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The Florida Senate

2004 Florida Statutes

SECTION 048
Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program.
Section 445.048, Florida Statutes 2004

1445.048  Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program.--

(1)  AUTHORIZATION.--Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, Workforce Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for Workforce Innovation, shall implement a Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program consistent with the provisions of this section in Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. Workforce Florida, Inc., must consult with the applicable regional workforce boards and the applicable local offices of the department which serve the demonstration areas and must encourage community input into the implementation process.

(2)  WAIVERS.--If Workforce Florida, Inc., in consultation with the Department of Children and Family Services, finds that federal waivers would facilitate implementation of the demonstration program, the department shall immediately request such waivers, and Workforce Florida, Inc., shall report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives if any refusal of the federal government to grant such waivers prevents the implementation of the demonstration program. If Workforce Florida, Inc., finds that federal waivers to provisions of the Food Stamp Program would facilitate implementation of the demonstration program, the Department of Children and Family Services shall immediately request such waivers in accordance with s. 414.175

(3)  TRANSITIONAL BENEFITS AND SERVICES.--In order to assist them in making the transition to economic self-sufficiency, former recipients of temporary cash assistance residing within the areas designated for this demonstration program shall be eligible for the following benefits and services:

(a)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s. 445.030, transitional education and training support services as specified in s. 445.030 for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance;

(b)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s. 445.031, transitional transportation support services as specified in s. 445.031 for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance; and

(c)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s. 445.032, transitional child care as specified in s. 445.032 for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance.

All other provisions of ss. 445.030, 445.031, and 445.032 shall apply to such individuals, as appropriate. This subsection does not constitute an entitlement to transitional benefits and services. If funds are insufficient to provide benefits and services under this subsection, the board of directors of Workforce Florida, Inc., may limit such benefits and services or otherwise establish priorities for the provisions of such benefits and services.

(4)  INCENTIVES TO ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY.--

(a)  The Legislature finds that:

1.  There are former recipients of temporary cash assistance who are working full time but whose incomes are below the poverty level.

2.  Having incomes below the federal poverty level makes such individuals particularly vulnerable to reliance on public assistance despite their best efforts to achieve or maintain economic independence through employment.

3.  It is necessary to implement a performance-based program that defines economic incentives for achieving specific benchmarks toward self-sufficiency while the individual is working full time.

(b)  Workforce Florida, Inc., in cooperation with the Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for Workforce Innovation, shall offer performance-based incentive bonuses as a component of the Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program in the areas of the state which are designated for the demonstration program. The bonuses do not represent a program entitlement and shall be contingent on achieving specific benchmarks prescribed in the self-sufficiency plan. If the funds appropriated for this purpose are insufficient to provide this financial incentive, the board of directors of Workforce Florida, Inc., shall reduce or suspend the bonuses in order not to exceed the appropriation.

(c)  To be eligible for an incentive bonus under this subsection, an individual must:

1.  Be a former recipient of temporary cash assistance who last received such assistance on or after January 1, 2000;

2.  Be employed full time, which for the purposes of this subsection means employment averaging at least 32 hours per week, until the United States Congress enacts legislation reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant and, after the reauthorization, means employment complying with the employment requirements of the reauthorized law; and

3.  Have an average family income for the 6 months preceding the date of application for an incentive bonus which is less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

(5)  EVALUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.--Workforce Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the regional workforce boards in the areas designated for this demonstration program, shall conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the demonstration program operated under this section. By January 1, 2005, Workforce Florida, Inc., shall submit a report on such evaluation to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must include recommendations as to whether the demonstration program should be expanded to other service areas or statewide and whether the program should be revised to enhance its administration or effectiveness.

(6)  CONFLICTS.--If there is a conflict between the implementation procedures described in this section and federal requirements and regulations, federal requirements and regulations shall control.

History.--s. 2, ch. 2001-175; ss. 78, 79, ch. 2003-399; ss. 52, 53, ch. 2004-269.

1Note.--

A.  Section 52, ch. 2004-269, amended s. 445.048 "[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 2100 of the 2004-2005 General Appropriations Act." Some proviso language relating to this appropriation was vetoed. See ch. 2004-268, the General Appropriations Act.

B.  Section 75, ch. 2004-269, provides that "[a] section of this act that implements a specific appropriation or specifically identified proviso language in the 2004-2005 General Appropriations Act is void if the specific appropriation or specifically identified proviso language is vetoed. A section of this act that implements more than one specific appropriation or more than one portion of specifically identified proviso language in the 2004-2005 General Appropriations Act is void if all the specific appropriations or portions of specifically identified proviso language are vetoed." Not all portions of specifically identified proviso language relating to the amendment of s. 445.048 were vetoed.

C.  Section 53, ch. 2004-269, provides that "[t]he amendment of section 445.048, Florida Statutes, by this act shall expire on July 1, 2005, and the text of that section shall revert to that in existence on June 30, 2003, except that any amendments to such text enacted other than by this act shall be preserved and continue to operate to the extent that such amendments are not dependent upon the portions of such text which expire pursuant to the provisions of this act." Effective July 1, 2005, s. 445.048, as amended by s. 53, ch. 2004-269, will read:

445.048  Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program.--

(1)  AUTHORIZATION.--Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, Workforce Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for Workforce Innovation, shall implement a Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program by November 1, 2001, consistent with the provisions of this section in Hillsborough and Manatee counties. Workforce Florida, Inc., must consult with the applicable regional workforce boards and the applicable local offices of the department which serve the demonstration areas and must encourage community input into the implementation process.

(2)  WAIVERS.--If Workforce Florida, Inc., in consultation with the Department of Children and Family Services, finds that federal waivers would facilitate implementation of the demonstration program, the department shall immediately request such waivers, and Workforce Florida, Inc., shall report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives if any refusal of the federal government to grant such waivers prevents the implementation of the demonstration program. If Workforce Florida, Inc., finds that federal waivers to provisions of the Food Stamp Program would facilitate implementation of the demonstration program, the Department of Children and Family Services shall immediately request such waivers in accordance with s. 414.175

(3)  INCOME DISREGARD.--In order to provide an additional incentive for employment, and notwithstanding the amount specified in s. 414.095(12), for individuals residing in the areas designated for this demonstration program, the first $300 plus one-half of the remainder of earned income shall be disregarded in determining eligibility for temporary cash assistance. All other conditions and requirements of s. 414.095(12) shall continue to apply to such individuals.

(4)  TRANSITIONAL BENEFITS AND SERVICES.--In order to assist them in making the transition to economic self-sufficiency, former recipients of temporary cash assistance residing within the areas designated for this demonstration program shall be eligible for the following benefits and services:

(a)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s. 445.030, transitional education and training support services as specified in s. 445.030 for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance;

(b)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s. 445.031, transitional transportation support services as specified in s. 445.031 for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance; and

(c)  Notwithstanding the time period specified in s. 445.032, transitional child care as specified in s. 445.032 for up to 4 years after the family is no longer receiving temporary cash assistance.


All other provisions of ss. 445.030, 445.031, and 445.032 shall apply to such individuals, as appropriate. This subsection does not constitute an entitlement to transitional benefits and services. If funds are insufficient to provide benefits and services under this subsection, the board of directors of Workforce Florida, Inc., may limit such benefits and services or otherwise establish priorities for the provisions of such benefits and services.

(5)  WAGE SUPPLEMENTATION.--

(a)  The Legislature finds that:

1.  There are former recipients of temporary cash assistance who are working full time but whose incomes are below the federal poverty level.

2.  Having incomes below the federal poverty level makes such individuals particularly vulnerable to reliance on public assistance despite their best efforts to achieve or maintain economic independence through employment.

3.  It is necessary to supplement the wages of such individuals for a limited period of time in order to assist them in fulfilling the transition to economic self-sufficiency.

(b)  Workforce Florida, Inc., in cooperation with the Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for Workforce Innovation, shall create a transitional wage supplementation program by November 1, 2001, as a component of the Passport to Economic Progress demonstration program in the areas designated for the demonstration program. This wage supplementation program does not constitute an entitlement to wage supplementation. If funds appropriated are insufficient to provide wage supplementation, the board of directors of Workforce Florida, Inc., may limit wage supplementation or otherwise establish priorities for wage supplementation.

(c)  To be eligible for wage supplementation under this subsection, an individual must:

1.  Be a former recipient of temporary cash assistance who last received such assistance on or after January 1, 2000;

2.  Be employed full time, which for the purposes of this subsection means employment averaging at least 32 hours per week; and

3.  Have an average family income for the 6 months preceding the date of application for wage supplementation which is less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level.

(d)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall determine the schedule for the payment of wage supplementation under this subsection. An individual eligible for wage supplementation under this subsection may receive a payment that equals the amount necessary to bring the individual's total family income for the period covered by the payment to 100 percent of the federal poverty level. An individual may not receive wage supplementation payments for more than a total of 12 months.

(e)  The wage supplementation program authorized by this subsection shall be administered through the regional workforce boards and the one-stop delivery system, under policy guidelines, criteria, and applications developed by Workforce Florida, Inc., in cooperation with the Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for Workforce Innovation. To the maximum extent possible, the regional workforce boards shall use electronic debit card technologies to provide wage supplementation payments under this program.

(6)  EVALUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.--Workforce Florida, Inc., in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the regional workforce boards in the areas designated for this demonstration program, shall conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the demonstration program operated under this section. By January 1, 2003, Workforce Florida, Inc., shall submit a report on such evaluation to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must include recommendations as to whether the demonstration program should be expanded to other service areas or statewide and whether the program should be revised to enhance its administration or effectiveness.

(7)  CONFLICTS.--If there is a conflict between the implementation procedures described in this section and federal requirements and regulations, federal requirements and regulations shall control.