Florida Senate - 2013                              CS for SB 402
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Rules; and Senator Joyner
       
       
       
       
       595-03970-13                                           2013402c1
    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 Families and used by the State Office on
   12         Homelessness for certain purposes; providing exemption
   13         from certain application fee requirements; providing
   14         that voluntary contributions for the homeless are not
   15         income of a revenue nature for the purpose of applying
   16         certain service charges; creating s. 414.161, F.S.;
   17         establishing a homelessness prevention grant program;
   18         requiring grant applicants to be ranked competitively;
   19         providing preference for certain grant applicants;
   20         providing eligibility requirements; providing grant
   21         limitations and restrictions; requiring lead agencies
   22         for local homeless assistance continuums of care to
   23         track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a
   24         specified period; amending s. 420.622, F.S.; limiting
   25         the percentage of funding that lead agencies may spend
   26         on administrative costs; amending s. 420.625, F.S.;
   27         deleting a cross-reference to conform; repealing s.
   28         414.16, F.S., relating to the emergency assistance
   29         program for families with children that have lost
   30         shelter or face loss of shelter due to an emergency;
   31         transferring emergency assistance program funds to the
   32         homelessness prevention grant program; providing an
   33         effective date.
   34  
   35  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   36  
   37         Section 1. Paragraph (s) is added to subsection (15) of
   38  section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
   39         320.02 Registration required; application for registration;
   40  forms.—
   41         (15)
   42         (s) 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 Families and used
   48  by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants made
   49  under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the public
   50  about homelessness in the state, and provide literature for
   51  homeless persons seeking assistance. The application fee
   52  required under s. 320.023 for an organization that seeks
   53  authorization to establish a voluntary contribution does not
   54  apply to this paragraph.
   55  
   56  For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
   57  215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
   58  income of a revenue nature.
   59         Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida
   60  Statutes, is amended to read:
   61         322.08 Application for license; requirements for license
   62  and identification card forms.—
   63         (7) The application form for an original, renewal, or
   64  replacement driver license or identification card shall include
   65  language permitting the following:
   66         (a) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
   67  contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
   68  for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
   69  organ and tissue donor registry.
   70         (b) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
   71  contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
   72  Blind.
   73         (c) A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
   74  shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
   75  Incorporated.
   76         (d) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
   77  shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
   78  International.
   79         (e) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
   80  shall be distributed to the Children’s Hearing Help Fund.
   81         (f) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
   82  shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
   83         (g) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Stop
   84  Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart
   85  Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.
   86         (h) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Senior
   87  Vision Services, which shall be distributed to the Florida
   88  Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., a not-for
   89  profit organization.
   90         (i) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for
   91  services for persons with developmental disabilities, which
   92  shall be distributed to The Arc of Florida.
   93         (j) A voluntary contribution of $1 to the Ronald McDonald
   94  House, which shall be distributed each month to Ronald McDonald
   95  House Charities of Tampa Bay, Inc.
   96         (k) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution of
   97  $1 per applicant, which shall be distributed to the League
   98  Against Cancer/La Liga Contra el Cancer, a not-for-profit
   99  organization.
  100         (l) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Prevent
  101  Child Sexual Abuse, which shall be distributed to Lauren’s Kids,
  102  Inc., a nonprofit organization.
  103         (m) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
  104  shall be distributed to Prevent Blindness Florida, a not-for
  105  profit organization, to prevent blindness and preserve the sight
  106  of the residents of this state.
  107         (n) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution of
  108  $1 per applicant to the state homes for veterans, to be
  109  distributed on a quarterly basis by the department to the State
  110  Homes for Veterans Trust Fund, which is administered by the
  111  Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
  112         (o) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to the
  113  Disabled American Veterans, Department of Florida, which shall
  114  be distributed quarterly to Disabled American Veterans,
  115  Department of Florida, a nonprofit organization.
  116         (p) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for Autism
  117  Services and Supports, which shall be distributed to Achievement
  118  and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc., Autism Services Fund.
  119         (q) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Support
  120  Our Troops, which shall be distributed to Support Our Troops,
  121  Inc., a Florida not-for-profit organization.
  122         (r) Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution of
  123  $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made
  124  pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants
  125  and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and
  126  Families and used by the State Office on Homelessness to
  127  supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide
  128  information to the public about homelessness in the state, and
  129  provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance.
  130  
  131  A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
  132  funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
  133  service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
  134  under paragraphs (b)-(r) (b)-(q) are not income of a revenue
  135  nature.
  136         Section 3. Subsection (9) is added to section 322.18,
  137  Florida Statutes, to read:
  138         322.18 Original applications, licenses, and renewals;
  139  expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.—
  140         (9) The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal
  141  extension shall include language permitting a voluntary
  142  contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless.
  143  Contributions made pursuant to this subsection shall be
  144  deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the
  145  Department of Children and Families and used by the State Office
  146  on Homelessness to supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4)
  147  and (5), provide information to the public about homelessness in
  148  the state, and provide literature for homeless persons seeking
  149  assistance. For the purpose of applying the service charge
  150  provided in s. 215.20, contributions received under this
  151  subsection are not income of a revenue nature.
  152         Section 4. Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created to
  153  read:
  154         414.161 Homelessness prevention grants.—
  155         (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—There is created a grant
  156  program to provide emergency financial assistance to families
  157  facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or
  158  other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the
  159  concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and
  160  administer moneys appropriated to the Department of Children and
  161  Families to provide homelessness prevention grants annually to
  162  lead agencies for local homeless assistance continuums of care,
  163  as recognized by the State Office on Homelessness. These moneys
  164  shall consist of any sums that the state may appropriate, as
  165  well as money received from donations, gifts, bequests, or
  166  otherwise from any public or private source that is intended to
  167  assist families to prevent them from becoming homeless.
  168         (2) GRANT APPLICATIONS.—Grant applicants shall be ranked
  169  competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who
  170  leverage additional private funds and public funds, who
  171  demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention
  172  programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the
  173  commitment of other assistance and services to address family
  174  health, employment, and education needs.
  175         (3) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to qualify for a grant, a lead
  176  agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance
  177  continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The
  178  homelessness prevention program must be included in the
  179  continuum of care plan.
  180         (4) GRANT LIMITS.—The maximum grant amount per lead agency
  181  may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay
  182  past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs,
  183  provision of case management services, and program
  184  administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award.
  185  The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for
  186  each family to be assisted, setting forth what costs will be
  187  covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered.
  188         (5) PERFORMANCE.—The lead agency must track, monitor, and
  189  report on each family assisted for at least 12 months after the
  190  last assistance provided to the family. The goal for the
  191  homelessness prevention program is to enable at least 85 percent
  192  of the families assisted to remain in their homes and avoid
  193  becoming homeless during the ensuing year.
  194         Section 5. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
  195  section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read:
  196         420.622 State Office on Homelessness; Council on
  197  Homelessness.—
  198         (4) Not less than 120 days after the effective date of this
  199  act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence of
  200  the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
  201  appropriated to it to provide “Challenge Grants” annually to
  202  lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
  203  designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
  204  may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county
  205  government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit
  206  corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency.
  207         (d) A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its
  208  funding on administrative costs.
  209         Section 6. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
  210  420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  211         420.625 Grant-in-aid program.—
  212         (3) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a grant-in
  213  aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of
  214  the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may
  215  include, but are not limited to:
  216         (d) Emergency financial assistance for persons who are
  217  totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are
  218  not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16.
  219         Section 7. Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed,
  220  and any balances remaining in the emergency assistance program
  221  terminated by this act shall, on the date of termination, be
  222  transferred to the homelessness prevention grant program created
  223  under s. 414.161, Florida Statutes.
  224         Section 8. This act shall take effect October 1, 2013.