HB 531

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
6license application form for renewal issuance or
7renewal extension to include an option to make a
8voluntary contribution to aid the homeless; providing
9for such contributions to be deposited into the Grants
10and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children
11and Family Services and used by the State Office on
12Homelessness for certain purposes; providing that
13voluntary contributions for the homeless are not
14income of a revenue nature for the purpose of applying
15certain service charges; creating s. 414.161, F.S.;
16establishing a homelessness prevention grant program;
17requiring grant applicants to be ranked competitively;
18providing preference for certain grant applicants;
19providing eligibility requirements; providing grant
20limitations and restrictions; requiring lead agencies
21for local homeless assistance continuums of care to
22track, monitor, and report on assisted families for a
23specified period of time; amending s. 420.622, F.S.;
24limiting the percentage of funding that lead agencies
25may spend on administrative costs; amending s.
26420.625, F.S.; deleting a cross-reference to conform;
27amending s. 420.6275, F.S.; revising legislative
28findings relating to the Housing First approach to
29homelessness; repealing s. 414.16, F.S., relating to
30the emergency assistance program for families with
31children that have lost shelter or face loss of
32shelter due to an emergency; providing an effective
33date.
34
35Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37     Section 1.  Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (15) of
38section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
39     320.02  Registration required; application for
40registration; forms.-
41     (15)
42     (o)  Notwithstanding s. 320.023, the application form for
43motor vehicle registration and renewal of registration must
44include language permitting a voluntary contribution of $1 per
45applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made pursuant to
46this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants and Donations
47Trust Fund of the Department of Children and Family Services and
48used by the State Office on Homelessness to supplement grants
49made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the
50public about homelessness in the state, and provide literature
51for homeless persons seeking assistance.
52
53For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
54215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
55income of a revenue nature.
56     Section 2.  Subsection (7) of section 322.08, Florida
57Statutes, is amended to read:
58     322.08  Application for license; requirements for license
59and identification card forms.-
60     (7)  The application form for an original, renewal, or
61replacement driver's license or identification card shall
62include language permitting the following:
63     (a)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
64contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
65for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
66organ and tissue donor registry.
67     (b)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
68contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
69Blind.
70     (c)  A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
71shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
72Incorporated.
73     (d)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
74shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
75International.
76     (e)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
77shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund.
78     (f)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
79shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
80     (g)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Stop
81Heart Disease, which shall be distributed to the Florida Heart
82Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.
83     (h)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to Senior
84Vision Services, which shall be distributed to the Florida
85Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., a not-for-
86profit organization.
87     (i)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant for
88services for persons with developmental disabilities, which
89shall be distributed to The Arc of Florida.
90     (j)  A voluntary contribution of $1 to the Ronald McDonald
91House, which shall be distributed each month to Ronald McDonald
92House Charities of Tampa Bay, Inc.
93     (k)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
94of $1 per applicant, which shall be distributed to the League
95Against Cancer/La Liga Contra el Cancer, a not-for-profit
96organization.
97     (l)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to
98Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, which shall be distributed to
99Lauren's Kids, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
100     (m)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
101shall be distributed to Prevent Blindness Florida, a not-for-
102profit organization, to prevent blindness and preserve the sight
103of the residents of this state.
104     (n)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
105of $1 per applicant to the state homes for veterans, to be
106distributed on a quarterly basis by the department to the State
107Homes for Veterans Trust Fund, which is administered by the
108Department of Veterans' Affairs.
109     (o)  A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant to the
110Disabled American Veterans, Department of Florida, which shall
111be distributed quarterly to Disabled American Veterans,
112Department of Florida, a nonprofit organization.
113     (p)  Notwithstanding s. 322.081, a voluntary contribution
114of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless. Contributions made
115pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited into the Grants
116and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of Children and
117Family Services and used by the State Office on Homelessness to
118supplement grants made under s. 420.622(4) and (5), provide
119information to the public about homelessness in the state, and
120provide literature for homeless persons seeking assistance.
121
122A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
123funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
124service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
125under paragraphs (b)-(p) (b)-(o) are not income of a revenue
126nature.
127     Section 3.  Subsection (9) is added to section 322.18,
128Florida Statutes, to read:
129     322.18  Original applications, licenses, and renewals;
130expiration of licenses; delinquent licenses.-
131     (9)  The application form for a renewal issuance or renewal
132extension shall include language permitting a voluntary
133contribution of $1 per applicant to aid the homeless.
134Contributions made pursuant to this subsection shall be
135deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the
136Department of Children and Family Services and used by the State
137Office on Homelessness to supplement grants made under s.
138420.622(4) and (5), provide information to the public about
139homelessness in the state, and provide literature for homeless
140persons seeking assistance. For the purpose of applying the
141service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
142under this paragraph are not income of a revenue nature.
143     Section 4.  Section 414.161, Florida Statutes, is created
144to read:
145     414.161  Homelessness prevention grants.-
146     (1)  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.-There is created a grant
147program to provide emergency financial assistance to families
148facing the loss of their current home due to a financial or
149other crisis. The State Office on Homelessness, with the
150concurrence of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and
151administer moneys appropriated to the Department of Children and
152Family Services to provide homelessness prevention grants
153annually to lead agencies for local homeless assistance
154continuums of care, as recognized by the State Office on
155Homelessness. These moneys shall consist of any sums that the
156state may appropriate, as well as money received from donations,
157gifts, bequests, or otherwise from any public or private source
158that is intended to assist families to prevent them from
159becoming homeless.
160     (2)  GRANT APPLICATIONS.-Grant applicants shall be ranked
161competitively. Preference shall be given to applicants who
162leverage additional private funds and public funds, who
163demonstrate the effectiveness of their homelessness prevention
164programs in keeping families housed, and who demonstrate the
165commitment of other assistance and services to address family
166health, employment, and education needs.
167     (3)  ELIGIBILITY.-In order to qualify for a grant, a lead
168agency must develop and implement a local homeless assistance
169continuum of care plan for its designated catchment area. The
170homelessness prevention program must be included in the
171continuum of care plan.
172     (4)  GRANT LIMITS.-The maximum grant amount per lead agency
173may not exceed $300,000. The grant assistance may be used to pay
174past due rent or mortgage payments, past due utility costs,
175provision of case management services, and program
176administration costs not to exceed 3 percent of the grant award.
177The homelessness prevention program must develop a case plan for
178each family to be assisted setting forth what costs will be
179covered and the maximum level of assistance to be offered.
180     (5)  PERFORMANCE.-The lead agency must track, monitor, and
181report on each family assisted for at least 12 months after the
182last assistance provided to the family. The goal for the
183homelessness prevention program is to enable at least 85 percent
184of the families assisted to remain in their homes and avoid
185becoming homeless during the ensuing year.
186     Section 5.  Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
187section 420.622, Florida Statutes, to read:
188     420.622  State Office on Homelessness; Council on
189Homelessness.-
190     (4)  Not less than 120 days after the effective date of
191this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
192of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
193appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to
194lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
195designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
196may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or county
197government, or other public agency or private, not-for-profit
198corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000 per lead agency.
199     (d)  A lead agency may spend a maximum of 8 percent of its
200funding on administrative costs.
201     Section 6.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
202420.625, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
203     420.625  Grant-in-aid program.-
204     (3)  ESTABLISHMENT.-There is hereby established a grant-in-
205aid program to help local communities in serving the needs of
206the homeless through a variety of supportive services, which may
207include, but are not limited to:
208     (d)  Emergency financial assistance for persons who are
209totally without shelter or facing loss of shelter, but who are
210not eligible for such assistance under s. 414.16.
211     Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
212420.6275, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
213     420.6275  Housing First.-
214     (2)  HOUSING FIRST METHODOLOGY.-
215     (a)  The Housing First approach to homelessness differs
216from traditional approaches by providing housing assistance,
217case management, and support services responsive to individual
218or family needs after housing is obtained. By using this
219approach when appropriate, communities can significantly reduce
220the amount of time that individuals and families are homeless
221and prevent further episodes of homelessness. Housing First
222emphasizes that social services provided to enhance individual
223and family well-being can be more effective when people are in
224their own home, and:
225     1.  The housing is not time-limited.
226     2.  The housing is not contingent on compliance with
227services. Instead, participants must comply with a standard
228lease agreement and are provided with the services and support
229that are necessary to help them do so successfully.
230     3.  A background check and any rehabilitation necessary to
231combat an addiction related to alcoholism or substance abuse has
232been completed by the individual for whom assistance or support
233services are provided.
234     Section 8.  Section 414.16, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
235     Section 9.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.


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