Legislation Impacting the Department of Juvenile Justice - HB 509

CS/HB 509 – Children’s Services
By Healthcare Council; Ausley and others
Identical or Similar Bills: CS/SB 564
Committee(s) of Reference: Healthcare Council; Healthy Families

CS/HB 509 creates a Children and Youth Cabinet in the Office of the Governor to
coordinate state agency policy and services for children and youth.

Members of the cabinet include the Secretaries of Children and Families, Juvenile Justice, Health, and Health Care Administration; the Directors of the Agencies for Persons with Disabilities, and Workforce Innovation; the Commissioner of Education; and the Directors of the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office and the Office of Child Abuse Prevention.

Five members appointed by the Governor will represent children and youth advocacy organizations.

The bill requires the cabinet to develop a strategic plan to align public resources for children from prenatal care through transition to adulthood, and to measure their results.

Approved by the Governor June 15, 2007. These provisions take effect July 1, 2007.
Vote: Senate 39-0; House 119-0

Statement By Gov. Charlie Crist - Tax Cut

The Largest Tax Cut In Florida History


“I congratulate Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio and the many other legislators who have worked tirelessly to build consensus among the members of the Legislature and deliver the largest tax cut in Florida history.

I specifically want to commend Senators Daniel Webster, Steve Geller and Mike Haridopolos and Representatives Dean Cannon and Dan Gelber for their good work. Because everyone worked together, property taxes will drop like a rock.

“This is the people’s tax cut and the power to further cut taxes is now in their hands. On January 29, the people will have the power to cut their taxes in a historic way. “It is clear that without property insurance and property tax reform, Florida has been becoming unaffordable. I join Floridians across our state in expressing gratitude to the Florida Legislature for listening to the people’s needs. By reining in these high costs, the people of Florida who have been hesitant to become first-time home buyers will once again be able to live the American dream of home ownership.

Likewise, people who have been reluctant to move to a home better suited to their needs will once again have the freedom to follow their dreams. “Thanks to the good work of the Legislature, lower property taxes will ignite the real estate market, and Florida’s economy will continue to boom. By lowering property insurance rates and cutting property taxes, we will create a better bottom line for Floridians, and for Florida.”

Interim Committee Meetings

The House has released a tentative interim planning schedule for the upcoming 2008 session. ==========================================
Proposed House Interim Committee Schedule
==========================================
September 17-20 Interim Committee Meetings
October 1-5 Interim Committee Meetings
November 5-9 Interim Committee Meetings
December 10-14 Interim Committee Meetings
January 7-11 Interim Committee Meetings
January 22-25 Interim Committee Meetings
February 4-8 Interim Committee Meetings
February 18-22 Interim Committee Meetings
March 4 Opening Day of the 2008 Regular Session

Legislation Impacting the Department of Juvenile Justice - HB 989

Yesterday, Governor Crist approved HB 989 - Relating to Crime Victims.

CS/HB 989 – Crime Victims
By Safety & Security Council; Snyder and others
Identical or Similar Bills: CS/CS/SB 642
Committee(s) of Reference: Safety & Security Council; Homeland Security &
Public Safety; Policy & Budget Council

This bill expands the rights and services for victims of sexual offenses, including sexual battery and lewd or lascivious offenses. The bill expands the rights and services for victims of sexual offenses as follows:

· Allows a victim advocate to be present (at a sexual offense victim’s request) during the forensic medical exam;

· Provides that a criminal justice official (law enforcement officer, prosecuting attorney, or other government official) may not ask for or require a lie detector test to be taken by a victim before a law enforcement agency will investigate a sexual offense allegation;

· Requires the court to order prescribed defendants to undergo an HIV test within 48 hours after the court orders such testing.

This bill was signed into law on June 12, 2007, by the Governor, Ch. 2006-, L.O.F. These provisions take effect July 1, 2007.
Vote: Senate 38-0; House 113-0

Legislation Impacting the Department of Juvenile Justice

Yesterday, Governor Crist approved SB 1974 Relating to State Information Technology, which was sponsored by the Senate Governmental Operations Committee.

The bill creates the Agency for Enterprise Information Technology (AEIT) within the Executive Office of the Governor. The executive director of AEIT is the state chief information officer (SCIO) of the state and the executive sponsor for all IT projects. AEIT will have the following responsibilities and duties:

• Develop and implement strategies for the design, delivery, and management of IT services for executive branch agencies;
• Make recommendations to the SCIO and Legislature concerning other IT services that should be designed, delivered, and managed;
• Develop a work plan describing the activities the AEIT intends to undertake and the proposed outcomes;
• Develop policy recommendations and implementation plans for current and proposed IT services; and
• Assess and recommend minimum operating procedures for ensuring an adequate level of security for all data and IT resources for executive branch agencies.

The bill also:

• Removes the Technology Resource Center (TRC) from the State Technology Office (STO);
• Establishes the TRC in the Department of Management Services (DMS);
• Requires AEIT to designate a chief information security officer;
• Provides for DMS to assume the duties and responsibilities of STO;
• Requires AEIT to publish annually, no later than September 30 each year, standards, templates, guidelines, and procedures to enable agencies to incorporate them in their planning for the following fiscal year;
• Requires AEIT to develop implementation plans for up to three of the proposed enterprise IT services beginning fiscal year 2008-2009; and
• Requires each agency head to develop written internal policies and procedures for notifying AEIT when an information security incident occurs or data is compromised.

Vote: Senate 39-0; House 119-0

HHS Program Builds Capacity of Faith-Based and Community Organizations Serving Youth

HHS Program Builds Capacity of Faith-Based and Community Organizations Serving Youth

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families is seeking grant applications for its Compassion Capital Fund Communities Empowering Youth Program

Under the program, funds will be awarded to build the organizational capacity of experienced organizations, their collaborating faith-based and community partners, and the resulting community collaborations to better meet the needs of America's disadvantaged youth.

Successful applicants will provide training and technical assistance in four critical areas: leadership development, organizational development, program development, and community engagement.

The application deadline is July 10, 2007.

Resources:

For further information about this funding opportunity, visit
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-IC-0141.html

To learn more about the Compassion Capital Fund, visit

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ccf/

Bills Presented to Governor Crist for Signature

SB 0988 Relating to High-risk Offenders (Argenziano)
----- Signed by Officers and presented to Governor (Governor
must act on this bill by 06/26/07)

SB 1232 Relating to Career & Professional Education (Gaetz)
----- Signed by Officers and presented to Governor (Governor
must act on this bill by 06/26/07)

HB 1315 Relating to Broward & Palm Beach Counties' Boundaries (Hasner)
----- Signed by Officers and presented to Governor (Governor
must act on this bill by 06/26/07)

HB 1477 Relating to Forensic Mental Health (Ausley)
----- Signed by Officers and presented to Governor (Governor
must act on this bill by 06/26/07)

SB 1604 Relating to Sexual Offenders & Predators (Argenziano)
----- Signed by Officers and presented to Governor (Governor
must act on this bill by 06/26/07)