Bill Text: FL S7052 | 2024 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Economic Self-sufficiency
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-03-06 - Laid on Table, refer to CS/CS/HB 1267 [S7052 Detail]
Download: Florida-2024-S7052-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 7052 By the Committees on Fiscal Policy; and Children, Families, and Elder Affairs 594-03663-24 20247052c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to economic self-sufficiency; amending 3 s. 414.065, F.S.; providing that a participant has 4 good cause for noncompliance with work requirements 5 for a specified time period under certain 6 circumstances; making technical changes; amending s. 7 414.105, F.S.; providing requirements for staff 8 members of local workforce development boards when 9 interviewing participants; amending s. 414.455, F.S.; 10 requiring certain persons to participate in an 11 employment and training program; making a technical 12 change; amending s. 445.009, F.S.; requiring benefit 13 management and career planning using a specified tool 14 as part of the state’s one-stop delivery system; 15 amending s. 445.011, F.S.; requiring the Department of 16 Commerce to develop certain training; conforming 17 provisions to changes made by the act; making a 18 technical change; amending s. 445.017, F.S.; requiring 19 a local workforce development board to administer a 20 specified intake survey; amending s. 445.024, F.S.; 21 authorizing certain participants to participate in 22 certain programs or courses for a specified number of 23 hours per week; authorizing the Department of Commerce 24 to suspend certain work requirements under certain 25 circumstances; requiring the department to issue 26 notice to participants under certain circumstances; 27 amending s. 445.028, F.S.; requiring the Department of 28 Children and Families to administer an exit survey; 29 making technical changes; creating s. 445.0281, F.S.; 30 providing voluntary case management services to 31 certain persons for specified purposes; providing 32 requirements for such case management services and 33 case managers; amending s. 445.035, F.S.; requiring 34 CareerSource Florida, Inc., in collaboration with 35 other entities, to develop standardized intake and 36 exit surveys for specified purposes; specifying when 37 such surveys must be administered; providing 38 requirements for such surveys; requiring completed 39 surveys to be submitted to CareerSource Florida, Inc., 40 and disseminated quarterly to certain departments; 41 requiring the Department of Commerce, in consultation 42 with other entities, to prepare and submit an annual 43 report to the Legislature; providing requirements for 44 such report; creating s. 1002.935, F.S.; creating the 45 School Readiness Plus Program within the Department of 46 Education; providing requirements for the program; 47 providing eligibility requirements to receive a 48 subsidy under the program; requiring early learning 49 coalitions to administer the program and provide 50 participants access to a specified tool; prohibiting 51 early learning coalitions from spending more than a 52 certain percentage on administrative costs of the 53 program in a fiscal year; providing for the 54 calculation of the amount of the subsidy; providing 55 requirements for parents to receive a subsidy; 56 providing an appropriation; providing an effective 57 date. 58 59 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 60 61 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 414.065, Florida 62 Statutes, is amended to read: 63 414.065 Noncompliance with work requirements.— 64 (1) PENALTIES FOR NONPARTICIPATION IN WORK REQUIREMENTS AND 65 FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENT PLANS.—The 66 department shall establish procedures for administering 67 penalties for nonparticipation in work requirements and failure 68 to comply with the alternative requirement plan. If an 69 individual in a family receiving temporary cash assistance fails 70 to engage in work activities required in accordance with s. 71 445.024, the following penalties shall apply. BeforePrior to72 the imposition of a sanction, the participant mustshallbe 73 notified orally or in writing that the participant is subject to 74 sanction and that action will be taken to impose the sanction 75 unless the participant complies with the work activity 76 requirements. The participant mustshallbe counseled as to the 77 consequences of noncompliance and, if appropriate,shall be78 referred for services that could assist the participant to fully 79 comply with program requirements. If the participant has good 80 cause for noncompliance or demonstrates satisfactory compliance, 81 the sanction mayshallnot be imposed. If the requirements of s. 82 445.024(2)(a)1. are suspended pursuant to s. 445.024(2)(a)2., a 83 participant in noncompliance because of such suspension is 84 considered to have good cause for noncompliance for up to 6 85 weeks after the change in the participant’s work requirements. 86 If the participant has subsequently obtained employment, the 87 participant mustshallbe counseled regarding the transitional 88 benefits that may be available and provided information about 89 how to access such benefits. The department shall administer 90 sanctions related to food assistance consistent with federal 91 regulations. 92 (a)1. First noncompliance: temporary cash assistance is 93shall beterminated for the family for a minimum of 10 days or 94 until the individual who failed to comply does so. 95 2. Second noncompliance: temporary cash assistance isshall96beterminated for the family for 1 month or until the individual 97 who failed to comply does so, whichever is later. Upon meeting 98 this requirement, temporary cash assistance mustshallbe 99 reinstated to the date of compliance or the first day of the 100 month following the penalty period, whichever is later. 101 3. Third noncompliance: temporary cash assistance isshall102beterminated for the family for 3 months or until the 103 individual who failed to comply does so, whichever is later. The 104 individual mustshall be required tocomply with the required 105 work activity upon completion of the 3-month penalty period, 106 before reinstatement of temporary cash assistance. Upon meeting 107 this requirement, temporary cash assistance mustshallbe 108 reinstated to the date of compliance or the first day of the 109 month following the penalty period, whichever is later. 110 (b) If a participant receiving temporary cash assistance 111 who is otherwise exempted from noncompliance penalties fails to 112 comply with the alternative requirement plan required in 113 accordance with this section, the penalties provided in 114 paragraph (a)shallapply. 115 116 If a participant fully complies with work activity requirements 117 for at least 6 months, the participant mustshallbe reinstated 118 as being in full compliance with program requirements for 119 purpose of sanctions imposed under this section. 120 Section 2. Subsection (10) of section 414.105, Florida 121 Statutes, is amended to read: 122 414.105 Time limitations of temporary cash assistance. 123 Except as otherwise provided in this section, an applicant or 124 current participant shall receive temporary cash assistance for 125 no more than a lifetime cumulative total of 48 months, unless 126 otherwise provided by law. 127 (10) A member of the staff of the local workforce 128 development board shall interview and assess the employment 129 prospects and barriers of each participant who is within 6 130 months of reaching the 48-month time limit. The staff member 131 shall do all of the following: 132 (a) Administer the exit survey required under s. 133 445.035(2). 134 (b) Use a tool to demonstrate future financial impacts of 135 the participant’s change in income and benefits over time. 136 (c) Assist the participant in identifying actions necessary 137 to become employed before reaching the benefit time limit for 138 temporary cash assistance. 139 (d)and,If appropriate,shallrefer the participant for 140 services that could facilitate employment, including, but not 141 limited to, transitional benefits and services. 142 Section 3. Section 414.455, Florida Statutes, is amended to 143 read: 144 414.455 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; 145 legislative authorization.— 146 (1) Notwithstanding s. 414.45, and unless expressly 147 required by federal law, the department mustshallobtain 148 specific authorization from the Legislature before seeking, 149 applying for, accepting, or renewing any waiver of work 150 requirements established by the Supplemental Nutrition 151 Assistance Program under 7 U.S.C. s. 2015(o). 152 (2) Unless prohibited by the Federal Government, the 153 department must require a person who is receiving food 154 assistance; who is 18 to 59 years of age, inclusive; who does 155 not have children under the age of 18 in his or her home; who 156 does not qualify for an exemption; and who is determined by the 157 department to be eligible, to participate in an employment and 158 training program. 159 Section 4. Present paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of 160 section 445.009, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph 161 (l), and a new paragraph (k) is added to that subsection, to 162 read: 163 445.009 One-stop delivery system.— 164 (1) The one-stop delivery system is the state’s primary 165 customer-service strategy for offering every Floridian access, 166 through service sites or telephone or computer networks, to the 167 following services: 168 (k) Benefit management and career planning using a tool to 169 demonstrate future financial impacts of the participant’s change 170 in income and benefits over time. 171 Section 5. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 445.011, 172 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 173 445.011 Consumer-first workforce system.— 174 (1) The department, in consultation with the state board, 175 the Department of Education, and the Department of Children and 176 Families, shall implement, subject to legislative appropriation, 177 an automated consumer-first workforce system that improves 178 coordination among required one-stop partners and is necessary 179 for the efficient and effective operation and management of the 180 workforce development system. This system mustshallinclude, 181 but isneednotbelimited to, the following: 182 (a) An integrated management system for the one-stop 183 service delivery system, which includes, at a minimum, common 184 registration and intake for required one-stop partners, 185 screening for needs and benefits, benefit management and career 186 planning using a tool to demonstrate future financial impacts of 187 the participant’s change in income and benefits over time, case 188 management, training benefits management, service and training 189 provider management, performance reporting, executive 190 information and reporting, and customer-satisfaction tracking 191 and reporting. 192 1. The system should report current budgeting, expenditure, 193 and performance information for assessing performance related to 194 outcomes, service delivery, and financial administration for 195 workforce programs pursuant to s. 445.004(5) and (9). 196 2. The system should include auditable systems and controls 197 to ensure financial integrity and valid and reliable performance 198 information. 199 3. The system should support service integration and case 200 management across programs and agencies by providing for case 201 tracking for participants in workforce programs, participants 202 who receive benefits pursuant to public assistance programs 203 under chapter 414, and participants in welfare transition 204 programs under this chapter. 205 (b) An automated job-matching information system that is 206 accessible to employers, job seekers, and other users via the 207 Internet, and that includes, at a minimum, all of the following: 208 1. Skill match information, including skill gap analysis; 209 resume creation; job order creation; skill tests; job search by 210 area, employer type, and employer name; and training provider 211 linkage.;212 2. Job market information based on surveys, including 213 local, state, regional, national, and international occupational 214 and job availability information.; and215 3. Service provider information, including education and 216 training providers, child care facilities and related 217 information, health and social service agencies, and other 218 providers of services that would be useful to job seekers. 219 (5) The department shall develop training for required one 220 stop partners on the use of the consumer-first workforce system, 221 best practices for the use of a tool demonstrating future 222 financial impacts of the participant’s change in income and 223 benefits over time, the different case management methods, the 224 availability of welfare transition services, and how to 225 prequalify individuals for workforce programs. 226 Section 6. Subsection (4) of section 445.017, Florida 227 Statutes, is amended to read: 228 445.017 Diversion.— 229 (4)(a) The local workforce development board shall screen 230 each family on a case-by-case basis for barriers to obtaining or 231 retaining employment. The screening mustshallidentify barriers 232 that, if corrected, may prevent the family from receiving 233 temporary cash assistance on a regular basis. At the time of 234 screening, the local workforce development board shall 235 administer the intake survey required under s. 445.035(2). 236 (b) Assistance to overcome a barrier to employment is not 237 limited to cash, but may include vouchers or other in-kind 238 benefits. 239 Section 7. Subsection (2) of section 445.024, Florida 240 Statutes, is amended to read: 241 445.024 Work requirements.— 242 (2) WORK ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS.—Each individual who is not 243 otherwise exempt from work activity requirements must 244 participate in a work activity for the maximum number of hours 245 allowable under federal law; however, a participant may not be 246 required to work more than 40 hours per week. The maximum number 247 of hours each month that a family may be required to participate 248 in community service or work experience programs is the number 249 of hours that would result from dividing the family’s monthly 250 amount for temporary cash assistance and food assistance by the 251 applicable minimum wage. However, the maximum hours required per 252 week for community service or work experience may not exceed 40 253 hours. 254 (a)1. A participant who has not earned a high school 255 diploma or its equivalent may participate in adult general 256 education, as defined in s. 1004.02(3), or a high school 257 equivalency examination preparation, as defined in s. 258 1004.02(16). A participant must participate in such program or 259 course for at least 20 hours per week in order to satisfy the 260 participant’s work activity requirement. 261 2. If the state’s TANF work participation rate, as provided 262 by federal law, does not exceed the federal minimum work 263 participation rate by 10 percentage points in any month, the 264 requirements of this subsection may be suspended by the 265 department until the work participation rate exceeds the federal 266 minimum work participation rate by 10 percentage points for at 267 least 3 consecutive months. 268 3. If the requirements of this subsection are suspended, 269 the department must issue notice to the affected participants of 270 the changed work requirements within 5 days after the change in 271 such work requirements. 272 (b)(a)A participant in a work activity may also be 273 required to enroll in and attend a course of instruction 274 designed to increase literacy skills to a level necessary for 275 obtaining or retaining employment if the instruction plus the 276 work activity does not require more than 40 hours per week. 277 (c)(b)Program funds may be used, as available, to support 278 the efforts of a participant who meets the work activity 279 requirements and who wishes to enroll in or continue enrollment 280 in an adult general education program or other training 281 programs. 282 Section 8. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 445.028, 283 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 284 445.028 Transitional benefits and services.—In cooperation 285 with the department, the Department of Children and Families 286 shall develop procedures to ensure that families leaving the 287 temporary cash assistance program receive transitional benefits 288 and services that will assist the family in moving toward self 289 sufficiency. At a minimum, such procedures must include, but are 290 not limited to, the following: 291 (1) Each recipient of cash assistance who is determined 292 ineligible for cash assistance for a reason other than a work 293 activity sanction mustshallbe contacted by the workforce 294 system case manager and provided information about the 295 availability of transitional benefits and services. Such contact 296 must include the administration of the exit survey required 297 under s. 445.035(2) andshallbe attempted beforeprior to298 closure of the case management file. 299 (2) Each recipient of temporary cash assistance who is 300 determined ineligible for cash assistance due to noncompliance 301 with the work activity requirements mustshallbe contacted and 302 provided information in accordance with s. 414.065(1). Such 303 contact must include the administration of the exit survey 304 required under s. 445.035(2). 305 Section 9. Section 445.0281, Florida Statutes, is created 306 to read: 307 445.0281 Transitional case management.—Each recipient of 308 cash assistance who is determined ineligible for cash assistance 309 for a reason other than noncompliance with work activity 310 requirements is eligible for voluntary case management services 311 administered by the local workforce development board. Case 312 management services must be available to support families who 313 transition to economic self-sufficiency and to mitigate 314 dependency on cash assistance. Case management services must 315 include, but are not limited to, career planning, job search 316 assistance, resume building, basic financial planning, 317 connection to support services, and benefits management using a 318 tool to demonstrate future financial impacts of the 319 participant’s change in income and benefits over time, as 320 applicable. Case managers must connect recipients to other 321 transitional benefits as needed. 322 Section 10. Section 445.035, Florida Statutes, is amended 323 to read: 324 445.035 Data collection and reporting.— 325 (1) The Department of Children and Families and the state 326 board shall collect data necessary to administer this chapter 327 and make the reports required under federal law to the United 328 States Department of Health and Human Services and the United 329 States Department of Agriculture. 330 (2) CareerSource Florida, Inc., in collaboration with the 331 department, the Department of Children and Families, and the 332 local workforce development boards, shall develop standardized 333 intake and exit surveys for the purpose of collecting and 334 aggregating data to monitor program effectiveness, inform 335 program improvements, and allocate resources. 336 (a) The intake survey must be administered by the local 337 workforce development boards during the required diversion 338 screening process under s. 445.017. The intake survey must be 339 administered to each new recipient of temporary cash assistance 340 under chapter 414 who has not otherwise completed the survey. 341 (b) The intake survey must, at a minimum, collect 342 qualitative or quantitative data, as applicable, relating to all 343 of the following: 344 1. The recipient’s perceived individual barriers to 345 employment. 346 2. The reasons cited by the recipient for his or her 347 separation from employment in the previous 12 months. 348 3. The recipient’s stated goals for employment or 349 professional development. 350 4. The recipient’s highest level of education or 351 credentials attained or training received at the time of 352 enrollment. 353 5. The recipient’s awareness of welfare transition 354 services. 355 (c) The exit survey must be administered by the local 356 workforce development boards to recipients of temporary cash 357 assistance under chapter 414 as recipients prepare to transition 358 off of temporary cash assistance. Based on a recipient’s 359 circumstances, the exit survey must be administered to the 360 recipient at one of the following points of contact: 361 1. The recipient is approaching the statutory time 362 limitation for temporary cash assistance and is interviewed 363 pursuant to s. 414.105(10); or 364 2. At such time when the recipient becomes ineligible for 365 cash assistance and is contacted pursuant to s. 445.028. 366 (d) The exit survey must, at a minimum, collect data 367 relating to all of the following: 368 1. The recipient’s enrollment in other public benefits 369 programs at the time of exit. 370 2. Whether the recipient has a long-term career plan. 371 3. The recipient’s credentials or education attained or 372 training received during enrollment. 373 4. Barriers to the recipient’s employment which were 374 addressed during enrollment. 375 5. Any remaining barriers to the recipient’s employment. 376 (e) The completed surveys must be submitted to CareerSource 377 Florida, Inc., and anonymized data must be disseminated 378 quarterly to the department and the Department of Children and 379 Families. 380 (f) The department, in consultation with CareerSource 381 Florida, Inc., and the Department of Children and Families, 382 shall prepare and submit to the President of the Senate and the 383 Speaker of the House of Representatives a report by January 1 of 384 each year. The report must include, at a minimum, the results of 385 the intake and exit surveys, an analysis of the barriers to 386 employment experienced by the survey respondents, and any 387 recommendations for legislative and administrative changes to 388 mitigate such barriers and improve the effective use of 389 transitional benefits. 390 Section 11. Section 1002.935, Florida Statutes, is created 391 to read: 392 1002.935 School Readiness Plus Program.—The School 393 Readiness Plus Program is created within the Department of 394 Education to support the continued school readiness and child 395 care needs of working families with children. The program is 396 contingent upon a legislative appropriation and is provided on a 397 first-come, first-served basis. 398 (1)(a) A child who is determined to be ineligible for 399 school readiness program funds due to family income during the 400 annual eligibility redetermination process pursuant to s. 401 1002.87(6) is eligible for a subsidy under this section if the 402 family income is between 85 percent and 100 percent, inclusive, 403 of the state median income. 404 (b)1. The early learning coalitions established in s. 405 1002.83 shall administer the School Readiness Plus Program and 406 provide participants with access to the benefit management and 407 career planning tool described in s. 445.009(1)(k). 408 2. The early learning coalitions must spend the minimum 409 amount of funds necessary for the efficient and effective 410 administration of the School Readiness Plus Program. The early 411 learning coalitions may not use more than 5 percent of the funds 412 allowed for the program for administrative costs in a fiscal 413 year. 414 (2)(a) The amount of the subsidy is a percentage of the 415 early learning coalition’s approved school readiness program 416 provider reimbursement rates as calculated pursuant to s. 417 1002.84(17). An early learning coalition shall consider family 418 income and a required parent copayment that increases in 419 relation to the family income when establishing the percentage 420 for the amount of the subsidy for the program. 421 (b) The amount of the subsidy and parent copayment must be 422 sufficient to allow the family to access eligible school 423 readiness providers pursuant to s. 1002.88 and enable the parent 424 to achieve self-sufficiency. 425 (3) For a parent to receive a subsidy under the program, he 426 or she must: 427 (a) Provide any documentation necessary to verify the 428 parent’s eligibility to receive the subsidy. 429 (b) Be responsible for the payment of all child care 430 expenses in excess of the amount of the subsidy. 431 Section 12. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of 432 $23,076,259 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the 433 General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to implement 434 the School Readiness Plus Program established in s. 1002.935, 435 Florida Statutes. These funds shall be placed in reserve. The 436 department is authorized to submit budget amendments requesting 437 the release of the funds pursuant to chapter 216, Florida 438 Statutes. Release of the funds is contingent upon the submission 439 of an allocation plan developed by the department in 440 collaboration with the early learning coalitions established 441 pursuant to s. 1002.83, Florida Statutes. 442 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.