Bill > S2518

Introduced Session

An act relating to health; amending s. 216.136, F.S.; requiring the Social Services Estimating Conference to develop certain official information relating to the pilot program for individuals with developmental disabilities; amending s. 394.495, F.S.; authorizing the Department of Children and Families, as authorized by and consistent with appropriated funding, to contract with a specified organization to provide grief support services to help certain children and youth; requiring that the services be provided at no cost; authorizing the contracted organization to also provide grief awareness training and outreach to local schools and medical facilities under the contract; amending s. 409.145, F.S.; revising the monthly room and board rates the department is required to pay to certain foster parents and caregivers; amending s. 409.1455, F.S.; renaming the Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Pilot Program as the Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Program; deleting a provision limiting the duration of the program; requiring the Office of Continuing Care within the department to develop certain cohorts within specified regions, to collaborate with certain organizations to recruit mentors and organizations, and to provide eligible former foster youth with internship placement opportunities; deleting a provision requiring that the program be administered in a certain manner; deleting obsolete language; requiring the office to develop trauma-informed training for mentors of certain former foster youth; providing requirements for the training; authorizing the office to provide certain additional trainings on mentorship of special populations; revising the amount of monthly financial assistance that the office provides to participating former foster youth; requiring the office to assign experienced staff to serve as program liaisons for a specified purpose; revising qualifications to serve as a mentor; authorizing the department to offer certain training to mentors in subsequent years; authorizing an employee who serves as a mentor to participate in certain additional trainings; deleting a provision authorizing the offset of a reduction in or loss of certain benefits due to receipt of a Step into Success stipend by an additional stipend payment; creating s. 409.1475, F.S.; providing legislative findings and intent; creating the Foster and Family Support Grant Program within the department; requiring the department to award grants to not-for-profit, faith based organizations for specified purposes; requiring that the program emphasize certain support; specifying authorized uses for awarded grant funds; requiring grant recipients to submit reports to the department in a format and at intervals prescribed by the department; authorizing the department to adopt rules; amending s. 409.908, F.S.; revising the parameters for the prospective payment methodology used for determining the Agency for Health Care Administration’s long-term care reimbursement plan for nursing home care; requiring the agency to consider specified recommendations when revising its methodology for calculating Quality Incentive Program payments; requiring the agency to delay the effective date of any changes to its methodology for a specified timeframe; amending s. 409.9855, F.S.; requiring the agency to collect and analyze certain data relating to the pilot program for individuals with developmental disabilities for a specified timeframe; requiring the agency to report specified information to the Social Services Estimating Conference; amending s. 409.990, F.S.; revising the cumulative amount of unexpended state funds that a community-based care lead agency may carry forward to the next fiscal year; amending s. 414.56, F.S.; conforming a provision to changes made by the act; reenacting ss. 39.5085(2)(d), 39.6225(5)(d), 393.065(5)(b), and 409.1451(2)(b), F.S., relating to the Relative Caregiver Program, the Guardianship Assistance Program, application and eligibility determinations, and the Road-to Independence Program, respectively, to incorporate the amendment made to s. 409.145, F.S., in references thereto; providing an effective date.

AI Summary

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Other Sponsors (1)

In Messages (on 02/20/2026)

Official Document