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 |
6 | license application form for renewal issuance or |
7 | renewal extension to include an option to make a |
8 | voluntary contribution to aid the homeless; providing |
9 | for such contributions to be deposited into the Grants |
10 | and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children |
11 | and Family Services and used by the State Office on |
12 | Homelessness for certain purposes; providing that |
13 | voluntary contributions for the homeless are not |
14 | income of a revenue nature for the purpose of applying |
15 | certain service charges; creating s. 414.161, F.S.; |
16 | establishing a homelessness prevention grant program; |
17 | requiring grant applicants to be ranked competitively; |
18 | providing preference for certain grant applicants; |
19 | providing eligibility requirements; providing grant |
20 | limitations and restrictions; requiring lead agencies |
21 | for local homeless assistance continuums of care to |
22 | track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a |
23 | specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.; |
24 | limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies |
25 | may spend on administrative costs; amending s. |
26 | 420.625, F.S.; deleting a cross-reference to conform; |
27 | 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 |
30 | the emergency assistance program for families with |
31 | children that have lost shelter or face loss of |
32 | shelter due to an emergency; providing an effective |
33 | date. |
34 |
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35 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
36 |
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37 | Section 1. Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (15) of |
38 | section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read: |
39 | 320.02 Registration required; application for |
40 | registration; forms.- |
41 | (15) |
42 | (o) Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for |
43 | motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must |
44 | include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per |
45 | applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to |
46 | this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations |
47 | Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and |
48 | used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants |
49 | made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the |
50 | public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature |
51 | for homeless persons seeking assistance. |
52 |
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53 | For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s. |
54 | 215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not |
55 | income of a revenue nature. |
56 | Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida |
57 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
58 | 322.08 Application for license; requirements for license |
59 | and identification card forms.- |
60 | (7) The application form for an original, renewal, or |
61 | replacement driver's license or identification card shall |
62 | include language permitting the following: |
63 | (a) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
64 | contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund |
65 | for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the |
66 | organ and tissue donor registry. |
67 | (b) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
68 | contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the |
69 | Blind. |
70 | (c) A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which |
71 | shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute, |
72 | Incorporated. |
73 | (d) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
74 | shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation |
75 | International. |
76 | (e) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
77 | shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund. |
78 | (f) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
79 | shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization. |
80 | (g) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Stop |
81 | Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart |
82 | Research Institute, a nonprofit organization. |
83 | (h) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Senior |
84 | Vision Services, which shall be distributed to the Florida |
85 | Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., a not-for- |
86 | profit organization. |
87 | (i) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for |
88 | services for persons with developmental disabilities, which |
89 | shall be distributed to The Arc of Florida. |
90 | (j) A voluntary contribution of $1 to the Ronald McDonald |
91 | House, which shall be distributed each month to Ronald McDonald |
92 | House Charities of Tampa Bay, Inc. |
93 | (k) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution |
94 | of $1 per applicant, which shall be distributed to the League |
95 | Against Cancer/La Liga Contra el Cancer, a not-for-profit |
96 | organization. |
97 | (l) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to |
98 | Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, which shall be distributed to |
99 | Lauren's Kids, Inc., a nonprofit organization. |
100 | (m) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which |
101 | shall be distributed to Prevent Blindness Florida, a not-for- |
102 | profit organization, to prevent blindness and preserve the sight |
103 | of the residents of this state. |
104 | (n) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution |
105 | of $1 per applicant to the state homes for veterans, to be |
106 | distributed on a quarterly basis by the department to the State |
107 | Homes for Veterans Trust Fund, which is administered by the |
108 | Department of Veterans' Affairs. |
109 | (o) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to the |
110 | Disabled American Veterans, Department of Florida, which shall |
111 | be distributed quarterly to Disabled American Veterans, |
112 | Department of Florida, a nonprofit organization. |
113 | (p) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution |
114 | of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made |
115 | pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants |
116 | and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and |
117 | Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to |
118 | supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide |
119 | information to the public about homelessness in the state, and |
120 | provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance. |
121 |
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122 | A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust |
123 | funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the |
124 | service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received |
125 | under paragraphs (b)-(p) (b)-(o) are not income of a revenue |
126 | nature. |
127 | Section 3. Subsection (9) is added to section 322.18, |
128 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
129 | 322.18 Original applications, licenses, and renewals; |
130 | expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.- |
131 | (9) The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal |
132 | extension shall include language permitting a voluntary |
133 | contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. |
134 | Contributions made pursuant to this subsection shall be |
135 | deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the |
136 | Department of Children and Family Services and used by the State |
137 | Office on Homelessness to supplement grants made under s. |
138 | 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the public about |
139 | homelessness in the state, and provide literature for homeless |
140 | persons seeking assistance. For the purpose of applying the |
141 | service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received |
142 | under this paragraph are not income of a revenue nature. |
143 | Section 4. Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created |
144 | to read: |
145 | 414.161 Homelessness prevention grants.- |
146 | (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant |
147 | program to provide emergency financial assistance to families |
148 | facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or |
149 | other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the |
150 | concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and |
151 | administer moneys appropriated to the Department of Children and |
152 | Family Services to provide homelessness prevention grants |
153 | annually to lead agencies for local homeless assistance |
154 | continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office on |
155 | Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the |
156 | state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations, |
157 | gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source |
158 | that is intended to assist families to prevent them from |
159 | becoming homeless. |
160 | (2) GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked |
161 | competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who |
162 | leverage additional private funds and public funds, who |
163 | demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention |
164 | programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the |
165 | commitment of other assistance and services to address family |
166 | health, employment, and education needs. |
167 | (3) ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead |
168 | agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance |
169 | continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The |
170 | homelessness prevention program must be included in the |
171 | continuum of care plan. |
172 | (4) GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency |
173 | may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay |
174 | past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs, |
175 | provision of case management services, and program |
176 | administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award. |
177 | The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for |
178 | each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be |
179 | covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered. |
180 | (5) PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency must track, monitor, and |
181 | report on each family assisted for at least 12 months after the |
182 | last assistance provided to the family. The goal for the |
183 | homelessness prevention program is to enable at least 85 percent |
184 | of the families assisted to remain in their homes and avoid |
185 | becoming homeless during the ensuing year. |
186 | Section 5. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of |
187 | section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read: |
188 | 420.622 State Office on Homelessness; Council on |
189 | Homelessness.- |
190 | (4) Not less than 120 days after the effective date of |
191 | this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence |
192 | of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys |
193 | appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to |
194 | lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care |
195 | designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency |
196 | may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county |
197 | government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit |
198 | corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency. |
199 | (d) A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its |
200 | funding on administrative costs. |
201 | Section 6. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section |
202 | 420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
203 | 420.625 Grant-in-aid program.- |
204 | (3) ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in- |
205 | aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of |
206 | the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may |
207 | include, but are not limited to: |
208 | (d) Emergency financial assistance for persons who are |
209 | totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are |
210 | not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16. |
211 | Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section |
212 | 420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
213 | 420.6275 Housing First.- |
214 | (2) HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.- |
215 | (a) The Housing First approach to homelessness differs |
216 | from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance, |
217 | case management, and support services responsive to individual |
218 | or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this |
219 | approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce |
220 | the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless |
221 | and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First |
222 | emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual |
223 | and family well-being can be more effective when people are in |
224 | their own home, and: |
225 | 1. The housing is not time-limited. |
226 | 2. The housing is not contingent on compliance with |
227 | services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard |
228 | lease agreement and are provided with the services and support |
229 | that are necessary to help them do so successfully. |
230 | 3. A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to |
231 | combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has |
232 | been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support |
233 | services are provided. |
234 | Section 8. Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed. |
235 | Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012. |