Bill Text: FL S1136 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Children's Services Councils
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Community Affairs [S1136 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S1136-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1136
By Senator Brandes
24-01635-20 20201136__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to children’s services councils;
3 amending s. 125.901, F.S.; expanding requirements for
4 annual reports required to be submitted by councils on
5 children’s services to the respective governing body
6 of the county; revising financial reporting
7 requirements for such councils; providing an effective
8 date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and paragraph
13 (f) of subsection (3) of section 125.901, Florida Statutes, are
14 amended to read:
15 125.901 Children’s services; independent special district;
16 council; powers, duties, and functions; public records
17 exemption.—
18 (2)
19 (b) Each council on children’s services shall:
20 1. Immediately after the members are appointed, elect a
21 chair and a vice chair from among its members, and elect other
22 officers as deemed necessary by the council.
23 2. Immediately after the members are appointed and officers
24 are elected, identify and assess the needs of the children in
25 the county served by the council and submit to the governing
26 body of each county a written description of:
27 a. The activities, services, and opportunities that will be
28 provided to children.
29 b. The anticipated schedule for providing those activities,
30 services, and opportunities.
31 c. The manner in which children will be served, including a
32 description of arrangements and agreements which will be made
33 with community organizations, state and local educational
34 agencies, federal agencies, public assistance agencies, the
35 juvenile courts, foster care agencies, and other applicable
36 public and private agencies and organizations.
37 d. The special outreach efforts that will be undertaken to
38 provide services to at-risk, abused, or neglected children.
39 e. The manner in which the council will seek and provide
40 funding for unmet needs.
41 f. The strategy which will be used for interagency
42 coordination to maximize existing human and fiscal resources.
43 3. Provide training and orientation to all new members
44 sufficient to allow them to perform their duties.
45 4. Make and adopt bylaws and rules and regulations for the
46 council’s guidance, operation, governance, and maintenance,
47 provided such rules and regulations are not inconsistent with
48 federal or state laws or county ordinances.
49 5. Provide an annual written report, to be presented no
50 later than January 1, to the governing body of the county. The
51 annual report shall contain, but not be limited to, the
52 following information:
53 a. Information on the effectiveness of activities,
54 services, and programs offered by the council, including cost
55 effectiveness.
56 b. A detailed anticipated budget for continuation of
57 activities, services, and programs offered by the council, and a
58 list of all sources of requested funding, both public and
59 private.
60 c. Procedures used for early identification of at-risk
61 children who need additional or continued services and methods
62 for ensuring that the additional or continued services are
63 received.
64 d. A description of the degree to which the council’s
65 objectives and activities are consistent with the goals of this
66 section.
67 e. Detailed information on the various programs, services,
68 and activities available to participants and the degree to which
69 the programs, services, and activities have been successfully
70 used by children.
71 f. Information on programs, services, and activities that
72 should be eliminated; programs, services, and activities that
73 should be continued; and programs, services, and activities that
74 should be added to the basic format of the children’s services
75 council.
76 g. Performance data describing the activities, services,
77 and programs offered by the council within the county, and must
78 include data from the year the council was created and as of
79 December 31 of the reporting year. The data must include the:
80 (I) Percentage and total number of mothers who received or
81 are receiving prenatal care through programs sponsored or
82 supported by the council.
83 (II) Percentage of infants born with a low birth weight.
84 For purposes of this sub-subparagraph, the term “low birth
85 weight” means a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams.
86 (III) Total number of infants born with a low birth weight
87 whose mothers received or are receiving prenatal care through
88 programs sponsored or supported by the council.
89 (IV) Rate of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
90 (V) Percentage of children under the age of 18 living in
91 households whose income levels are below 100 percent of the
92 federal poverty level.
93 (VI) Rate of teen alcohol use.
94 (VII) Rate of teen drug use.
95 (VIII) Rate of juvenile arrests.
96 (IX) Rate of pregnancies among females under the age of 18.
97 (X) Percentage of students who performed or are performing
98 at or above grade level on standardized tests.
99 (XI) High school graduation rates.
100 (3)
101 (f) Within 10 days, exclusive of weekends and legal
102 holidays, after the expiration of each calendar month quarter
103 annual period, the council on children’s services shall cause to
104 be prepared and filed with the governing body of the county a
105 financial report which must shall include the following:
106 1. The itemized total expenditures of the council for the
107 calendar month quarter annual period.
108 2. The itemized total receipts of the council for during
109 the calendar month quarter annual period.
110 3. A statement of the funds the council has on hand, has
111 invested, or has deposited with qualified public depositories at
112 the end of the calendar month quarter annual period.
113 4. The total administrative costs of the council for the
114 calendar month quarter annual period.
115 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2020.
