
156	section 420.622, Florida Statutes, and paragraph (g) is added to
157	subsection (5) of that section, to read:
158	420.622  State Office on Homelessness; Council on
159	Homelessness.-
160	(4)  Not less than 120 days after the effective date of
161	this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
162	of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
163	appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to
164	lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
165	designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
166	may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county
167	government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit
168	corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency.
169	(d)  A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its
170	funding on administrative costs.
171	(5)  The State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
172	of the Council on Homelessness, may administer moneys
173	appropriated to it to provide homeless housing assistance grants
174	annually to lead agencies for local homeless assistance
175	continuum of care, as recognized by the State Office on
176	Homelessness, to acquire, construct, or rehabilitate
177	transitional or permanent housing units for homeless persons.
178	These moneys shall consist of any sums that the state may
179	appropriate, as well as money received from donations, gifts,
180	bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source, which
181	are intended to acquire, construct, or rehabilitate transitional
182	or permanent housing units for homeless persons.
183	(g)  Funding shall be appropriated as a fixed capital
184	outlay item.
185	Section 6.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
186	420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
187	420.625  Grant-in-aid program.-
188	(3)  ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in-
189	aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of
190	the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may
191	include, but are not limited to:
192	(d)  Emergency financial assistance for persons who are
193	totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are
194	not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16.
195	Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
196	420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
197	420.6275  Housing First.-
198	(2)  HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.-
199	(a)  The Housing First approach to homelessness differs
200	from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance,
201	case management, and support services responsive to individual
202	or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this
203	approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce
204	the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless
205	and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First
206	emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual
207	and family well-being can be more effective when people are in
208	their own home, and:
209	1.  The housing is not time-limited.
210	2.  The housing is not contingent on compliance with
211	services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard
212	lease agreement and are provided with the services and support
213	that are necessary to help them do so successfully.
214	3.  A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to
215	combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has
216	been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support
217	services are provided.
218	Section 8.  Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
219	Section 9.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.