CS/HB 509

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to children's services; creating the
3Children and Youth Cabinet; providing a short title;
4providing legislative intent; providing organization,
5membership, and duties and responsibilities of the
6cabinet; providing for an advisory board; requiring the
7cabinet to prepare an annual report; providing an
8effective date.
9
10Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12     Section 1.  Children's cabinet; organization;
13responsibilities; annual report.--
14     (1)  SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the "Children
15and Youth Cabinet Act."
16     (2)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--
17     (a)  The Legislature finds that all state agencies and
18programs that touch the lives of children and youth must work in
19a coordinated and comprehensive fashion, with an emphasis on
20providing a continuum of services that benefit children from
21prenatal care through programs supporting successful transition
22to self-sufficient adulthood. The Legislature further finds that
23creating a Children and Youth Cabinet is the best method by
24which the state might achieve the visions and plans necessary to
25ensure that this state is the first place families think of when
26asked, "Where do you want to raise a child?"
27     (b)  The Legislature, in collaboration with the Governor,
28intends to develop and implement a shared vision among the
29branches of government in order to improve child and family
30outcomes in this state. By working collaboratively, the
31Legislature intends to invest in the education and skills of our
32children and youth, develop a cohesive vision and plan that
33ensures a long-term commitment to children and youth issues,
34align public resources serving children and youth to support
35their healthy growth and development, and promote increased
36efficiency and improved service delivery by all governmental
37agencies that provide services for children, youth, and their
38families.
39     (3)  ORGANIZATION.--There is created the Children and Youth
40Cabinet, which is a coordinating council as defined in s. 20.03,
41Florida Statutes.
42     (a)  The cabinet shall ensure that the public policy of
43this state relating to children and youth is developed to
44promote interdepartmental collaboration and program
45implementation in order that services designed for children and
46youth are planned, managed, and delivered in a holistic and
47integrated manner to improve the children's self-sufficiency,
48safety, economic stability, health, and quality of life.
49     (b)  The cabinet is created in the Executive Office of the
50Governor, which shall provide administrative support and service
51to the cabinet.
52     (c)  The cabinet shall meet for its organizational session
53no later than October 1, 2007. Thereafter, the cabinet shall
54meet at least six times each year in different regions of the
55state in order to solicit input from the public and any other
56individual offering testimony relevant to the issues considered.
57Each meeting must include a public-comment session.
58     (4)  MEMBERS.--The cabinet shall consist of 15 members
59including the Governor and the following persons:
60     (a)1.  The Secretary of Children and Family Services;
61     2.  The Secretary of Juvenile Justice;
62     3.  The director of the Agency for Persons with
63Disabilities;
64     4.  The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation;
65     5.  The Secretary of Health;
66     6.  The Secretary of Health Care Administration;
67     7.  The Commissioner of Education;
68     8.  The director of the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office;
69     9.  The director of the Office of Child Abuse Prevention;
70and
71     10.  Five members representing children and youth advocacy
72organizations, who are not service providers and who are
73appointed by the Governor.
74     (b)  The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
75of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the
76Attorney General, and the Chief Financial Officer, or their
77appointed designees, shall serve as ex officio members of the
78cabinet.
79     (c)  The Governor or the Governor's designee shall serve as
80the chair of the cabinet.
81     (d)  Nongovernmental members of the cabinet shall serve
82without compensation, but are entitled to receive per diem and
83travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes,
84while in performance of their duties.
85     (5)  DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.--The Children and Youth
86Cabinet shall:
87     (a)  Develop and implement a shared and cohesive vision
88using integrated services to improve child, youth, and family
89outcomes in this state.
90     (b)  Develop, no later than December 31, 2007, a strategic
91plan to achieve the goals of the shared and cohesive vision. The
92plan shall be centered upon a long-term commitment to children
93and youth issues and align all public resources to serve
94children and youth and their families in a manner that supports
95the healthy growth and development of children. The plan shall
96prepare the children and youth to be responsible citizens and
97productive members of the workforce. The plan shall include a
98continuum of services that will benefit children from prenatal
99care through services for youth in transition to adulthood.
100     (c)  Develop and implement measurable outcomes for each
101state department, agency, and program that are consistent with
102the strategic plan. The cabinet shall establish a baseline
103measurement for each outcome and regularly report on the
104progress made toward achieving the desired outcome.
105     (d)  Design and implement actions that will promote
106collaboration, creativity, increased efficiency, information
107sharing, and improved service delivery between and within state
108governmental organizations that provide services for children
109and youth and their families. In particular, the efforts shall
110include the long-range planning process mandated by s. 216.013,
111Florida Statutes.
112     (e)  Foster public awareness of children and youth issues
113and develop new partners in the effort to serve children and
114youth.
115     (f)  Create a children and youth impact statement for
116evaluating proposed legislation, requested appropriations, and
117programs. The impact statement shall be shared with the
118Legislature in their deliberative process.
119     (g)  Identify existing and potential funding streams and
120resources for children's services, including, but not limited
121to, public funding, foundation and organization grants, and
122other forms of private funding opportunities, including public-
123private partnerships.
124     (h)  Develop a children-and-youth-based budget structure
125and nomenclature that includes all relevant departments, funding
126streams, and programs. The budget shall facilitate improved
127coordination and efficiency, explore options for and allow
128maximization of federal financial participation, and implement
129the state's vision and strategic plan.
130     (i)  Engage in other activities that will implement
131improved collaboration of agencies in order to create, manage,
132and promote coordinated policies, programs, and service-delivery
133systems that support children and youth.
134     (6)  ADVISORY BOARD.--The Governor may appoint an advisory
135board to assist the cabinet in its tasks. The board shall
136include persons who can provide to the cabinet the best
137available technical and professional research and assistance. If
138an advisory board is created, it shall include representatives
139of children and youth advocacy organizations and youth, wherever
140practicable, who have been recipients of services and programs
141operated or funded by state agencies.
142     (7)  ANNUAL REPORT.--The Children and Youth Cabinet shall,
143by February 1 of each year, provide an annual report to the
144Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
145of Representatives, and the public concerning its activities and
146progress towards making this state the first place families
147think of when asked, "Where do they want to raise their
148children?" The annual report may include recommendations for
149needed legislation or rulemaking authority.
150     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.


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