The Florida Senate

413.81  Legislative intent.--The Legislature finds that individuals with disabilities experience the highest unemployment rate of any group in society, as high as 75 percent, and that unemployment and poverty go hand in hand. The Legislature also finds that persons who complete the vocational rehabilitation program are twice as likely to obtain and maintain employment, and the use of private providers is the readiest way to add service capacity for this population. It is the intent of the Legislature to establish an Occupational Access and Opportunity Commission, which will assemble individuals with disabilities, stakeholders, and employers to develop a single self-sufficiency strategy that provides for employment and career options for Floridians with disabilities.

History.--s. 25, ch. 99-240.