Florida Senate - 2020                             CS for SB 1624
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       586-03121-20                                          20201624c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to economic self-sufficiency; amending
    3         s. 11.45, F.S.; requiring the Auditor General to
    4         perform audits of specified programs at specified
    5         intervals; requiring the audits to review specified
    6         elements of such programs; requiring the Auditor
    7         General to make a specified determination, if
    8         possible; providing reporting requirements for the
    9         results of such audits; amending s. 1002.87, F.S.;
   10         revising the criteria for a child to be given priority
   11         for participation in the school readiness program;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (2) of
   17  section 11.45, Florida Statutes, to read:
   18         11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reports; rules.—
   19         (2) DUTIES.—The Auditor General shall:
   20         (m) At least every 3 years, conduct performance audits of
   21  the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program established under
   22  7 U.S.C. ss. 2011 et seq., the Temporary Cash Assistance Program
   23  provided under s. 414.095, the Medicaid program designated in s.
   24  409.963, the School Readiness Program set forth in part VI of
   25  chapter 1002, and the Housing Choice Voucher Program established
   26  under 42 U.S.C. s. 1437. Such audits shall include a review of
   27  eligibility criteria; the manner by which each program
   28  establishes and documents eligibility and disbursement policies;
   29  the frequency of eligibility determinations; the clarity of both
   30  written and verbal communication in which eligibility
   31  requirements are conveyed to current and potential program
   32  recipients; opportunities for improving service efficiency and
   33  efficacy made possible by improved integration of state data
   34  system platforms, processes, and procedures related to data
   35  collection, analysis, documentation, and interagency sharing;
   36  and a review of the number and family size of families receiving
   37  multiple program services compared to all eligible families,
   38  including whether they are single-parent or two-parent
   39  households. If possible, the Auditor General also shall
   40  determine the number of families receiving services who are
   41  claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit. The Auditor General shall
   42  provide the results of the audits in a report to the Governor,
   43  the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
   44  Representatives, the Chief Financial Officer, and the
   45  Legislative Auditing Committee within 30 days after completion
   46  of the audit, but no later than December 31, 2020, and every 3
   47  years thereafter.
   48  
   49  The Auditor General shall perform his or her duties
   50  independently but under the general policies established by the
   51  Legislative Auditing Committee. This subsection does not limit
   52  the Auditor General’s discretionary authority to conduct other
   53  audits or engagements of governmental entities as authorized in
   54  subsection (3).
   55         Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   56  1002.87, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   57         1002.87 School readiness program; eligibility and
   58  enrollment.—
   59         (1) Each early learning coalition shall give priority for
   60  participation in the school readiness program as follows:
   61         (a) Priority shall be given first to a child younger than
   62  13 years of age from a family that includes a parent who is
   63  receiving temporary cash assistance under chapter 414 and
   64  subject to the federal work requirements or a parent who
   65  receives an Intensive Service Account or an Individual Training
   66  Account under s. 445.009.
   67         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.