The Florida Senate

409.942  Electronic benefit transfer program.--

(1)  The Department of Children and Family Services shall establish an electronic benefit transfer program for the dissemination of food stamp benefits and temporary assistance payments, including refugee cash assistance payments, asylum applicant payments, and child support disregard payments. If the Federal Government does not enact legislation or regulations providing for dissemination of supplemental security income by electronic benefit transfer, the state may include supplemental security income in the electronic benefit transfer program.

(2)  The department shall, in accordance with applicable federal laws and regulations, develop minimum program requirements and other policy initiatives for the electronic benefit transfer program.

(3)  The department shall enter into public-private contracts for all provisions of electronic transfer of public assistance benefits.

(4)  Workforce Florida, Inc., through the Agency for Workforce Innovation, shall establish an electronic benefit transfer program for the use and management of education, training, child care, transportation, and other program benefits under its direction. The workforce electronic benefit transfer program shall fulfill all federal and state requirements for Individual Training Accounts, Retention Incentive Training Accounts, Individual Development Accounts, and Individual Services Accounts. The workforce electronic benefit transfer program shall be designed to enable an individual who receives an electronic benefit transfer card under subsection (1) to use that card for purposes of benefits provided under the workforce development system as well. The Department of Children and Family Services shall assist Workforce Florida, Inc., in developing an electronic benefit transfer program for the workforce development system that is fully compatible with the department's electronic benefit transfer program. The agency shall reimburse the department for all costs incurred in providing such assistance and shall pay all costs for the development of the workforce electronic benefit transfer program.

History.--s. 9, ch. 95-431; s. 99, ch. 96-175; s. 193, ch. 99-8; s. 96, ch. 2000-165; s. 9, ch. 2000-337.