| 1 | The Insurance Committee recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to motor vehicle insurance for foster |
| 7 | children; creating a pilot program to reimburse foster |
| 8 | parents, residential facilities, or foster children who |
| 9 | live independently a portion of the increased costs of |
| 10 | motor vehicle insurance for a foster child who has a |
| 11 | driver's license; directing the Department of Children and |
| 12 | Family Services to establish the pilot program in Sarasota, |
| 13 | DeSoto, Manatee, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties; requiring |
| 14 | that the person who incurs the increased cost submit to the |
| 15 | department documentation of that increase; requiring that |
| 16 | foster children be encouraged to pay the remaining portion |
| 17 | of the increase in costs; directing the department to |
| 18 | develop procedures for operating the pilot program; |
| 19 | requiring the department to submit a report with |
| 20 | recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature by a |
| 21 | specified date; providing an appropriation; providing an |
| 22 | effective date. |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Section 1. (1) The Legislature finds that the increased |
| 27 | cost of motor vehicle insurance for a foster child after that |
| 28 | child attains a driver's license is borne by the foster parents |
| 29 | and the authorized representative of the residential facility. |
| 30 | This increase in the cost of insurance creates an additional |
| 31 | barrier for a foster child in gaining independence and may limit |
| 32 | the child's opportunities for obtaining employment. In |
| 33 | accordance with these findings, the Department of Children and |
| 34 | Family Services shall establish a 3-year pilot program in |
| 35 | Sarasota, Desoto, Manatee, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties to pay a |
| 36 | portion of the cost of motor vehicle insurance for foster |
| 37 | children who have obtained a driver's license. |
| 38 | (2) To the extent that funding is available, the pilot |
| 39 | program shall provide funds to pay for a portion of the increase |
| 40 | in the cost of motor vehicle insurance incurred by the foster |
| 41 | parents, residential facilities, or the foster child if living |
| 42 | independently. To be eligible for payment under the pilot |
| 43 | program, the person incurring the cost must submit to the |
| 44 | department appropriate documentation demonstrating the increase |
| 45 | in the cost of insurance. The amount of the payment provided to |
| 46 | the foster parent, residential facility, or foster child if |
| 47 | living independently shall be one-half of the amount of the |
| 48 | increase in the cost of motor vehicle insurance which is |
| 49 | incurred as a result of adding the foster child to the policy or |
| 50 | less than one-half if another source of funding is available to |
| 51 | pay for the increase. The foster child must be encouraged to pay |
| 52 | the other half of the increase in insurance costs. |
| 53 | (3) The department shall develop procedures for operating |
| 54 | the pilot program, including, but not limited to, determining |
| 55 | eligibility, providing the payment, ensuring that payment is |
| 56 | limited solely to the additional costs of including the foster |
| 57 | child in the insurance policy, and allocating available funds. |
| 58 | (4) The department shall examine and use, to the extent |
| 59 | possible, other available options for funding the cost of the |
| 60 | motor vehicle insurance increase, such as, but not limited to, |
| 61 | through the child's master trust fund, social security income, |
| 62 | child support payments, and other income available to the child. |
| 63 | (5) Beginning January 1, 2006, and continuing for the |
| 64 | duration of the pilot program, the department shall submit to |
| 65 | the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of |
| 66 | the House of Representatives an annual report on the success and |
| 67 | outcomes achieved by the pilot program, with a recommendation as |
| 68 | to whether the pilot program should be continued, terminated, or |
| 69 | expanded. |
| 70 | Section 2. The sum of $50,000 is appropriated from the |
| 71 | General Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Family |
| 72 | Services for the purpose of implementing this act during the |
| 73 | 2005-2006 fiscal year. |
| 74 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |