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The Florida Senate

2020 Florida Statutes

Title XLVII CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CORRECTIONS
Chapter 985 JUVENILE JUSTICE; INTERSTATE COMPACT ON JUVENILES Entire Chapter
SECTION 6865
Juvenile detention.
F.S. 985.6865
985.6865 Juvenile detention.—
(1) The Legislature finds that various counties and the Department of Juvenile Justice have engaged in a multitude of legal proceedings regarding detention cost sharing for juveniles. Such litigation has largely focused on how the Department of Juvenile Justice calculates the detention costs that the counties are responsible for paying, leading to the overbilling of counties for a period of years. Additionally, litigation pending in 2016 is a financial burden on the taxpayers of this state.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that all counties that are not fiscally constrained counties and that have pending administrative or judicial claims or challenges file a notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice to dismiss all actions pending on or before February 1, 2016, against the state or any state agency related to juvenile detention cost sharing. Furthermore, all counties that are not fiscally constrained shall execute a release and waiver of any existing or future claims and actions arising from detention cost share prior to the 2016-2017 fiscal year. The department may not seek reimbursement from counties complying with this subsection for any underpayment for any cost-sharing requirements before the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
(3) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Detention care” means secure detention and respite beds for juveniles charged with a domestic violence crime.
(b) “Fiscally constrained county” means a county within a rural area of opportunity as designated by the Governor pursuant to s. 288.0656 or each county for which the value of a mill will raise no more than $5 million in revenue, based on the certified school taxable value certified pursuant to s. 1011.62(4)(a)1.a., from the previous July 1.
(c) “Total shared detention costs” means the amount of funds expended by the department for the costs of detention care for the prior fiscal year. This amount includes the most recent actual certify forward amounts minus any funds it expends on detention care for juveniles residing in fiscally constrained counties or out of state.
(4) Notwithstanding s. 985.686, for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, each county that is not a fiscally constrained county and that has taken the action fulfilling the intent of this section as described in subsection (2) shall pay its annual percentage share of 50 percent of the total shared detention costs. By July 15, 2017, and each year thereafter, the department shall calculate and provide to each county that is not a fiscally constrained county its annual percentage share by dividing the total number of detention days for juveniles residing in the county for the most recently completed 12-month period by the total number of detention days for juveniles in all counties that are not fiscally constrained counties during the same period. The annual percentage share of each county that is not a fiscally constrained county must be multiplied by 50 percent of the total shared detention costs to determine that county’s share of detention costs. Beginning August 1, each such county shall pay to the department its share of detention costs, which shall be paid in 12 equal payments due on the first day of each month. The state shall pay the remaining actual costs of detention care.
(5) The state shall pay all costs of detention care for juveniles residing in a fiscally constrained county and for juveniles residing out of state. The state shall pay all costs of detention care for juveniles housed in state detention centers from counties that provide their own detention care for juveniles.
(6) Each county that is not a fiscally constrained county and that has taken the action fulfilling the intent of this section as described in subsection (2) shall incorporate into its annual county budget sufficient funds to pay its annual percentage share of the total shared detention costs required by subsection (4).
(7) Funds paid by the counties to the department pursuant to this section must be deposited into the Shared County/State Juvenile Detention Trust Fund.
(8) The department shall determine each quarter whether the counties are remitting funds as required by this section.
(9) Funds received from counties pursuant to this section are not subject to the service charges provided in s. 215.20.
(10) The department may adopt rules to administer this section.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2016-152; s. 14, ch. 2019-4.