ENROLLED HB 1099, Engrossed 1 2003 Legislature
   
1 A bill to be entitled
2          An act relating to domestic violence centers; amending s.
3    39.903, F.S.; removing a requirement that the Department
4    of Children and Family Services approve or reject
5    applications for funding received from domestic violence
6    centers; providing for the provision of technical
7    assistance and the distribution of funds for domestic
8    violence centers by a statewide association whose primary
9    purpose is to provide technical assistance to certified
10    domestic violence centers; providing that such association
11    shall implement, administer, and evaluate the services
12    provided by the certified domestic violence centers;
13    limiting the services and funding to certified domestic
14    violence centers; amending s. 39.905, F.S.; providing that
15    the Department of Children and Family Services shall
16    approve, rather than develop, a funding distribution
17    formula for state funds provided to certified domestic
18    violence centers; providing requirements for contracts
19    between the statewide association and certified domestic
20    violence centers; providing an effective date.
21         
22          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23         
24          Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection
25    (7) of section 39.903, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
26          39.903 Duties and functions of the department with respect
27    to domestic violence.--
28          (1) The department shall:
29          (c) Receive and approve or reject applications for
30    certification of domestic violence centers, and receive and
31    approve or reject applications for funding of domestic violence
32    centers. When approving funding for a newly certified domestic
33    violence center, the department shall make every effort to
34    minimize any adverse economic impact on existing certified
35    centers or services provided within the same district. In order
36    to minimize duplication of services, the department shall make
37    every effort to encourage subcontracting relationships with
38    existing centers within the district. If any of the required
39    services are exempted from certificationby the department under
40    s. 39.905(1)(c), the center shall not receive funding for those
41    services.
42          (7) The department shall contract with a statewide
43    association whose primary purpose is to represent and provide
44    technical assistance to certifieddomestic violence centers.
45    This association shall implement, administer, and evaluate all
46    services provided by the certified domestic violence centers.
47    The association shall receive and approve or reject applications
48    for funding of certified domestic violence centers. When
49    approving funding for a newly certified domestic violence
50    center, the association shall make every effort to minimize any
51    adverse economic impact on existing certified domestic violence
52    centers or services provided within the same service area. In
53    order to minimize duplication of services, the association shall
54    make every effort to encourage subcontracting relationships with
55    existing certified domestic violence centers within the same
56    service area. In distributing funds allocated by the Legislature
57    for certified domestic violence centers, the association shall
58    use a formula approved by the department as specified in s.
59    39.905(7)(a)receive 2 percent of the Domestic Violence Trust
60    Fund for this purpose.
61          Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 39.905, Florida
62    Statutes, is amended to read:
63          39.905 Domestic violence centers.--
64          (7)(a) All funds collected and appropriated to the
65    domestic violence program for certified domestic violence
66    centers shall be distributed annually by the department to each
67    district according to an allocation formula approveddetermined
68    by the department. In developing the formula, the factors of
69    department shall consider population, a rural characteristics,
70    and geographical area factor, and the incidence of domestic
71    violence shall be considered.
72          (b) A contract between the statewide associationa
73    districtand a certified domestic violence center shall contain
74    provisions assuring the availability and geographic
75    accessibility of services throughout the district. For this
76    purpose, a center may distribute funds through subcontracts or
77    to center satellites, provided such arrangements and any
78    subcontracts are approved by the statewide associationdistrict.
79          Section 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2004.