Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1036
By Senator Berman
31-01247B-21 20211036__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Family Caregiver Task
3 Force; establishing the task force within the
4 Department of Health for a specified purpose;
5 requiring the department to provide administrative and
6 technical assistance to the task force; providing for
7 membership, meetings, and co-chair duties; requiring
8 state agencies to assist and cooperate with the task
9 force under certain circumstances; requiring the task
10 force to submit a final report to the Governor, the
11 Legislature, the State Surgeon General, and the
12 director of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
13 Government Accountability by a specified date;
14 providing for expiration of the task force; providing
15 an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Florida Family Caregiver Task Force.—The Florida
20 Family Caregiver Task Force, a task force as defined in s.
21 20.03(8), Florida Statutes, is created within the Department of
22 Health to study and make findings and recommendations regarding
23 the necessary supports for family caregivers and youth
24 caregivers who are assisting the aging or adults with
25 disabilities. The department shall provide administrative and
26 technical assistance to the task force in the performance of its
27 duties.
28 (1) MEMBERSHIP.—
29 (a) The task force shall be composed of the following
30 members, to be appointed by July 1, 2021:
31 1. One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of
32 the Senate, to serve as a co-chair.
33 2. One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
34 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to serve as a co
35 chair.
36 3. One representative of the Department of Health,
37 appointed by the State Surgeon General.
38 4. One representative of AARP Florida, appointed by the
39 state director of the organization.
40 5. One representative of the American Association of
41 Caregiving Youth, appointed by the board of directors of the
42 association.
43 6. One representative of the Florida Developmental
44 Disabilities Council, appointed by the chair of the executive
45 committee of the council.
46 7. One representative of the Agency for Persons with
47 Disabilities, appointed by the director of the agency.
48 8. One representative of the Department of Elderly Affairs,
49 appointed by the Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
50 9. One representative of the Florida Association of
51 Rehabilitation Facilities, appointed by the president of the
52 association.
53 10. One representative of the Florida Chamber of Commerce,
54 appointed by the president of the chamber.
55 11. One representative of the Florida Health Care
56 Association, appointed by the executive director of the
57 association.
58 12. One representative of the United Way of Florida, Inc.,
59 appointed by the president or chief executive officer of the
60 organization.
61 13. One representative of the Alzheimer’s Association
62 Southeast Chapter, appointed by the executive director of the
63 chapter.
64 14. One representative of the Alzheimer’s Association
65 Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, appointed by the executive director
66 of the chapter.
67 15. Seven members of the public, appointed by the Governor.
68 The Governor is encouraged to appoint public members
69 representing the following categories:
70 a. Adult day service providers.
71 b. Adult caregivers.
72 c. Youth caregivers.
73 d. Adult care recipients.
74 e. Large business representatives.
75 f. Small business owners.
76 g. Home health agencies.
77 (b) Any vacancy occurring on the task force shall be filled
78 in the same manner as the original appointment.
79 (c) Members shall serve without compensation but are
80 entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses
81 pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
82 (2) MEETINGS.—
83 (a) The task force must hold its first organizational
84 meeting by August 1, 2021.
85 (b) The task force shall meet by teleconference or other
86 electronic means, if possible, to reduce costs. However, the
87 task force must ensure members of the public have meaningful
88 access to such meetings.
89 (c) The task force may not meet or take any action without
90 a quorum present.
91 (3) DUTIES.—The co-chairs of the task force are responsible
92 for guiding the administration of the task force in performance
93 of its duties, including, but not limited to, all of the
94 following:
95 (a) Coordinating appointments to the task force to ensure
96 that members are assembled in a timely manner.
97 (b) Setting a date, time, and place for the initial
98 organizational meeting, which must be held by August 1, 2021,
99 and subsequent meetings.
100 (c) Supervising the preparation and distribution of meeting
101 notices, agendas, minutes, correspondence, and reports of the
102 task force.
103 (d) After the task force’s organizational meeting, sending
104 to the director of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
105 Government Accountability a list of the member appointments and
106 the meeting notice, agenda, and minutes.
107 (e) Directing the task force’s study of policies,
108 resources, and programs available for family caregivers and
109 youth caregivers.
110 (f) Encouraging the task force’s study of additional
111 innovative and creative means to support family caregivers and
112 youth caregivers so that they can continue providing necessary
113 in-home care for older adults, as well as study of the means to
114 support distance caregivers, youth caregivers, caregivers
115 serving special populations, and caregivers in the workplace.
116 (g) Organizing methods to obtain relevant testimony on the
117 needs for family caregivers and youth caregivers, including
118 designation of caregivers, training, respite services,
119 employment leave policies, delegation of tasks to nonmedical
120 aides, and other policies.
121 (h) Overseeing the process of compiling an inventory of the
122 resources available to family caregivers and youth caregivers.
123 (i) Ensuring the timely submission of the task force’s
124 final report under subsection (5).
125 (4) AGENCY COOPERATION.—All state agencies shall assist and
126 cooperate with the task force as requested and shall provide
127 reasonable and necessary support staff and materials to the task
128 force.
129 (5) REPORT.—The task force shall submit a report of its
130 findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of
131 the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
132 State Surgeon General, and the director of the Office of Program
133 Policy Analysis and Government Accountability by January 1,
134 2023.
135 (6) EXPIRATION.—This section expires June 30, 2023.
136 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.