Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1160
       
       
        
       By Senator Steube
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01332-18                                           20181160__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to family self-sufficiency; amending
    3         ss. 414.14 and 414.175, F.S.; authorizing changes to
    4         public assistance policy and federal food assistance
    5         waivers to conform to federal law and simplify
    6         administration unless such changes increase income or
    7         resource eligibility standards for the program;
    8         creating s. 414.315, F.S.; requiring the Department of
    9         Children and Families to impose a resource limit for
   10         households receiving food assistance, subject to
   11         federal approval; requiring legislative authorization
   12         for expanding resource eligibility under certain
   13         circumstances; providing applicability; creating s.
   14         414.393, F.S.; requiring the department to implement
   15         asset verification to verify eligibility for public
   16         assistance; amending s. 445.004, F.S.; requiring
   17         CareerSource Florida, Inc., to include certain data
   18         relating to the performance outcomes of local
   19         workforce development boards and associated pilot
   20         programs in an annual report to the Governor and
   21         Legislature; providing legislative findings; providing
   22         definitions; requiring CareerSource Florida, Inc., to
   23         contract with a vendor to develop a pilot program to
   24         increase employment among certain persons receiving
   25         temporary cash assistance by a specified date;
   26         providing criteria for selecting a vendor; providing
   27         criteria for selecting local workforce boards to
   28         conduct the pilot program; requiring CareerSource
   29         Florida, Inc., to submit a report on the outcome of
   30         the pilot program to the Governor and Legislature by a
   31         specified date; providing appropriations; providing an
   32         effective date.
   33          
   34  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   35  
   36         Section 1. Section 414.14, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   37  read:
   38         414.14 Public assistance policy simplification.—To the
   39  extent possible, the department shall align the requirements for
   40  eligibility under this chapter with the food assistance program
   41  and medical assistance eligibility policies and procedures to
   42  simplify the budgeting process and reduce errors. If the
   43  department determines that s. 414.075, relating to resources, or
   44  s. 414.085, relating to income, is inconsistent with federal law
   45  governing the food assistance program or medical assistance, and
   46  that conformance to federal law would simplify administration of
   47  the Temporary Cash Assistance Program or reduce errors without
   48  materially increasing the cost of the program to the state, the
   49  secretary of the department may propose a change in the resource
   50  or income requirements of the program by rule, providing that
   51  such change does not increase income or resource eligibility
   52  standards for the program.
   53         Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 414.175, Florida
   54  Statutes, is amended to read:
   55         414.175 Review of existing waivers.—
   56         (2) The department shall review federal law, including
   57  revisions to federal food assistance program requirements. If
   58  the department determines that federal food assistance waivers
   59  will further the goals of this chapter, including simplification
   60  of program policies or program administration, the department
   61  may obtain waivers if this can be accomplished within available
   62  resources, providing that such waiver does not increase income
   63  or resource eligibility standards for the program.
   64         Section 3. Section 414.315, Florida Statutes, is created to
   65  read:
   66         414.315Food assistance program resource eligibility
   67  standards.—
   68         (1)Subject to federal approval, the department shall
   69  impose a resource limit of $5,000 for all households that
   70  receive food assistance.
   71         (2)Unless expressly required by federal law, the
   72  department shall obtain specific authorization from the
   73  Legislature before seeking, applying for, accepting, or renewing
   74  any waiver for food assistance which expands resource
   75  eligibility beyond the limits established in subsection (1).
   76         (3)This section does not apply to those households that
   77  are federally required to be categorically eligible for food
   78  assistance under 7 C.F.R. s. 273.2.
   79         Section 4. Section 414.393, Florida Statutes, is created to
   80  read:
   81         414.393Applicant asset verification.—Upon federal approval
   82  to implement the resource eligibility standards in s.
   83  414.315(1), the department shall implement asset verification
   84  for the purpose of determining eligibility for the food
   85  assistance programs.
   86         Section 5. Paragraphs (c) and (d) are added to subsection
   87  (7) of section 445.004, Florida Statutes, and subsection (13) is
   88  added to that section, to read:
   89         445.004 CareerSource Florida, Inc.; creation; purpose;
   90  membership; duties and powers.—
   91         (7) By December 1 of each year, CareerSource Florida, Inc.,
   92  shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the
   93  Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Minority
   94  Leader, and the House Minority Leader a complete and detailed
   95  annual report setting forth:
   96         (c)For each local workforce development board, participant
   97  statistics, and employment outcomes, by program, for individuals
   98  subject to mandatory work requirements due to receipt of
   99  temporary cash assistance or food assistance under chapter 414,
  100  including:
  101         1.Individuals served.
  102         2.Services received.
  103         3.Activities in which individuals participated.
  104         4.Types of employment secured.
  105         5.Individuals securing employment but remaining in each
  106  program.
  107         6.Individuals exiting programs due to employment.
  108         7.Employment status at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
  109  after individuals exit the program, for the immediate past 3
  110  years.
  111         (d)Interim outcomes of any pilot program implemented by a
  112  local workforce development board selected pursuant to
  113  subsection (13).
  114         (13)The Legislature finds that some mandatory work
  115  registrants in the Temporary Cash Assistance Program face
  116  significant barriers to employment, which must be addressed with
  117  services beyond those offered under a traditional workforce
  118  program. To address this problem, CareerSource Florida, Inc., in
  119  consultation with the department, shall implement a pilot
  120  program to increase unsubsidized employment and earned income
  121  among such registrants while reducing their reliance on public
  122  assistance. The pilot program may not serve registrants who are
  123  assessed as work ready or who do not face significant barriers
  124  to employment.
  125         (a)For the purposes of this subsection, “significant
  126  barriers to employment” means at least one critical barrier or
  127  three or more stand-alone barriers.
  128         1.“Critical barriers” include substance abuse, mental
  129  illness, physical or mental disability, domestic violence,
  130  homelessness, and a criminal record affecting employment.
  131         2.“Stand-alone barriers” include significant job skill
  132  deficiencies; significant soft-skill deficiencies, such as
  133  communication, time management, and problem-solving skills;
  134  child welfare system involvement; and a negative or nonexistent
  135  employment history.
  136         (b)CareerSource Florida, Inc., in consultation with the
  137  department, shall contract with a vendor by October 31, 2018, to
  138  develop the pilot program according to the following guidelines:
  139         1.The vendor must have expertise in the design and
  140  development of workforce programs.
  141         2.The program design shall be based on the best available
  142  research and shall include, at a minimum:
  143         a.A comprehensive assessment to identify significant
  144  barriers to employment, which shall be updated on an ongoing
  145  basis. Such an assessment may collect information about the
  146  registrant’s educational attainment, level of literacy and
  147  numeracy, basic skills, work experience, receipt of public
  148  benefits, and other indicators of significant barriers.
  149         b.An individual responsibility plan based on the
  150  assessment, which includes a comprehensive service strategy to
  151  address barriers to employment, whether sequentially or
  152  simultaneously.
  153         c.Intensive case management, including, but not limited
  154  to, ongoing one-on-one guidance, motivation, and support for
  155  registrants by assessing their needs and barriers, identifying
  156  resources, and advising on career and training opportunities.
  157  Intensive case management also includes collaborative work with
  158  community partners to provide comprehensive services to
  159  registrants which are designed to address their barriers and
  160  achieve program goals.
  161         3.The program may include other elements to address
  162  significant barriers, such as a combination of job search
  163  assistance, basic skills training, vocational education,
  164  strategies that connect registrants to relevant career
  165  opportunities by supporting their efforts to obtain educational
  166  certificates or industry certification, and transitional
  167  employment subsidies to achieve the desired improvements in
  168  employment and earnings.
  169         (c)CareerSource Florida, Inc., in consultation with the
  170  department, shall select at least three local workforce boards
  171  to conduct the pilot program based on a board’s:
  172         1.Commitment to effectively serve the target population.
  173         2.Established record of innovation in the delivery of
  174  workforce services, preferably to the target population.
  175         3.Existing strong community partnerships, including
  176  partnerships with nonprofit entities and community colleges, to
  177  provide workforce services.
  178         4.Commitment to implement the program for the target
  179  population while continuing to serve other Temporary Cash
  180  Assistance Program mandatory work registrants.
  181         (d)The local workforce boards selected for the pilot
  182  program shall contract with vendors to implement the program.
  183  The local workforce board shall give preference to vendors with
  184  a demonstrated commitment to innovation in providing workforce
  185  services or in serving populations with significant barriers.
  186         (e)CareerSource Florida, Inc., shall submit a report to
  187  the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
  188  the House of Representatives by December 15, 2021. The report
  189  shall include the program design; participating entities;
  190  participant demographics, including, but not limited to,
  191  barriers identified; and the case management processes,
  192  assessment processes, and services provided to participants, as
  193  compared to those available under the local workforce board’s
  194  traditional workforce program. The report shall also include an
  195  analysis of the effect of the program on participants’ barriers
  196  to employment, employment outcomes, household income, reliance
  197  on public assistance, and other measures of household well-being
  198  and self-sufficiency.
  199         Section 6. For fiscal year 2018-2019, the sum of $3,342,525
  200  in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue
  201  Fund to the Department of Children and Families to implement
  202  asset verification for the food assistance program pursuant to
  203  s. 414.393, Florida Statutes, as created by this act, and the
  204  sum of $300,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the
  205  General Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Families
  206  to perform the technology modifications necessary to implement
  207  asset verification.
  208         Section 7. For fiscal year 2018-2019, the sum of $500,000
  209  in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue
  210  Fund to the Department of Economic Opportunity for distribution
  211  to CareerSource Florida, Inc., to contract for development of a
  212  program to serve temporary cash assistance work registrants with
  213  significant barriers to employment pursuant to this act,
  214  including, but not limited to, providing the initial program
  215  design, evaluation design, training curricula development and
  216  delivery of training, implementation oversight, development of
  217  informational materials for participants, and technical
  218  assistance; and for distribution to selected local workforce
  219  boards for startup expenses incurred by vendors implementing the
  220  program, including, but not limited to, information technology
  221  updates, program coordination, and staff training. Case
  222  management and direct services for all temporary cash assistance
  223  recipients shall be provided within current resources.
  224         Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.