Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1104
       
       
        
       By Senator Baxley
       
       
       
       
       
       12-00447A-20                                          20201104__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to state park fee waivers and
    3         discounts; amending s. 258.0142, F.S.; requiring the
    4         Division of Recreation and Parks within the Department
    5         of Environmental Protection to provide a specified
    6         waiver and discount for state park fees to persons,
    7         corporations, or agencies that operate group homes and
    8         to relatives and nonrelatives who provide out-of-home
    9         care; making technical changes; providing an effective
   10         date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 258.0142, Florida Statutes, is amended
   15  to read:
   16         258.0142 Foster family, and adoptive family, group home,
   17  and out-of-home care state park fee waivers and discounts.—
   18         (1) To promote awareness of the contributions made by
   19  foster families, and adoptive families, group homes, and
   20  relatives and nonrelatives who provide children with out-of-home
   21  care to the vitality of the state, the Division of Recreation
   22  and Parks shall provide the following annual entrance pass fee
   23  waivers and discounts, as applicable, on state park fees to the
   24  following persons and entities who present the written
   25  documentation required by satisfactory to the division pursuant
   26  to subsection (2) which evidences their eligibility for the
   27  discounts:
   28         (a) Families operating a licensed family foster home under
   29  s. 409.175. Such families shall be granted receive family annual
   30  entrance passes at no charge and a 50 percent discount on base
   31  campsite fees at state parks.
   32         (b) Families who adopt a special needs child as described
   33  in s. 409.166(2)(a)2. from the Department of Children and
   34  Families. Such families shall be granted receive a one-time
   35  family annual entrance pass at no charge at the time of the
   36  adoption.
   37         (c) Persons, corporations, or agencies operating a group
   38  home that is licensed as a residential child-caring agency under
   39  s. 409.175. Such persons, corporations, and agencies shall be
   40  granted annual entrance passes and a 50 percent discount on base
   41  campsite fees.
   42         (d) Relatives and nonrelatives who provide children with
   43  out-of-home care pursuant to s. 39.523. Such caregivers shall be
   44  granted annual entrance passes and a 50 percent discount on base
   45  campsite fees.
   46         (2) The division, in consultation with the Department of
   47  Children and Families, shall identify the types of documentation
   48  sufficient to establish eligibility for the waivers and
   49  discounts under this section and shall establish a procedure for
   50  providing the waivers and obtaining the discounts.
   51         (3) The division shall continue its partnership with the
   52  Department of Children and Families to promote fostering and
   53  adoption of special needs children with events held each year
   54  during National Foster Care Month and National Adoption Month.
   55         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.