Florida Senate - 2016 PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE Bill No. SB 556 Ì628090$Î628090 594-04140-16 Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Fiscal Policy (Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development) 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Florida Council on Poverty; 3 establishing the council within the Department of 4 Economic Opportunity; specifying the membership of the 5 council; providing for organization of the council; 6 authorizing reimbursement for per diem and travel 7 expenses; prescribing the scope of the council’s 8 activities; requiring the council to annually submit a 9 report to the Governor and Legislature; requiring the 10 council’s abolition by a specific date; providing an 11 effective date. 12 13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14 15 Section 1. Florida Council on Poverty.— 16 (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNCIL.—The Florida Council on 17 Poverty is established and assigned to the Department of 18 Economic Opportunity as an advisory council, as defined in s. 19 20.03, Florida Statutes. The council shall be administratively 20 housed within the Department of Economic Opportunity. 21 (2) COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP.—The council shall consist of five 22 members who shall be residents of this state. The members shall 23 be appointed as follows: 24 (a) The Governor shall appoint one member who must be from 25 the Florida Association for Community Action, Inc. 26 (b) The Chief Financial Officer shall appoint one member. 27 (c) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall appoint one 28 member. 29 (d) The President of the Senate shall appoint one member. 30 (e) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall 31 appoint one member. 32 (3) MEETINGS; ORGANIZATION.— 33 (a) The first meeting of the council shall be held no later 34 than August 1, 2016. Thereafter, the council shall meet at least 35 twice each year. Meetings may be held via teleconference or 36 other electronic means. 37 (b) Members of the council shall annually elect from its 38 membership a chair and vice chair. The council shall meet at the 39 call of the chair or at such times as may be prescribed by the 40 council. 41 (c) Three members of the council constitute a quorum, and a 42 meeting may not be held unless a quorum is present. The 43 affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the council 44 present is necessary for any official action by the council. 45 (d) Members of the council shall serve without compensation 46 but may be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses in 47 accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes. 48 (4) SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES.—The council shall: 49 (a) Conduct a review of policies and programs that work to 50 move people out of poverty. 51 (b) Develop strategies to address the causes of poverty in 52 the state. 53 (c) Develop recommendations to reduce the percentage of 54 people living in poverty in the state. 55 (d) Study the academic outcomes for children in poverty and 56 develop recommendations on how to improve such outcomes. 57 (5) REPORT.—By January 15 of each year, beginning in 2018, 58 the council shall submit an annual report to the Governor, the 59 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 60 Representatives containing an accounting of its activities and 61 recommendations for legislative, administrative, and regulatory 62 reforms to facilitate efforts in mitigating the existence of 63 poverty in this state. 64 (6) TERMINATION.—The Florida Council on Poverty shall be 65 abolished on July 1, 2019. 66 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.