Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 7052
By the Committees on Fiscal Policy; and Children, Families, and
Elder Affairs
594-03663-24 20247052c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to economic self-sufficiency; amending
3 s. 414.065, F.S.; providing that a participant has
4 good cause for noncompliance with work requirements
5 for a specified time period under certain
6 circumstances; making technical changes; amending s.
7 414.105, F.S.; providing requirements for staff
8 members of local workforce development boards when
9 interviewing participants; amending s. 414.455, F.S.;
10 requiring certain persons to participate in an
11 employment and training program; making a technical
12 change; amending s. 445.009, F.S.; requiring benefit
13 management and career planning using a specified tool
14 as part of the state’s one-stop delivery system;
15 amending s. 445.011, F.S.; requiring the Department of
16 Commerce to develop certain training; conforming
17 provisions to changes made by the act; making a
18 technical change; amending s. 445.017, F.S.; requiring
19 a local workforce development board to administer a
20 specified intake survey; amending s. 445.024, F.S.;
21 authorizing certain participants to participate in
22 certain programs or courses for a specified number of
23 hours per week; authorizing the Department of Commerce
24 to suspend certain work requirements under certain
25 circumstances; requiring the department to issue
26 notice to participants under certain circumstances;
27 amending s. 445.028, F.S.; requiring the Department of
28 Children and Families to administer an exit survey;
29 making technical changes; creating s. 445.0281, F.S.;
30 providing voluntary case management services to
31 certain persons for specified purposes; providing
32 requirements for such case management services and
33 case managers; amending s. 445.035, F.S.; requiring
34 CareerSource Florida, Inc., in collaboration with
35 other entities, to develop standardized intake and
36 exit surveys for specified purposes; specifying when
37 such surveys must be administered; providing
38 requirements for such surveys; requiring completed
39 surveys to be submitted to CareerSource Florida, Inc.,
40 and disseminated quarterly to certain departments;
41 requiring the Department of Commerce, in consultation
42 with other entities, to prepare and submit an annual
43 report to the Legislature; providing requirements for
44 such report; creating s. 1002.935, F.S.; creating the
45 School Readiness Plus Program within the Department of
46 Education; providing requirements for the program;
47 providing eligibility requirements to receive a
48 subsidy under the program; requiring early learning
49 coalitions to administer the program and provide
50 participants access to a specified tool; prohibiting
51 early learning coalitions from spending more than a
52 certain percentage on administrative costs of the
53 program in a fiscal year; providing for the
54 calculation of the amount of the subsidy; providing
55 requirements for parents to receive a subsidy;
56 providing an appropriation; providing an effective
57 date.
58
59 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
60
61 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 414.065, Florida
62 Statutes, is amended to read:
63 414.065 Noncompliance with work requirements.—
64 (1) PENALTIES FOR NONPARTICIPATION IN WORK REQUIREMENTS AND
65 FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENT PLANS.—The
66 department shall establish procedures for administering
67 penalties for nonparticipation in work requirements and failure
68 to comply with the alternative requirement plan. If an
69 individual in a family receiving temporary cash assistance fails
70 to engage in work activities required in accordance with s.
71 445.024, the following penalties shall apply. Before Prior to
72 the imposition of a sanction, the participant must shall be
73 notified orally or in writing that the participant is subject to
74 sanction and that action will be taken to impose the sanction
75 unless the participant complies with the work activity
76 requirements. The participant must shall be counseled as to the
77 consequences of noncompliance and, if appropriate, shall be
78 referred for services that could assist the participant to fully
79 comply with program requirements. If the participant has good
80 cause for noncompliance or demonstrates satisfactory compliance,
81 the sanction may shall not be imposed. If the requirements of s.
82 445.024(2)(a)1. are suspended pursuant to s. 445.024(2)(a)2., a
83 participant in noncompliance because of such suspension is
84 considered to have good cause for noncompliance for up to 6
85 weeks after the change in the participant’s work requirements.
86 If the participant has subsequently obtained employment, the
87 participant must shall be counseled regarding the transitional
88 benefits that may be available and provided information about
89 how to access such benefits. The department shall administer
90 sanctions related to food assistance consistent with federal
91 regulations.
92 (a)1. First noncompliance: temporary cash assistance is
93 shall be terminated for the family for a minimum of 10 days or
94 until the individual who failed to comply does so.
95 2. Second noncompliance: temporary cash assistance is shall
96 be terminated for the family for 1 month or until the individual
97 who failed to comply does so, whichever is later. Upon meeting
98 this requirement, temporary cash assistance must shall be
99 reinstated to the date of compliance or the first day of the
100 month following the penalty period, whichever is later.
101 3. Third noncompliance: temporary cash assistance is shall
102 be terminated for the family for 3 months or until the
103 individual who failed to comply does so, whichever is later. The
104 individual must shall be required to comply with the required
105 work activity upon completion of the 3-month penalty period,
106 before reinstatement of temporary cash assistance. Upon meeting
107 this requirement, temporary cash assistance must shall be
108 reinstated to the date of compliance or the first day of the
109 month following the penalty period, whichever is later.
110 (b) If a participant receiving temporary cash assistance
111 who is otherwise exempted from noncompliance penalties fails to
112 comply with the alternative requirement plan required in
113 accordance with this section, the penalties provided in
114 paragraph (a) shall apply.
115
116 If a participant fully complies with work activity requirements
117 for at least 6 months, the participant must shall be reinstated
118 as being in full compliance with program requirements for
119 purpose of sanctions imposed under this section.
120 Section 2. Subsection (10) of section 414.105, Florida
121 Statutes, is amended to read:
122 414.105 Time limitations of temporary cash assistance.
123 Except as otherwise provided in this section, an applicant or
124 current participant shall receive temporary cash assistance for
125 no more than a lifetime cumulative total of 48 months, unless
126 otherwise provided by law.
127 (10) A member of the staff of the local workforce
128 development board shall interview and assess the employment
129 prospects and barriers of each participant who is within 6
130 months of reaching the 48-month time limit. The staff member
131 shall do all of the following:
132 (a) Administer the exit survey required under s.
133 445.035(2).
134 (b) Use a tool to demonstrate future financial impacts of
135 the participant’s change in income and benefits over time.
136 (c) Assist the participant in identifying actions necessary
137 to become employed before reaching the benefit time limit for
138 temporary cash assistance.
139 (d) and, If appropriate, shall refer the participant for
140 services that could facilitate employment, including, but not
141 limited to, transitional benefits and services.
142 Section 3. Section 414.455, Florida Statutes, is amended to
143 read:
144 414.455 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
145 legislative authorization.—
146 (1) Notwithstanding s. 414.45, and unless expressly
147 required by federal law, the department must shall obtain
148 specific authorization from the Legislature before seeking,
149 applying for, accepting, or renewing any waiver of work
150 requirements established by the Supplemental Nutrition
151 Assistance Program under 7 U.S.C. s. 2015(o).
152 (2) Unless prohibited by the Federal Government, the
153 department must require a person who is receiving food
154 assistance; who is 18 to 59 years of age, inclusive; who does
155 not have children under the age of 18 in his or her home; who
156 does not qualify for an exemption; and who is determined by the
157 department to be eligible, to participate in an employment and
158 training program.
159 Section 4. Present paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of
160 section 445.009, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
161 (l), and a new paragraph (k) is added to that subsection, to
162 read:
163 445.009 One-stop delivery system.—
164 (1) The one-stop delivery system is the state’s primary
165 customer-service strategy for offering every Floridian access,
166 through service sites or telephone or computer networks, to the
167 following services:
168 (k) Benefit management and career planning using a tool to
169 demonstrate future financial impacts of the participant’s change
170 in income and benefits over time.
171 Section 5. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 445.011,
172 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
173 445.011 Consumer-first workforce system.—
174 (1) The department, in consultation with the state board,
175 the Department of Education, and the Department of Children and
176 Families, shall implement, subject to legislative appropriation,
177 an automated consumer-first workforce system that improves
178 coordination among required one-stop partners and is necessary
179 for the efficient and effective operation and management of the
180 workforce development system. This system must shall include,
181 but is need not be limited to, the following:
182 (a) An integrated management system for the one-stop
183 service delivery system, which includes, at a minimum, common
184 registration and intake for required one-stop partners,
185 screening for needs and benefits, benefit management and career
186 planning using a tool to demonstrate future financial impacts of
187 the participant’s change in income and benefits over time, case
188 management, training benefits management, service and training
189 provider management, performance reporting, executive
190 information and reporting, and customer-satisfaction tracking
191 and reporting.
192 1. The system should report current budgeting, expenditure,
193 and performance information for assessing performance related to
194 outcomes, service delivery, and financial administration for
195 workforce programs pursuant to s. 445.004(5) and (9).
196 2. The system should include auditable systems and controls
197 to ensure financial integrity and valid and reliable performance
198 information.
199 3. The system should support service integration and case
200 management across programs and agencies by providing for case
201 tracking for participants in workforce programs, participants
202 who receive benefits pursuant to public assistance programs
203 under chapter 414, and participants in welfare transition
204 programs under this chapter.
205 (b) An automated job-matching information system that is
206 accessible to employers, job seekers, and other users via the
207 Internet, and that includes, at a minimum, all of the following:
208 1. Skill match information, including skill gap analysis;
209 resume creation; job order creation; skill tests; job search by
210 area, employer type, and employer name; and training provider
211 linkage.;
212 2. Job market information based on surveys, including
213 local, state, regional, national, and international occupational
214 and job availability information.; and
215 3. Service provider information, including education and
216 training providers, child care facilities and related
217 information, health and social service agencies, and other
218 providers of services that would be useful to job seekers.
219 (5) The department shall develop training for required one
220 stop partners on the use of the consumer-first workforce system,
221 best practices for the use of a tool demonstrating future
222 financial impacts of the participant’s change in income and
223 benefits over time, the different case management methods, the
224 availability of welfare transition services, and how to
225 prequalify individuals for workforce programs.
226 Section 6. Subsection (4) of section 445.017, Florida
227 Statutes, is amended to read:
228 445.017 Diversion.—
229 (4)(a) The local workforce development board shall screen
230 each family on a case-by-case basis for barriers to obtaining or
231 retaining employment. The screening must shall identify barriers
232 that, if corrected, may prevent the family from receiving
233 temporary cash assistance on a regular basis. At the time of
234 screening, the local workforce development board shall
235 administer the intake survey required under s. 445.035(2).
236 (b) Assistance to overcome a barrier to employment is not
237 limited to cash, but may include vouchers or other in-kind
238 benefits.
239 Section 7. Subsection (2) of section 445.024, Florida
240 Statutes, is amended to read:
241 445.024 Work requirements.—
242 (2) WORK ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS.—Each individual who is not
243 otherwise exempt from work activity requirements must
244 participate in a work activity for the maximum number of hours
245 allowable under federal law; however, a participant may not be
246 required to work more than 40 hours per week. The maximum number
247 of hours each month that a family may be required to participate
248 in community service or work experience programs is the number
249 of hours that would result from dividing the family’s monthly
250 amount for temporary cash assistance and food assistance by the
251 applicable minimum wage. However, the maximum hours required per
252 week for community service or work experience may not exceed 40
253 hours.
254 (a)1. A participant who has not earned a high school
255 diploma or its equivalent may participate in adult general
256 education, as defined in s. 1004.02(3), or a high school
257 equivalency examination preparation, as defined in s.
258 1004.02(16). A participant must participate in such program or
259 course for at least 20 hours per week in order to satisfy the
260 participant’s work activity requirement.
261 2. If the state’s TANF work participation rate, as provided
262 by federal law, does not exceed the federal minimum work
263 participation rate by 10 percentage points in any month, the
264 requirements of this subsection may be suspended by the
265 department until the work participation rate exceeds the federal
266 minimum work participation rate by 10 percentage points for at
267 least 3 consecutive months.
268 3. If the requirements of this subsection are suspended,
269 the department must issue notice to the affected participants of
270 the changed work requirements within 5 days after the change in
271 such work requirements.
272 (b)(a) A participant in a work activity may also be
273 required to enroll in and attend a course of instruction
274 designed to increase literacy skills to a level necessary for
275 obtaining or retaining employment if the instruction plus the
276 work activity does not require more than 40 hours per week.
277 (c)(b) Program funds may be used, as available, to support
278 the efforts of a participant who meets the work activity
279 requirements and who wishes to enroll in or continue enrollment
280 in an adult general education program or other training
281 programs.
282 Section 8. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 445.028,
283 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
284 445.028 Transitional benefits and services.—In cooperation
285 with the department, the Department of Children and Families
286 shall develop procedures to ensure that families leaving the
287 temporary cash assistance program receive transitional benefits
288 and services that will assist the family in moving toward self
289 sufficiency. At a minimum, such procedures must include, but are
290 not limited to, the following:
291 (1) Each recipient of cash assistance who is determined
292 ineligible for cash assistance for a reason other than a work
293 activity sanction must shall be contacted by the workforce
294 system case manager and provided information about the
295 availability of transitional benefits and services. Such contact
296 must include the administration of the exit survey required
297 under s. 445.035(2) and shall be attempted before prior to
298 closure of the case management file.
299 (2) Each recipient of temporary cash assistance who is
300 determined ineligible for cash assistance due to noncompliance
301 with the work activity requirements must shall be contacted and
302 provided information in accordance with s. 414.065(1). Such
303 contact must include the administration of the exit survey
304 required under s. 445.035(2).
305 Section 9. Section 445.0281, Florida Statutes, is created
306 to read:
307 445.0281 Transitional case management.—Each recipient of
308 cash assistance who is determined ineligible for cash assistance
309 for a reason other than noncompliance with work activity
310 requirements is eligible for voluntary case management services
311 administered by the local workforce development board. Case
312 management services must be available to support families who
313 transition to economic self-sufficiency and to mitigate
314 dependency on cash assistance. Case management services must
315 include, but are not limited to, career planning, job search
316 assistance, resume building, basic financial planning,
317 connection to support services, and benefits management using a
318 tool to demonstrate future financial impacts of the
319 participant’s change in income and benefits over time, as
320 applicable. Case managers must connect recipients to other
321 transitional benefits as needed.
322 Section 10. Section 445.035, Florida Statutes, is amended
323 to read:
324 445.035 Data collection and reporting.—
325 (1) The Department of Children and Families and the state
326 board shall collect data necessary to administer this chapter
327 and make the reports required under federal law to the United
328 States Department of Health and Human Services and the United
329 States Department of Agriculture.
330 (2) CareerSource Florida, Inc., in collaboration with the
331 department, the Department of Children and Families, and the
332 local workforce development boards, shall develop standardized
333 intake and exit surveys for the purpose of collecting and
334 aggregating data to monitor program effectiveness, inform
335 program improvements, and allocate resources.
336 (a) The intake survey must be administered by the local
337 workforce development boards during the required diversion
338 screening process under s. 445.017. The intake survey must be
339 administered to each new recipient of temporary cash assistance
340 under chapter 414 who has not otherwise completed the survey.
341 (b) The intake survey must, at a minimum, collect
342 qualitative or quantitative data, as applicable, relating to all
343 of the following:
344 1. The recipient’s perceived individual barriers to
345 employment.
346 2. The reasons cited by the recipient for his or her
347 separation from employment in the previous 12 months.
348 3. The recipient’s stated goals for employment or
349 professional development.
350 4. The recipient’s highest level of education or
351 credentials attained or training received at the time of
352 enrollment.
353 5. The recipient’s awareness of welfare transition
354 services.
355 (c) The exit survey must be administered by the local
356 workforce development boards to recipients of temporary cash
357 assistance under chapter 414 as recipients prepare to transition
358 off of temporary cash assistance. Based on a recipient’s
359 circumstances, the exit survey must be administered to the
360 recipient at one of the following points of contact:
361 1. The recipient is approaching the statutory time
362 limitation for temporary cash assistance and is interviewed
363 pursuant to s. 414.105(10); or
364 2. At such time when the recipient becomes ineligible for
365 cash assistance and is contacted pursuant to s. 445.028.
366 (d) The exit survey must, at a minimum, collect data
367 relating to all of the following:
368 1. The recipient’s enrollment in other public benefits
369 programs at the time of exit.
370 2. Whether the recipient has a long-term career plan.
371 3. The recipient’s credentials or education attained or
372 training received during enrollment.
373 4. Barriers to the recipient’s employment which were
374 addressed during enrollment.
375 5. Any remaining barriers to the recipient’s employment.
376 (e) The completed surveys must be submitted to CareerSource
377 Florida, Inc., and anonymized data must be disseminated
378 quarterly to the department and the Department of Children and
379 Families.
380 (f) The department, in consultation with CareerSource
381 Florida, Inc., and the Department of Children and Families,
382 shall prepare and submit to the President of the Senate and the
383 Speaker of the House of Representatives a report by January 1 of
384 each year. The report must include, at a minimum, the results of
385 the intake and exit surveys, an analysis of the barriers to
386 employment experienced by the survey respondents, and any
387 recommendations for legislative and administrative changes to
388 mitigate such barriers and improve the effective use of
389 transitional benefits.
390 Section 11. Section 1002.935, Florida Statutes, is created
391 to read:
392 1002.935 School Readiness Plus Program.—The School
393 Readiness Plus Program is created within the Department of
394 Education to support the continued school readiness and child
395 care needs of working families with children. The program is
396 contingent upon a legislative appropriation and is provided on a
397 first-come, first-served basis.
398 (1)(a) A child who is determined to be ineligible for
399 school readiness program funds due to family income during the
400 annual eligibility redetermination process pursuant to s.
401 1002.87(6) is eligible for a subsidy under this section if the
402 family income is between 85 percent and 100 percent, inclusive,
403 of the state median income.
404 (b)1. The early learning coalitions established in s.
405 1002.83 shall administer the School Readiness Plus Program and
406 provide participants with access to the benefit management and
407 career planning tool described in s. 445.009(1)(k).
408 2. The early learning coalitions must spend the minimum
409 amount of funds necessary for the efficient and effective
410 administration of the School Readiness Plus Program. The early
411 learning coalitions may not use more than 5 percent of the funds
412 allowed for the program for administrative costs in a fiscal
413 year.
414 (2)(a) The amount of the subsidy is a percentage of the
415 early learning coalition’s approved school readiness program
416 provider reimbursement rates as calculated pursuant to s.
417 1002.84(17). An early learning coalition shall consider family
418 income and a required parent copayment that increases in
419 relation to the family income when establishing the percentage
420 for the amount of the subsidy for the program.
421 (b) The amount of the subsidy and parent copayment must be
422 sufficient to allow the family to access eligible school
423 readiness providers pursuant to s. 1002.88 and enable the parent
424 to achieve self-sufficiency.
425 (3) For a parent to receive a subsidy under the program, he
426 or she must:
427 (a) Provide any documentation necessary to verify the
428 parent’s eligibility to receive the subsidy.
429 (b) Be responsible for the payment of all child care
430 expenses in excess of the amount of the subsidy.
431 Section 12. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of
432 $23,076,259 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the
433 General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to implement
434 the School Readiness Plus Program established in s. 1002.935,
435 Florida Statutes. These funds shall be placed in reserve. The
436 department is authorized to submit budget amendments requesting
437 the release of the funds pursuant to chapter 216, Florida
438 Statutes. Release of the funds is contingent upon the submission
439 of an allocation plan developed by the department in
440 collaboration with the early learning coalitions established
441 pursuant to s. 1002.83, Florida Statutes.
442 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.