House Bill 4147c1
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/HB 4147
By the Committee on Children & Family Empowerment and
Representative Littlefield
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the WAGES Program; creating
3 s. 414.155, F.S.; providing a relocation
4 assistance program for families receiving or
5 eligible to receive WAGES Program assistance;
6 providing responsibilities of the Department of
7 Children and Family Services and the Department
8 of Labor and Employment Security; providing for
9 a relocation plan and for monitoring of the
10 relocation; requiring agreements restricting
11 application for temporary cash assistance for a
12 specified period; providing exceptions;
13 requiring repayment of temporary cash
14 assistance provided under certain
15 circumstances, and reduced eligibility for
16 future assistance; providing authority for
17 rules; providing legislative intent to
18 encourage employment of WAGES participants in
19 the restaurant industry; repealing s. 561.501,
20 F.S., relating to a surcharge on the sale of
21 alcoholic beverages on the premises, contingent
22 upon certain conditions being met; providing an
23 effective date.
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25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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27 Section 1. Section 414.155, Florida Statutes, is
28 created to read:
29 414.155 Relocation assistance program.--
30 (1) The Legislature recognizes that the need for
31 public assistance may arise because a family is located in an
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/HB 4147
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1 area with limited employment opportunities, because of
2 geographic isolation, because of formidable transportation
3 barriers, because of isolation from their extended family, or
4 because domestic violence interferes with the ability of a
5 parent to maintain self-sufficiency. Accordingly there is
6 established a program to assist families in relocating to
7 communities with greater opportunities for self-sufficiency.
8 (2) The relocation assistance program shall involve
9 five steps by the Department of Children and Family Services
10 or the Department of Labor and Employment Security:
11 (a) A determination that the family is a WAGES Program
12 participant or that all requirements of eligibility for the
13 WAGES Program would likely be met.
14 (b) A determination that there is a basis for
15 believing that relocation will contribute to the ability of
16 the applicant to achieve self-sufficiency. For example, the
17 applicant:
18 1. Is unlikely to achieve independence at the current
19 community of residence;
20 2. Has secured a job that requires relocation to
21 another community;
22 3. Has a family support network in another community;
23 or
24 4. Is determined, pursuant to criteria or procedures
25 established by the WAGES Program State Board of Directors, to
26 be a victim of domestic violence who would experience reduced
27 probability of further incidents through relocation.
28 (c) Establishment of a relocation plan, including a
29 budget and such requirements as are necessary to prevent abuse
30 of the benefit and to provide an assurance that the applicant
31 will relocate. The plan may require that expenditures be made
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/HB 4147
602-122-98
1 on behalf of the recipient. However, the plan must include
2 provisions to protect the safety of victims of domestic
3 violence and avoid provisions that place them in anticipated
4 danger. The payment to defray relocation expenses shall be
5 limited to an amount not to exceed 4 months' temporary cash
6 assistance, based on family size.
7 (d) A determination, pursuant to criteria adopted by
8 the WAGES Program State Board of Directors, that a Florida
9 community receiving a relocated family has the capacity to
10 provide needed services and employment opportunities.
11 (e) Monitoring the relocation.
12 (3) A family receiving relocation assistance for
13 reasons other than domestic violence must sign an agreement
14 restricting the family from applying for temporary cash
15 assistance for 6 months, unless an emergency is demonstrated
16 to the department. If a demonstrated emergency forces the
17 family to reapply for temporary cash assistance within 6
18 months after receiving a relocation assistance payment,
19 repayment must be made on a prorated basis over an 8-month
20 period and subtracted from any regular payment of temporary
21 cash assistance for which the applicant may be eligible.
22 (4) The Department of Labor and Employment Security
23 shall have authority to adopt rules pursuant to the
24 Administrative Procedure Act to determine that a community has
25 the capacity to provide services and employment opportunities
26 for a relocated family.
27 (5) The Department of Children and Family Services
28 shall have authority to adopt rules pursuant to the
29 Administrative Procedure Act to develop and implement
30 relocation plans and to draft an agreement restricting a
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/HB 4147
602-122-98
1 family from applying for temporary cash assistance within 6
2 months after receiving a relocation assistance payment.
3 Section 2. The Legislature recognizes that the
4 restaurant industry is uniquely qualified to provide
5 employment opportunities for a significant number of WAGES
6 participants. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature
7 to encourage employment of WAGES participants by the
8 restaurant industry. By March 1, 1999, the Office of Tourism,
9 Trade, and Economic Development shall certify to the President
10 of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
11 the amount of taxes and the dollar value of economic benefits
12 generated by the restaurant industry from the employment of
13 participants in the WAGES Program during the 1998 calendar
14 year. The total of the amount of taxes and the dollar value of
15 economic benefits reported to the President of the Senate and
16 the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be added to
17 the amount of taxes paid during the 1998 calendar year under
18 ss. 563.05, 564.06, and 565.12, Florida Statutes, and payments
19 made to the state under s. 561.54, Florida Statutes. If the
20 total of these amounts is greater than $535 million, effective
21 July 1, 1999, s. 561.501, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
22 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
23 year in which enacted.
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