Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

       Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 152
       
       
        
       By Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       
       26-00354-24                                            2024152__
                      A bill to be entitled                      
       An act relating to caregiving youth; defining the
       terms âcaregiving youthâ and âhousehold memberâ;
       creating the Florida Caregiving Youth Task Force
       within the Department of Health for a specified
       purpose; requiring the department to provide
       administrative and technical assistance to the task
       force; providing for membership, meetings, and duties
       of the task force; providing duties for co-chairs of
       the task force; requiring state agencies to assist and
       cooperate with the task force upon request; requiring
       the task force to submit a final report to the
       Governor, the Legislature, the State Surgeon General,
       and the director of the Office of Program Policy
       Analysis and Government Accountability by a specified
       date; providing for expiration of the task force;
       creating s. 1006.045, F.S.; defining the terms
       âcaregiving youthâ and âhousehold memberâ; providing a
       legislative finding; requiring the Department of
       Education to maintain and make available to school
       districts a comprehensive list of specified
       information; requiring each middle and high school to
       have a designated caregiving youth liaison; requiring
       liaisons to connect caregiving youth to specified
       supports and services; providing that caregiving youth
       may count hours devoted to caring for a household
       member toward certain community service hour
       requirements; requiring the department to develop a
       specified form and procedure; amending s. 1009.25,
       F.S.; exempting caregiving youth from payment of
       certain tuition and fees under certain circumstances;
       creating s. 1012.581, F.S.; requiring the department
       to establish a training program for school personnel
       related to caregiving youth for a specified purpose;
       requiring the department to select a regional or
       national authority on caregiving youth to facilitate
       providing such training to school personnel; providing
       requirements for the training; requiring school
       districts to notify school personnel who complete the
       training of specified information; providing an
       effective date.
        
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

       Section 1.âFlorida Caregiving Youth Task Force.â
       (1)âDEFINITIONS.âAs used in this section, the term:
       (a)ââCaregiving youthâ means a person younger than 18 years
of age who is responsible, to varying degrees, for the care of a
household member in need of assistance due to a chronic physical
or mental illness, a disability, frailty associated with aging,
substance abuse, or other similar condition. For purposes of
this definition, care of a household member includes, but is not
limited to, direct medical and personal care, household
management, language translation in medical settings, emotional
support, and parenting siblings.
       (b)ââHousehold memberâ means a parent, a grandparent, a
sibling, or any extended family member residing in the home,
whether related by whole or half blood, by affinity, or by
adoption.
       (2)âTASK FORCE CREATION.âThe Florida Caregiving Youth Task
Force, a task force as defined in s. 20.03(5), Florida Statutes,
is created within the Department of Health to study and make
findings and recommendations regarding the necessary supports
for caregiving youth who are assisting the aging or adults with
disabilities. The department shall provide administrative and
technical assistance to the task force in the performance of its
duties.
       (3)âMEMBERSHIP.â
       (a)âThe task force shall be composed of the following
members, to be appointed by July 1, 2024:
       1.âOne member of the Senate, appointed by the President of
the Senate, to serve as a co-chair.
       2.âOne member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to serve as a co
chair.
       3.âOne representative of the Department of Health,
appointed by the State Surgeon General.
       4.âOne representative of the Department of Education,
appointed by the Commissioner of Education.
       5.âOne representative of the Department of Children and
Families, appointed by the Secretary of Children and Families.
       6.âOne representative of the Agency for Persons with
Disabilities, appointed by the director of the agency.
       7.âOne representative of the Department of Elderly Affairs,
appointed by the Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
       8.âOne representative of AARP Florida, appointed by the
state director of the organization.
       9.âOne representative of the American Association of
Caregiving Youth, appointed by the board of directors of the
association.
       10.âOne representative of the Florida Developmental
Disabilities Council, appointed by the chair of the executive
committee of the council.
       11.âOne representative of the Alzheimerâs Association
Southeast Chapter, appointed by the executive director of the
chapter.
       12.âSeven members of the public, appointed by the Governor.
The Governor is encouraged to appoint a public member
representing each of the following:
       a.âAdult day care centers.
       b.âAdult caregivers.
       c.âCaregiving youth.
       d.âAdult care recipients.
       e.âSecondary school teachers.
       f.âHealth care professionals.
       g.âHome health agencies.
       (b)âAny vacancy occurring on the task force must be filled
in the same manner as the original appointment.
       (c)âMembers shall serve without compensation but are
entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses
pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
       (4)âMEETINGS.â
       (a)âThe task force shall hold its first organizational
meeting by August 1, 2024.
       (b)âThe task force shall meet by teleconference or other
electronic means, if possible, to reduce costs. However, the
task force must ensure that members of the public have
meaningful access to such meetings.
       (c)âA majority of the members of the task force constitutes
a quorum, and the task force may not meet or take any action
without a quorum present.
       (5)âDUTIES.âThe task force shall do all of the following:
       (a)âDevelop a list of evidence-based questions or criteria
that school districts may use to identify caregiving youth in
their respective districts and determine the extent of need for
supports for those caregiving youth based on the level of
responsibility they have in caring for a household member.
       (b)âIdentify current best practices for supporting other
at-risk populations in secondary schools which would also
benefit caregiving youth in the pursuit of their personal
achievement and successful future careers.
       (c)âSurvey the school districts in this state to determine
which, if any, support services are currently offered to
students, including, but not limited to, tutoring, mentoring,
occupational skills training, leadership development, and
guidance and counseling, and require school districts to
identify any eligibility requirements for accessing such
services.
       (d)âIdentify state and federal funding and resources that
may be applicable to and would benefit caregiving youth and
determine whether a request for federal approval is needed
before such opportunities may be offered to caregiving youth who
do not otherwise qualify for such opportunities.
       (e)âStudy additional innovative and creative means to
support caregiving youth so that they can continue providing
necessary in-home care for aging adults and adults with
disabilities while pursuing an education or skills training.
       (f)âIdentify ways in which the Department of Health, the
Department of Education, and the Department of Children and
Families can work together to provide comprehensive and
streamlined support services to caregiving youth in this state.
       (g)âIdentify any legislative barriers to implementing any
of the tasks forceâs recommendations.
       (6)âCO-CHAIR DUTIES.âThe co-chairs of the task force are
responsible for guiding the task force in performance of its
duties, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
       (a)âCoordinating appointments to the task force to ensure
that members are assembled in a timely manner.
       (b)âSetting a date, time, and place for the initial
organizational meeting, as required under subsection (4), and
for subsequent meetings.
       (c)âSupervising the preparation and distribution of meeting
notices, agendas, minutes, correspondence, and reports of the
task force.
       (d)âAfter the task forceâs organizational meeting, sending
a list of the members appointed and the meeting notice, agenda,
and minutes to the director of the Office of Program Policy
Analysis and Government Accountability.
       (e)âDirecting the task forceâs study of applicable policies
and resources and programs that are or should be available to
caregiving youth.
       (f)âOrganizing methods to obtain relevant testimony on the
needs of caregiving youth.
       (g)âOverseeing the process of compiling an inventory of the
resources available to caregiving youth.
       (h)âEnsuring the timely submission of the task forceâs
final report under subsection (8).
       (7)âAGENCY COOPERATION.âAll state agencies shall assist and
cooperate with the task force as requested and shall provide
reasonable and necessary support staff and materials to the task
force.
       (8)âREPORT.âThe task force shall submit a report of its
findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of
the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
State Surgeon General, and the director of the Office of Program
Policy Analysis and Government Accountability by January 1,
2025.
       (9)âEXPIRATION.âThis section expires June 30, 2025.
       Section 2.âSection 1006.045, Florida Statutes, is created
to read:
       1006.045âCaregiving youth; resources and support; community
service hours.â
       (1)âDEFINITIONS.âAs used in this section, the term:
       (a)ââCaregiving youthâ means a person younger than 18 years
of age who is responsible, to varying degrees, for the care of a
household member in need of assistance due to a chronic physical
or mental illness, a disability, frailty associated with aging,
substance abuse, or other similar condition. For purposes of
this definition, care of a household member includes, but is not
limited to, direct medical and personal care, household
management, language translation in medical settings, emotional
support, and parenting siblings.
       (b)ââHousehold memberâ means a parent, a grandparent, a
sibling, or any extended family member residing in the home,
whether related by whole or half blood, by affinity, or by
adoption.
       (2)âLEGISLATIVE FINDING.âThe Legislature recognizes that
children and adolescents who serve as caregivers to chronically
ill, injured, elderly, or disabled family members are at an
academic disadvantage and deserve support in their pursuit of
personal achievement and successful future careers.
       (3)âRESOURCES AND SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVING YOUTH.âThe
department shall maintain and make available to school districts
a comprehensive list of benefits and resources available to
caregiving youth in this state.
       (4)âCAREGIVING YOUTH LIAISONS.âEach middle and high school
must have a designated caregiving youth liaison to connect
students who are caregiving youth to available supports and
services that will promote their academic success, including,
but not limited to, all of the following:
       (a)âAny available free, remote, or in-person tutoring or
mentoring opportunities, professional training opportunities,
mental health services, transportation services, and financial
assistance.
       (b)âInformation on eligibility for tuition and fee waiver
programs established under s. 1009.25.
       (c)âThe ability of caregiving youth to count hours devoted
to caring for a household member toward community service
requirements for high school graduation and for participation in
the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
       (d)âAny state or federal resources available to caregiving
youth to support their education and training for successful
future careers.
       (5)âCOMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS.âThe hours that high school
students devote to care of a household member may be counted
toward meeting community service requirements for high school
graduation and for participation in the Florida Bright Futures
Scholarship Program. The department shall develop a standard
form for reporting such hours for community service and a
procedure for submitting such hours for approval.
       Section 3.âParagraph (h) is added to subsection (1) of
section 1009.25, Florida Statutes, to read:
       1009.25âFee exemptions.â
       (1)âThe following students are exempt from the payment of
tuition and fees, including lab fees, at a school district that
provides workforce education programs, Florida College System
institution, or state university:
       (h)âA student who is a caregiving youth as defined in s.
1006.045, provided that he or she pursues education or training
in a health-related field of study.
       Section 4.âSection 1012.581, Florida Statutes, is created
to read:
       1012.581âTraining on caregiving youth.â
       (1)âThe Department of Education shall establish an
evidence-based training program to help school personnel
identify students who are caregiving youth as defined in s.
1006.045, to understand the difficulties facing such students,
and to learn skills to support those who are struggling
academically due to the added responsibility of caring for a
household member.
       (2)âThe department shall select a regional or national
authority on caregiving youth to facilitate providing the
training to all school personnel in elementary, middle, and high
schools.
       (3)âThe training program must include, but need not be
limited to:
       (a)âAn overview of caregiving youth, including an
explanation of the nature and varying degrees of responsibility
caregiving youth assume in providing care for a household member
and how this may contribute to underperformance in school.
       (b)âInstruction on how to identify caregiving youth and
determine the extent of their need for support in the pursuit of
personal achievement and successful future careers, including
procedures and practices that school personnel can implement to
promote the academic success of caregiving youth in their
classrooms.
       (c)âInformation on available resources for caregiving youth
and how school personnel can connect their students to such
resources.
       (4)âEach school district shall notify all school personnel
who have received training under this section of the resources
and services available for caregiving youth in the school
district and the individuals to contact if a student needs such
services.
       Section 5.âThis act shall take effect upon becoming a law.