Bill Text: FL H0531 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Homelessness

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-1)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Children, Families, and Elder Affairs [H0531 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0531-Introduced.html

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HB 531

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to homelessness; amending ss. 320.02,
3	322.08, and 322.18, F.S.; requiring the motor vehicle
4	registration form and registration renewal form, the
5	driver license application form, and the driver
6	license application form for renewal issuance or
7	renewal extension to include an option to make a
8	voluntary contribution to aid the homeless; providing
9	for such contributions to be deposited into the Grants
10	and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children
11	and Family Services and used by the State Office on
12	Homelessness for certain purposes; providing that
13	voluntary contributions for the homeless are not
14	income of a revenue nature for the purpose of applying
15	certain service charges; creating s. 414.161, F.S.;
16	establishing a homelessness prevention grant program;
17	requiring grant applicants to be ranked competitively;
18	providing preference for certain grant applicants;
19	providing eligibility requirements; providing grant
20	limitations and restrictions; requiring lead agencies
21	for local homeless assistance continuums of care to
22	track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a
23	specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.;
24	limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies
25	may spend on administrative costs; amending s.
26	420.625, F.S.; deleting a cross-reference to conform;
27	amending s. 420.6275, F.S.; revising legislative
28	findings relating to the Housing First approach to
29	homelessness; repealing s. 414.16, F.S., relating to
30	the emergency assistance program for families with
31	children that have lost shelter or face loss of
32	shelter due to an emergency; providing an effective
33	date.
34
35	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37	Section 1.  Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (15) of
38	section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
39	320.02  Registration required; application for
40	registration; forms.-
41	(15)
42	(o)  Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for
43	motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must
44	include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per
45	applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to
46	this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations
47	Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and
48	used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants
49	made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the
50	public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature
51	for homeless persons seeking assistance.
52
53	For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
54	215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
55	income of a revenue nature.
56	Section 2.  Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida
57	Statutes, is amended to read:
58	322.08  Application for license; requirements for license
59	and identification card forms.-
60	(7)  The application form for an original, renewal, or
61	replacement driver's license or identification card shall
62	include language permitting the following:
63	(a)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
64	contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
65	for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
66	organ and tissue donor registry.
67	(b)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
68	contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
69	Blind.
70	(c)  A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
71	shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
72	Incorporated.
73	(d)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
74	shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
75	International.
76	(e)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
77	shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund.
78	(f)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
79	shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
80	(g)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Stop
81	Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart
82	Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.
83	(h)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Senior
84	Vision Services, which shall be distributed to the Florida
85	Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., a not-for-
86	profit organization.
87	(i)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for
88	services for persons with developmental disabilities, which
89	shall be distributed to The Arc of Florida.
90	(j)  A voluntary contribution of $1 to the Ronald McDonald
91	House, which shall be distributed each month to Ronald McDonald
92	House Charities of Tampa Bay, Inc.
93	(k)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
94	of $1 per applicant, which shall be distributed to the League
95	Against Cancer/La Liga Contra el Cancer, a not-for-profit
96	organization.
97	(l)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to
98	Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, which shall be distributed to
99	Lauren's Kids, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
100	(m)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
101	shall be distributed to Prevent Blindness Florida, a not-for-
102	profit organization, to prevent blindness and preserve the sight
103	of the residents of this state.
104	(n)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
105	of $1 per applicant to the state homes for veterans, to be
106	distributed on a quarterly basis by the department to the State
107	Homes for Veterans Trust Fund, which is administered by the
108	Department of Veterans' Affairs.
109	(o)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to the
110	Disabled American Veterans, Department of Florida, which shall
111	be distributed quarterly to Disabled American Veterans,
112	Department of Florida, a nonprofit organization.
113	(p)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
114	of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made
115	pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants
116	and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and
117	Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to
118	supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide
119	information to the public about homelessness in the state, and
120	provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance.
121
122	A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
123	funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
124	service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
125	under paragraphs (b)-(p) (b)-(o) are not income of a revenue
126	nature.
127	Section 3.  Subsection (9) is added to section 322.18,
128	Florida Statutes, to read:
129	322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;
130	expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.-
131	(9)  The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal
132	extension shall include language permitting a voluntary
133	contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless.
134	Contributions made pursuant to this subsection shall be
135	deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the
136	Department of Children and Family Services and used by the State
137	Office on Homelessness to supplement grants made under s.
138	420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the public about
139	homelessness in the state, and provide literature for homeless
140	persons seeking assistance. For the purpose of applying the
141	service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
142	under this paragraph are not income of a revenue nature.
143	Section 4.  Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created
144	to read:
145	414.161  Homelessness prevention grants.-
146	(1)  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant
147	program to provide emergency financial assistance to families
148	facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or
149	other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the
150	concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and
151	administer moneys appropriated to the Department of Children and
152	Family Services to provide homelessness prevention grants
153	annually to lead agencies for local homeless assistance
154	continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office on
155	Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the
156	state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations,
157	gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source
158	that is intended to assist families to prevent them from
159	becoming homeless.
160	(2)  GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked
161	competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who
162	leverage additional private funds and public funds, who
163	demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention
164	programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the
165	commitment of other assistance and services to address family
166	health, employment, and education needs.
167	(3)  ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead
168	agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance
169	continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The
170	homelessness prevention program must be included in the
171	continuum of care plan.
172	(4)  GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency
173	may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay
174	past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs,
175	provision of case management services, and program
176	administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award.
177	The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for
178	each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be
179	covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered.
180	(5)  PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency must track, monitor, and
181	report on each family assisted for at least 12 months after the
182	last assistance provided to the family. The goal for the
183	homelessness prevention program is to enable at least 85 percent
184	of the families assisted to remain in their homes and avoid
185	becoming homeless during the ensuing year.
186	Section 5.  Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
187	section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read:
188	420.622  State Office on Homelessness; Council on
189	Homelessness.-
190	(4)  Not less than 120 days after the effective date of
191	this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
192	of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
193	appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to
194	lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
195	designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
196	may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county
197	government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit
198	corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency.
199	(d)  A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its
200	funding on administrative costs.
201	Section 6.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
202	420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
203	420.625  Grant-in-aid program.-
204	(3)  ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in-
205	aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of
206	the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may
207	include, but are not limited to:
208	(d)  Emergency financial assistance for persons who are
209	totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are
210	not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16.
211	Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
212	420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
213	420.6275  Housing First.-
214	(2)  HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.-
215	(a)  The Housing First approach to homelessness differs
216	from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance,
217	case management, and support services responsive to individual
218	or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this
219	approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce
220	the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless
221	and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First
222	emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual
223	and family well-being can be more effective when people are in
224	their own home, and:
225	1.  The housing is not time-limited.
226	2.  The housing is not contingent on compliance with
227	services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard
228	lease agreement and are provided with the services and support
229	that are necessary to help them do so successfully.
230	3.  A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to
231	combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has
232	been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support
233	services are provided.
234	Section 8.  Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
235	Section 9.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.