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.