The Florida Senate

39.30351  Child Advocacy Trust Fund.--

(1)(a)  The Child Advocacy Trust Fund is created within the Department of Children and Family Services for the purpose of receiving funds collected from the additional court cost imposed in cases of certain crimes against minors under s. 938.10 Funds shall be appropriated to the Department of Children and Family Services for the specific purpose of funding children's advocacy centers. Funds shall be disbursed to the Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, Inc., as established under s. 39.3035, for the purpose of providing community-based services that augment, but that do not duplicate, services provided by state agencies.

(b)  The board of directors of the Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, Inc., shall retain 10 percent of all revenues collected to be used to match local contributions, at a rate not to exceed an equal match, in communities establishing children's advocacy centers. The board of directors may use up to 5 percent of the remaining funds to support the activities of the network office and must develop funding criteria and an allocation methodology that ensures an equitable distribution of remaining funds among network participants. The criteria and methodologies must take into account factors that include, but need not be limited to, the center's accreditation status with respect to the National Children's Alliance, the number of clients served, and the population of the area being served by the children's advocacy center.

(2)  Pursuant to s. 19(f)(2), Art. III of the State Constitution, the trust fund shall, unless terminated sooner, be terminated on July 1, 2008. Before its scheduled termination, the trust fund shall be reviewed as provided in s. 215.3206(1) and (2).

History.--s. 1, ch. 2004-302.