HB 131

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 license
6	application form for renewal issuance or renewal extension
7	to include an option to make a voluntary contribution to
8	aid the homeless; providing for such contributions to be
9	deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the
10	Department of Children and Family Services and used by the
11	State Office on Homelessness for certain purposes;
12	providing that voluntary contributions for the homeless
13	are not income of a revenue nature for the purpose of
14	applying certain service charges; creating s. 414.161,
15	F.S.; establishing a homelessness prevention grant
16	program; requiring grant applicants to be ranked
17	competitively; providing preference for certain grant
18	applicants; providing eligibility requirements; providing
19	grant limitations and restrictions; requiring lead
20	agencies for local homeless assistance continuums of care
21	to track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a
22	specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.;
23	limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies may
24	spend on administrative costs; amending s. 420.625, F.S.;
25	deleting a cross-reference to conform; amending s.
26	420.6275, F.S.; revising legislative findings relating to
27	the Housing First approach to homelessness; repealing s.
28	414.16, F.S., relating to the emergency assistance program
29	for families with children that have lost shelter or face
30	loss of shelter due to an emergency; providing an
31	effective date.
32
33	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35	Section 1.  Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (15) of
36	section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
37	320.02  Registration required; application for
38	registration; forms.-
39	(15)
40	(o)  Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for
41	motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must
42	include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per
43	applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to
44	this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations
45	Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and
46	used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants
47	made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the
48	public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature
49	for homeless persons seeking assistance.
50
51	For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
52	215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
53	income of a revenue nature.
54	Section 2.  Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida
55	Statutes, is amended to read:
56	322.08  Application for license; requirements for license
57	and identification card forms.-
58	(7)  The application form for an original, renewal, or
59	replacement driver's license or identification card shall
60	include language permitting the following:
61	(a)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
62	contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
63	for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
64	organ and tissue donor registry.
65	(b)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
66	contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
67	Blind.
68	(c)  A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
69	shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
70	Incorporated.
71	(d)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
72	shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
73	International.
74	(e)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
75	shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund.
76	(f)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
77	shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
78	(g)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Stop
79	Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart
80	Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.
81	(h)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Senior
82	Vision Services, which shall be distributed to the Florida
83	Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., a not-for-
84	profit organization.
85	(i)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for
86	services for persons with developmental disabilities, which
87	shall be distributed to The Arc of Florida.
88	(j)  A voluntary contribution of $1 to the Ronald McDonald
89	House, which shall be distributed each month to Ronald McDonald
90	House Charities of Tampa Bay, Inc.
91	(k)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
92	of $1 per applicant, which shall be distributed to the League
93	Against Cancer/La Liga Contra el Cancer, a not-for-profit
94	organization.
95	(l)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to
96	Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, which shall be distributed to
97	Lauren's Kids, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
98	(m)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
99	shall be distributed to Prevent Blindness Florida, a not-for-
100	profit organization, to prevent blindness and preserve the sight
101	of the residents of this state.
102	(n)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
103	of $1 per applicant to the state homes for veterans, to be
104	distributed on a quarterly basis by the department to the State
105	Homes for Veterans Trust Fund, which is administered by the
106	Department of Veterans' Affairs.
107	(o)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
108	of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made
109	pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants
110	and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and
111	Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to
112	supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide
113	information to the public about homelessness in the state, and
114	provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance.
115
116	A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
117	funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
118	service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
119	under paragraphs (b)-(o) (b)-(n) are not income of a revenue
120	nature.
121	Section 3.  Subsection (9) is added to section 322.18,
122	Florida Statutes, to read:
123	322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;
124	expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.-
125	(9)  The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal
126	extension shall include language permitting a voluntary
127	contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless.
128	Contributions made pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited
129	into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of
130	Children and Family Services and used by the State Office on
131	Homelessness to supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and
132	(5), provide information to the public about homelessness in the
133	state, and provide literature for homeless persons seeking
134	assistance. For the purpose of applying the service charge
135	provided in s. 215.20, contributions received under this
136	paragraph are not income of a revenue nature.
137	Section 4.  Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created
138	to read:
139	414.161  Homelessness prevention grants.-
140	(1)  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant
141	program to provide emergency financial assistance to families
142	facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or
143	other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the
144	concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and
145	administer moneys appropriated to it to provide homelessness
146	prevention grants annually to lead agencies for local homeless
147	assistance continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office
148	on Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the
149	state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations,
150	gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source
151	that is intended to assist families to prevent them from
152	becoming homeless.
153	(2)  GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked
154	competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who
155	leverage additional private funds and public funds, who
156	demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention
157	programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the
158	commitment of other assistance and services to address family
159	health, employment, and education needs.
160	(3)  ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead
161	agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance
162	continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The
163	homelessness prevention program must be included in the
164	continuum of care plan.
165	(4)  GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency
166	may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay
167	past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs,
168	other past due bills creating a family's financial crisis,
169	provision of case management services, and program
170	administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award.
171	The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for
172	each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be
173	covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered.
174	(5)  PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency shall be required to
175	track, monitor, and report on each family assisted for at least
176	12 months after the last assistance provided to the family. The
177	goal for the homelessness prevention program shall be to enable
178	at least 85 percent of the families assisted to remain in their
179	homes and avoid becoming homeless during the ensuing year.
180	Section 5.  Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
181	section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read:
182	420.622  State Office on Homelessness; Council on
183	Homelessness.-
184	(4)  Not less than 120 days after the effective date of
185	this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
186	of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
187	appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to
188	lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
189	designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
190	may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county
191	government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit
192	corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency.
193	(d)  A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its
194	funding on administrative costs.
195	Section 6.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
196	420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
197	420.625  Grant-in-aid program.-
198	(3)  ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in-
199	aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of
200	the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may
201	include, but are not limited to:
202	(d)  Emergency financial assistance for persons who are
203	totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are
204	not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16.
205	Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
206	420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
207	420.6275  Housing First.-
208	(2)  HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.-
209	(a)  The Housing First approach to homelessness differs
210	from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance,
211	case management, and support services responsive to individual
212	or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this
213	approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce
214	the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless
215	and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First
216	emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual
217	and family well-being can be more effective when people are in
218	their own home, and:
219	1.  The housing is not time-limited.
220	2.  The housing is not contingent on compliance with
221	services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard
222	lease agreement and are provided with the services and support
223	that are necessary to help them do so successfully.
224	3.  A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to
225	combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has
226	been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support
227	services are provided.
228	Section 8.  Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
229	Section 9.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

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