Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 564
       
       
        
       By Senator Garcia
       
       
       
       
       
       36-00592-24                                            2024564__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to young adult aftercare services;
    3         amending s. 409.1451, F.S.; revising eligibility
    4         requirements for aftercare services for certain young
    5         adults; authorizing the Department of Children and
    6         Families to distribute federal funds to eligible young
    7         adults in certain circumstances; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Present subsection (11) of section 409.1451,
   13  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (12), a new
   14  subsection (11) is added to that section, and paragraph (a) of
   15  subsection (3) of that section is amended, to read:
   16         409.1451 The Road-to-Independence Program.—
   17         (3) AFTERCARE SERVICES.—
   18         (a)1. Aftercare services are available to a young adult who
   19  has reached 18 years of age but is not yet 23 years of age and,
   20  pursuant to a court order under s. 39.811, was placed and lived
   21  in out-of-home care for at least 6 months after turning 14 years
   22  of age. Young adults who receive support under subsection (2) or
   23  s. 39.6251 are only eligible for aftercare services and support
   24  services that are not already provided by those programs is:
   25         a. Not in foster care.
   26         b. Temporarily not receiving financial assistance under
   27  subsection (2) to pursue postsecondary education.
   28         2. Subject to available funding, aftercare services as
   29  specified in subparagraph (b)8. are also available to a young
   30  adult who is between the ages of 18 and 22, is receiving
   31  financial assistance under subsection (2), is experiencing an
   32  emergency situation, and whose resources are insufficient to
   33  meet the emergency situation. Such assistance shall be in
   34  addition to any amount specified in paragraph (2)(b).
   35         (11) FUNDING DURING EMERGENCY.—Notwithstanding the
   36  eligibility criteria in subsections (2) and (3), the department
   37  may distribute federal funds to all young adults deemed eligible
   38  by the funding source in the event of a state or national
   39  emergency.
   40         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.