Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1136
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-01635-20                                           20201136__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to children’s services councils;
    3         amending s. 125.901, F.S.; expanding requirements for
    4         annual reports required to be submitted by councils on
    5         children’s services to the respective governing body
    6         of the county; revising financial reporting
    7         requirements for such councils; providing an effective
    8         date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and paragraph
   13  (f) of subsection (3) of section 125.901, Florida Statutes, are
   14  amended to read:
   15         125.901 Children’s services; independent special district;
   16  council; powers, duties, and functions; public records
   17  exemption.—
   18         (2)
   19         (b) Each council on children’s services shall:
   20         1. Immediately after the members are appointed, elect a
   21  chair and a vice chair from among its members, and elect other
   22  officers as deemed necessary by the council.
   23         2. Immediately after the members are appointed and officers
   24  are elected, identify and assess the needs of the children in
   25  the county served by the council and submit to the governing
   26  body of each county a written description of:
   27         a. The activities, services, and opportunities that will be
   28  provided to children.
   29         b. The anticipated schedule for providing those activities,
   30  services, and opportunities.
   31         c. The manner in which children will be served, including a
   32  description of arrangements and agreements which will be made
   33  with community organizations, state and local educational
   34  agencies, federal agencies, public assistance agencies, the
   35  juvenile courts, foster care agencies, and other applicable
   36  public and private agencies and organizations.
   37         d. The special outreach efforts that will be undertaken to
   38  provide services to at-risk, abused, or neglected children.
   39         e. The manner in which the council will seek and provide
   40  funding for unmet needs.
   41         f. The strategy which will be used for interagency
   42  coordination to maximize existing human and fiscal resources.
   43         3. Provide training and orientation to all new members
   44  sufficient to allow them to perform their duties.
   45         4. Make and adopt bylaws and rules and regulations for the
   46  council’s guidance, operation, governance, and maintenance,
   47  provided such rules and regulations are not inconsistent with
   48  federal or state laws or county ordinances.
   49         5. Provide an annual written report, to be presented no
   50  later than January 1, to the governing body of the county. The
   51  annual report shall contain, but not be limited to, the
   52  following information:
   53         a. Information on the effectiveness of activities,
   54  services, and programs offered by the council, including cost
   55  effectiveness.
   56         b. A detailed anticipated budget for continuation of
   57  activities, services, and programs offered by the council, and a
   58  list of all sources of requested funding, both public and
   59  private.
   60         c. Procedures used for early identification of at-risk
   61  children who need additional or continued services and methods
   62  for ensuring that the additional or continued services are
   63  received.
   64         d. A description of the degree to which the council’s
   65  objectives and activities are consistent with the goals of this
   66  section.
   67         e. Detailed information on the various programs, services,
   68  and activities available to participants and the degree to which
   69  the programs, services, and activities have been successfully
   70  used by children.
   71         f. Information on programs, services, and activities that
   72  should be eliminated; programs, services, and activities that
   73  should be continued; and programs, services, and activities that
   74  should be added to the basic format of the children’s services
   75  council.
   76         g.Performance data describing the activities, services,
   77  and programs offered by the council within the county, and must
   78  include data from the year the council was created and as of
   79  December 31 of the reporting year. The data must include the:
   80         (I)Percentage and total number of mothers who received or
   81  are receiving prenatal care through programs sponsored or
   82  supported by the council.
   83         (II)Percentage of infants born with a low birth weight.
   84  For purposes of this sub-subparagraph, the term “low birth
   85  weight” means a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams.
   86         (III)Total number of infants born with a low birth weight
   87  whose mothers received or are receiving prenatal care through
   88  programs sponsored or supported by the council.
   89         (IV)Rate of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
   90         (V)Percentage of children under the age of 18 living in
   91  households whose income levels are below 100 percent of the
   92  federal poverty level.
   93         (VI)Rate of teen alcohol use.
   94         (VII)Rate of teen drug use.
   95         (VIII)Rate of juvenile arrests.
   96         (IX)Rate of pregnancies among females under the age of 18.
   97         (X)Percentage of students who performed or are performing
   98  at or above grade level on standardized tests.
   99         (XI)High school graduation rates.
  100         (3)
  101         (f) Within 10 days, exclusive of weekends and legal
  102  holidays, after the expiration of each calendar month quarter
  103  annual period, the council on children’s services shall cause to
  104  be prepared and filed with the governing body of the county a
  105  financial report which must shall include the following:
  106         1. The itemized total expenditures of the council for the
  107  calendar month quarter annual period.
  108         2. The itemized total receipts of the council for during
  109  the calendar month quarter annual period.
  110         3. A statement of the funds the council has on hand, has
  111  invested, or has deposited with qualified public depositories at
  112  the end of the calendar month quarter annual period.
  113         4. The total administrative costs of the council for the
  114  calendar month quarter annual period.
  115         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2020.