CS/HB 131

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to homelessness; amending ss. 320.02,
3322.08, and 322.18, F.S.; requiring the motor vehicle
4registration form and registration renewal form, the
5driver license application form, and the driver license
6application form for renewal issuance or renewal extension
7to include an option to make a voluntary contribution to
8aid the homeless; providing for such contributions to be
9deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the
10Department of Children and Family Services and used by the
11State Office on Homelessness for certain purposes;
12providing that voluntary contributions for the homeless
13are not income of a revenue nature for the purpose of
14applying certain service charges; creating s. 414.161,
15F.S.; establishing a homelessness prevention grant
16program; requiring grant applicants to be ranked
17competitively; providing preference for certain grant
18applicants; providing eligibility requirements; providing
19grant limitations and restrictions; requiring lead
20agencies for local homeless assistance continuums of care
21to track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a
22specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.;
23limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies may
24spend on administrative costs; amending s. 420.625, F.S.;
25deleting a cross-reference to conform; amending s.
26420.6275, F.S.; revising legislative findings relating to
27the Housing First approach to homelessness; repealing s.
28414.16, F.S., relating to the emergency assistance program
29for families with children that have lost shelter or face
30loss of shelter due to an emergency; providing an
31effective date.
32
33Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35     Section 1.  Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (15) of
36section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
37     320.02  Registration required; application for
38registration; forms.-
39     (15)
40     (o)  Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for
41motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must
42include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per
43applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to
44this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations
45Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and
46used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants
47made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the
48public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature
49for homeless persons seeking assistance.
50
51For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
52215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
53income of a revenue nature.
54     Section 2.  Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida
55Statutes, is amended to read:
56     322.08  Application for license; requirements for license
57and identification card forms.-
58     (7)  The application form for an original, renewal, or
59replacement driver's license or identification card shall
60include language permitting the following:
61     (a)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
62contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
63for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
64organ and tissue donor registry.
65     (b)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
66contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
67Blind.
68     (c)  A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
69shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
70Incorporated.
71     (d)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
72shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
73International.
74     (e)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
75shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund.
76     (f)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
77shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
78     (g)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Stop
79Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart
80Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.
81     (h)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Senior
82Vision Services, which shall be distributed to the Florida
83Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., a not-for-
84profit organization.
85     (i)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for
86services for persons with developmental disabilities, which
87shall be distributed to The Arc of Florida.
88     (j)  A voluntary contribution of $1 to the Ronald McDonald
89House, which shall be distributed each month to Ronald McDonald
90House Charities of Tampa Bay, Inc.
91     (k)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
92of $1 per applicant, which shall be distributed to the League
93Against Cancer/La Liga Contra el Cancer, a not-for-profit
94organization.
95     (l)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to
96Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, which shall be distributed to
97Lauren's Kids, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
98     (m)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
99shall be distributed to Prevent Blindness Florida, a not-for-
100profit organization, to prevent blindness and preserve the sight
101of the residents of this state.
102     (n)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
103of $1 per applicant to the state homes for veterans, to be
104distributed on a quarterly basis by the department to the State
105Homes for Veterans Trust Fund, which is administered by the
106Department of Veterans' Affairs.
107     (o)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
108of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made
109pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants
110and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and
111Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to
112supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide
113information to the public about homelessness in the state, and
114provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance.
115
116A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
117funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
118service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
119under paragraphs (b)-(o) (b)-(n) are not income of a revenue
120nature.
121     Section 3.  Subsection (9) is added to section 322.18,
122Florida Statutes, to read:
123     322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;
124expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.-
125     (9)  The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal
126extension shall include language permitting a voluntary
127contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless.
128Contributions made pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited
129into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of
130Children and Family Services and used by the State Office on
131Homelessness to supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and
132(5), provide information to the public about homelessness in the
133state, and provide literature for homeless persons seeking
134assistance. For the purpose of applying the service charge
135provided in s. 215.20, contributions received under this
136paragraph are not income of a revenue nature.
137     Section 4.  Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created
138to read:
139     414.161  Homelessness prevention grants.-
140     (1)  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant
141program to provide emergency financial assistance to families
142facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or
143other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the
144concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and
145administer moneys appropriated to the Department of Children and
146Family Services to provide homelessness prevention grants
147annually to lead agencies for local homeless assistance
148continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office on
149Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the
150state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations,
151gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source
152that is intended to assist families to prevent them from
153becoming homeless.
154     (2)  GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked
155competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who
156leverage additional private funds and public funds, who
157demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention
158programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the
159commitment of other assistance and services to address family
160health, employment, and education needs.
161     (3)  ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead
162agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance
163continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The
164homelessness prevention program must be included in the
165continuum of care plan.
166     (4)  GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency
167may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay
168past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs,
169other past due bills creating a family's financial crisis,
170provision of case management services, and program
171administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award.
172The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for
173each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be
174covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered.
175     (5)  PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency shall be required to
176track, monitor, and report on each family assisted for at least
17712 months after the last assistance provided to the family. The
178goal for the homelessness prevention program shall be to enable
179at least 85 percent of the families assisted to remain in their
180homes and avoid becoming homeless during the ensuing year.
181     Section 5.  Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
182section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read:
183     420.622  State Office on Homelessness; Council on
184Homelessness.-
185     (4)  Not less than 120 days after the effective date of
186this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
187of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
188appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to
189lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
190designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
191may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county
192government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit
193corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency.
194     (d)  A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its
195funding on administrative costs.
196     Section 6.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
197420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
198     420.625  Grant-in-aid program.-
199     (3)  ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in-
200aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of
201the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may
202include, but are not limited to:
203     (d)  Emergency financial assistance for persons who are
204totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are
205not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16.
206     Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
207420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
208     420.6275  Housing First.-
209     (2)  HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.-
210     (a)  The Housing First approach to homelessness differs
211from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance,
212case management, and support services responsive to individual
213or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this
214approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce
215the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless
216and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First
217emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual
218and family well-being can be more effective when people are in
219their own home, and:
220     1.  The housing is not time-limited.
221     2.  The housing is not contingent on compliance with
222services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard
223lease agreement and are provided with the services and support
224that are necessary to help them do so successfully.
225     3.  A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to
226combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has
227been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support
228services are provided.
229     Section 8.  Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
230     Section 9.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


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