Florida Senate - 2025                              CS for SB 584
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education Postsecondary; and Senator Garcia
       
       
       
       
       
       589-03091-25                                           2025584c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to young adult housing support;
    3         amending s. 409.1452, F.S.; requiring each Florida
    4         College System institution and state university to
    5         develop plans for prioritizing the placement of
    6         certain students; requiring a Florida College System
    7         institution or state university to provide certain
    8         students with first priority for housing and work
    9         study opportunities in certain circumstances;
   10         prohibiting Florida College System institutions and
   11         state universities from requiring that certain
   12         students have a cosigner or guarantor; creating s.
   13         409.14525, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
   14         and Families, community-based care lead agencies, and
   15         housing authorities to take any action required by the
   16         United States Department of Housing and Urban
   17         Development to administer the federal Foster Youth to
   18         Independence initiative; requiring the Office of
   19         Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
   20         (OPPAGA) to conduct a study of the barriers to housing
   21         faced by young adults who are homeless or were
   22         formerly in foster care; requiring OPPAGA to consult
   23         with certain entities in conducting the study;
   24         requiring OPPAGA to provide a report to the Governor
   25         and the Legislature by a certain date; providing an
   26         effective date.
   27          
   28  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   29  
   30         Section 1. Subsections (4), (5), and (6) are added to
   31  section 409.1452, Florida Statutes, to read:
   32         409.1452 Collaboration with State University System,
   33  Florida College System, and Department of Education to assist
   34  children and young adults who have been or are in foster care or
   35  are experiencing homelessness; documentation regarding
   36  eligibility for tuition and fee exemptions; housing assistance.
   37  The department shall collaborate with the State University
   38  System, the Florida College System, and the Department of
   39  Education to address the need for a comprehensive support
   40  structure in the academic arena to assist children and young
   41  adults who have been or remain in the foster care system in
   42  making the transition from a structured care system into an
   43  independent living setting.
   44         (4) Each Florida College System institution and state
   45  university shall, in consultation with the State Office on
   46  Homelessness within the Department of Children and Families,
   47  develop plans for prioritizing the placement of students who are
   48  or were formerly in foster care and those experiencing
   49  homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness, including,
   50  but not limited to, students eligible for the tuition and fee
   51  exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(e), in residence halls and
   52  dormitory residences owned by the institution or university.
   53         (5) If a Florida College System institution or state
   54  university implements a priority system for the assignment of
   55  students to or the award of any of the following, the
   56  institution or university must provide students eligible for the
   57  tuition and fee exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(e) with first
   58  priority:
   59         (a) Institution-operated or university-operated housing.
   60         (b) Year-round housing.
   61         (c) Work study opportunities.
   62         (6) Florida College System institutions and state
   63  universities may not require students to have a cosigner or
   64  guarantor to obtain housing if the student receives housing
   65  support under s. 409.1451(2) or (3) or is in care under s.
   66  39.6251.
   67         Section 2. Section 409.14525, Florida Statutes, is created
   68  to read:
   69         409.14525 Housing support for young adults; federal housing
   70  vouchers.—The department, community-based care lead agencies,
   71  and housing authorities created under s. 421.04 shall take any
   72  action required by the United States Department of Housing and
   73  Urban Development to administer the federal Foster Youth to
   74  Independence (FYI) initiative, which may include the department,
   75  the community-based care lead agencies, and their subcontractors
   76  doing any of the following:
   77         (1) Entering into a memorandum of understanding or a letter
   78  of intent with all of the housing authorities within their
   79  service areas.
   80         (2) Providing or securing supportive services for
   81  participating youth for the duration of the FYI initiative
   82  voucher.
   83         (3) Providing a written certification to the housing
   84  authority verifying the youth’s child welfare history.
   85         (4) Identifying youth eligible for an FYI initiative
   86  voucher within the community-based care lead agency’s caseload
   87  and communicating their eligibility to the youth.
   88         Section 3. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
   89  Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a study of the
   90  barriers that young adults who are homeless or were formerly in
   91  foster care face when trying to obtain housing. The study must
   92  include recommendations for overcoming those barriers.
   93         (2) In conducting the study, OPPAGA shall consult with the
   94  Department of Children and Families, the Board of Governors of
   95  the State University System, the Florida College System, the
   96  Department of Commerce, public housing authorities, affected
   97  young adults, and other stakeholders.
   98         (3) OPPAGA must issue its findings by December 1, 2026, in
   99  a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
  100  Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  101         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.