Bill Text: FL S1404 | 2010 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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

---

Bill Title: Veterans' Suicide Prevention [GPSC]

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Messages [S1404 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S1404-Comm_Sub.html

---

 
Florida Senate - 2010                             CS for SB 1404 
 
By the Committees on Military Affairs and Domestic Security; and 
Military Affairs and Domestic Security 
583-02386-10                                          20101404c1 
1                        A bill to be entitled 
2         An act relating to veterans’ suicide prevention; 
3         directing the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in 
4         partnership with the Statewide Office for Suicide 
5         Prevention and the Department of Children and Family 
6         Services, to seek federal funding for a grants program 
7         that addresses veterans’ outreach and suicide 
8         prevention; amending s. 14.20195, F.S.; revising the 
9         membership of the Suicide Prevention Coordinating 
10         Council to include veterans appointed by the Governor; 
11         providing an effective date. 
12 
13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
14 
15         Section 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in 
16  collaboration with the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention 
17  and the Department of Children and Families Services, shall seek 
18  federal funding for veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention 
19  programs and initiatives. Subject to the receipt of such 
20  funding, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall implement and 
21  administer a veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention grants 
22  program. The department may focus grant awards to those areas of 
23  the state which are considered underserved by United States 
24  Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities and to 
25  veterans who are otherwise ineligible for health care services 
26  under the federal veterans’ benefits system. Programs and 
27  initiatives awarded grants by the department must include both 
28  veterans and their families in outreach and suicide prevention 
29  efforts and coordinate their efforts with the United States 
30  Department of Veterans Affairs. 
31         Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 14.20195, Florida 
32  Statutes, is amended to read: 
33         14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council; creation; 
34  membership; duties.—There is created within the Statewide Office 
35  for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention Coordinating 
36  Council. The council shall develop strategies for preventing 
37  suicide. 
38         (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council 
39  shall consist of 30 28 voting members. 
40         (a) Fourteen members shall be appointed by the director of 
41  the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the following 
42  organizations: 
43         1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation 
44  described in s. 394.655. 
45         2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists. 
46         3. The Florida Sheriffs Association. 
47         4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA. 
48         5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention. 
49         6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition. 
50         7. The Alzheimer’s Association. 
51         8. The Florida School Board Association. 
52         9. Volunteer Florida. 
53         10. The state chapter of AARP. 
54         11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association. 
55         12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health. 
56         13. The Florida Counseling Association. 
57         14. NAMI Florida. 
58         (b) The following state officials or their designees shall 
59  serve on the coordinating council: 
60         1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs. 
61         2. The State Surgeon General. 
62         3. The Commissioner of Education. 
63         4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration. 
64         5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice. 
65         6. The Secretary of Corrections. 
66         7. The executive director of the Department of Law 
67  Enforcement. 
68         8. The executive director of the Department of Veterans’ 
69  Affairs. 
70         9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services. 
71         10. The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation. 
72         (c) The Governor shall appoint six four additional members 
73  to the coordinating council. At least four of the appointees 
74  must have expertise that is critical to the prevention of 
75  suicide or represent an organization that is not already 
76  represented on the coordinating council. At least two of the 
77  appointees must be veterans, of whom one must be currently 
78  enrolled as a student. 
79         (d) For the members appointed by the director of the Office 
80  of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to initial 
81  terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed to 
82  initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the 
83  Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4 
84  years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 3 
85  years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms of 4 
86  years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled 
87  in the same manner as the original appointment, and any member 
88  who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death, 
89  resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only 
90  for the unexpired term of the member’s predecessor. A member is 
91  eligible for reappointment. 
92         (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall be a 
93  nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall act as 
94  chair. 
95         (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve without 
96  compensation. Any member of the coordinating council who is a 
97  public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per diem and 
98  travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. 
99         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.