Florida Senate - 2021                              CS for SB 714
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Taddeo
       
       
       
       
       586-02624A-21                                          2021714c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to resource information for
    3         individuals with disabilities; amending s. 393.065,
    4         F.S.; requiring the Agency for Persons with
    5         Disabilities to provide specified written information
    6         to persons applying for certain waiver services;
    7         requiring the agency to provide a certain disclosure
    8         statement along with such information; providing an
    9         effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Present subsection (10) of section 393.065,
   14  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (11), and a new
   15  subsection (10) is added to that section, to read:
   16         393.065 Application and eligibility determination.—
   17         (10)(a) The agency shall provide the following information
   18  to all applicants or their parents, legal guardians, or family
   19  members:
   20         1. A brief overview of the vocational rehabilitation
   21  services offered through the Division of Vocational
   22  Rehabilitation of the Department of Education, including a
   23  hyperlink or website address that provides access to the
   24  application for such services;
   25         2. A brief overview of the Florida ABLE program as
   26  established under s. 1009.986, including a hyperlink or website
   27  address that provides access to the application for establishing
   28  an ABLE account as defined in s. 1009.986(2);
   29         3. A brief overview of the supplemental security income
   30  benefits and social security disability income benefits
   31  available under Title XVI of the Social Security Act, as
   32  amended, including a hyperlink or website address that provides
   33  access to the application for such benefits;
   34         4. A statement indicating that the applicant’s local public
   35  school district may provide specialized instructional services,
   36  including transition programs, for students with special
   37  education needs;
   38         5. A brief overview of programs and services funded through
   39  the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities, including
   40  contact information for each state-approved Florida
   41  Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program;
   42         6. A brief overview of decisionmaking options for
   43  individuals with disabilities, guardianship under chapter 744,
   44  and alternatives to guardianship as defined in s. 744.334(1),
   45  which may include contact information for organizations that the
   46  agency believes would be helpful in assisting with such
   47  decisions;
   48         7. A brief overview of the referral tools made available
   49  through the agency, including a hyperlink or website address
   50  that provides access to such tools; and
   51         8. A statement indicating that some waiver providers may
   52  serve private-pay individuals.
   53         (b) The agency must provide the information required in
   54  paragraph (a) in writing to an applicant or his or her parent,
   55  legal guardian, or family member along with a written disclosure
   56  statement in substantially the following form:
   57  
   58                        DISCLOSURE STATEMENT                       
   59  
   60  Each program and service has its own eligibility requirements.
   61  By providing the information specified in Section
   62  393.065(10)(a), Florida Statutes, the agency does not guarantee
   63  an applicant’s eligibility for or enrollment in any program or
   64  service.
   65         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.