HB 923

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to homelessness; amending ss. 320.02,
3322.08, and 322.18, F.S.; requiring the motor vehicle
4registration form and registration renewal form, the
5driver license application form, and the driver license
6application form for renewal issuance or renewal extension
7to include an option to make a voluntary contribution to
8aid the homeless; providing for such contributions to be
9deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the
10Department of Children and Family Services and used by the
11State Office on Homelessness for certain purposes;
12providing that voluntary contributions for the homeless
13are not income of a revenue nature for the purpose of
14applying certain service charges; creating s. 414.161,
15F.S.; establishing a homelessness prevention grant
16program; requiring grant applicants to be ranked
17competitively; providing preference for certain grant
18applicants; providing eligibility requirements; providing
19grant limitations and restrictions; requiring lead
20agencies for local homeless assistance continuums of care
21to track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a
22specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.;
23limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies may
24spend on administrative costs; amending s. 420.625, F.S.;
25deleting a cross-reference to conform; amending s.
26420.6275, F.S.; revising legislative findings relating to
27the Housing First approach to homelessness; repealing s.
28414.16, F.S., relating to the emergency assistance program
29for families with children that have lost shelter or face
30loss of shelter due to an emergency; providing an
31effective date.
32
33Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35     Section 1.  Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (15) of
36section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
37     320.02  Registration required; application for
38registration; forms.-
39     (15)
40     (i)  Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for
41motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must
42include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per
43applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to
44this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations
45Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and
46used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants
47made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the
48public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature
49for homeless persons seeking assistance.
50
51For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
52215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
53income of a revenue nature.
54     Section 2.  Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida
55Statutes, is amended to read:
56     322.08  Application for license.-
57     (7)  The application form for a driver's license or
58duplicate thereof shall include language permitting the
59following:
60     (a)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
61contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
62for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
63organ and tissue donor registry.
64     (b)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
65contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
66Blind.
67     (c)  A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
68shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
69Incorporated.
70     (d)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
71shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
72International.
73     (e)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
74shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund.
75     (f)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
76shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
77     (g)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, to Stop
78Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart
79Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.
80     (h)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
81of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made
82pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants
83and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and
84Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to
85supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide
86information to the public about homelessness in the state, and
87provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance.
88
89A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
90funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
91service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
92under paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g), and (h) and
93under s. 322.18(9) are not income of a revenue nature.
94     Section 3.  Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (9) of
95section 322.18, Florida Statutes, to read:
96     322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;
97expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.-
98     (9)
99     (c)  The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal
100extension shall include language permitting a voluntary
101contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless.
102Contributions made pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited
103into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of
104Children and Family Services and used by the State Office on
105Homelessness to supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and
106(5), provide information to the public about homelessness in the
107state, and provide literature for homeless persons seeking
108assistance. For the purpose of applying the service charge
109provided in s. 215.20, contributions received under this
110paragraph are not income of a revenue nature.
111     Section 4.  Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created
112to read:
113     414.161  Homelessness prevention grants.-
114     (1)  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant
115program to provide emergency financial assistance to families
116facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or
117other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the
118concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and
119administer moneys appropriated to it to provide homelessness
120prevention grants annually to lead agencies for local homeless
121assistance continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office
122on Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the
123state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations,
124gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source
125that is intended to assist families to prevent them from
126becoming homeless.
127     (2)  GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked
128competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who
129leverage additional private funds and public funds, who
130demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention
131programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the
132commitment of other assistance and services to address family
133health, employment, and education needs.
134     (3)  ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead
135agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance
136continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The
137homelessness prevention program must be included in the
138continuum of care plan.
139     (4)  GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency
140may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay
141past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs,
142other past due bills creating a family's financial crisis,
143provision of case management services, and program
144administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award.
145The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for
146each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be
147covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered.
148     (5)  PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency shall be required to
149track, monitor, and report on each family assisted for at least
15012 months after the last assistance provided to the family. The
151goal for the homelessness prevention program shall be to enable
152at least 85 percent of the families assisted to remain in their
153homes and avoid becoming homeless during the ensuing year.
154     Section 5.  Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
155section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read:
156     420.622  State Office on Homelessness; Council on
157Homelessness.-
158     (4)  Not less than 120 days after the effective date of
159this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
160of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
161appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to
162lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
163designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
164may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county
165government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit
166corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency.
167     (d)  A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its
168funding on administrative costs.
169     Section 6.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
170420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
171     420.625  Grant-in-aid program.-
172     (3)  ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in-
173aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of
174the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may
175include, but are not limited to:
176     (d)  Emergency financial assistance for persons who are
177totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are
178not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16.
179     Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
180420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
181     420.6275  Housing First.-
182     (2)  HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.-
183     (a)  The Housing First approach to homelessness differs
184from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance,
185case management, and support services responsive to individual
186or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this
187approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce
188the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless
189and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First
190emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual
191and family well-being can be more effective when people are in
192their own home, and:
193     1.  The housing is not time-limited.
194     2.  The housing is not contingent on compliance with
195services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard
196lease agreement and are provided with the services and support
197that are necessary to help them do so successfully.
198     3.  A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to
199combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has
200been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support
201services are provided.
202     Section 8.  Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
203     Section 9.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.


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