Senate Bill sb3032

    Florida Senate - 2004        (NP)                      SM 3032

    By Senator Posey





    24-2113A-04                                        See HM 1107

  1                     Senate Memorial No. ____

  2         A memorial to the Congress of the United

  3         States, urging Congress to support the passage

  4         of the Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003.

  5  

  6         WHEREAS, 2-1-1 provides access to more than 2,400

  7  social programs and services in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole

  8  Counties, and tens of thousands of services across the state,

  9  including domestic abuse programs, clothing and furniture

10  needs, youth programs, services for people with disabilities,

11  volunteer opportunities, service for elders, housing

12  assistance, child care, and counseling services, and

13         WHEREAS, more than 70 percent of Florida residents have

14  access to 2-1-1 in 33 counties and since its launch at the

15  Heart of Florida United Way headquarters in July 2003, 2-1-1

16  has helped more than 40,000 Orange, Osceola, and Seminole

17  County residents gain access to vital health and human

18  services, and

19         WHEREAS, 2-1-1 is the national abbreviated dialing code

20  for free access to health and human services information and

21  referral and is a universally recognizable number that makes a

22  critical connection between individuals and families seeking

23  services and the appropriate community-based organizations and

24  government agencies, and

25         WHEREAS, as the leading source of information and

26  referrals in the State of Florida and in Orange, Osceola, and

27  Seminole Counties, 2-1-1 serves as the link between those who

28  need help and thousands of local charities that can provide

29  it, encourages prevention of human service emergencies, and

30  fosters self-sufficiency, and

31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004        (NP)                      SM 3032
    24-2113A-04                                        See HM 1107




 1         WHEREAS, prior to the introduction of the federal

 2  Calling for 2-1-1 Act on September 17, 2003, United Way of

 3  America worked with Senator Dole (R-NC), Senator Clinton

 4  (D-NY), Representative Burr (R-NC), and Representative Eshoo

 5  (D-CA) to draft bipartisan legislation that will authorize a

 6  dedicated federal funding source to support 2-1-1 development

 7  nationwide, and

 8         WHEREAS, the proposed legislation's matching funds

 9  would allow the local 2-1-1 to leverage the generous support

10  it has received from many of Central Florida's leading

11  organizations, thereby providing better service to local

12  residents, and

13         WHEREAS, examples of improvements that the Calling for

14  2-1-1 Act would facilitate include expanding 2-1-1's local

15  service by implementing a disaster plan, providing three-digit

16  calling access to cell phone users, increasing call handling

17  capacity, setting up an overflow system for use during times

18  of crisis, and increasing the efficiency of operations, NOW,

19  THEREFORE,

20  

21  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

22  

23         That the Congress of the United States is requested to

24  pass the Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003.

25         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

26  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the

27  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the

28  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of

29  the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.

30  

31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.