HB 757 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0757-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to contracts entered into by the 2
Department of Children and Families; amending s. 3
409.996, F.S.; revising requirements for contracts 4
between the department and lead agencies; providing an 5
effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
9
Section 1. Present paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of 10
section 409.996, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph 11
(h), and new paragraphs (f) and (g) are added to that 12
subsection, to read: 13
409.996 Duties of the Department of Children and 14
Families.—The department shall contract for the delivery, 15
administration, or management of care for children in the child 16
protection and child welfare system. In doing so, the department 17
retains responsibility for the quality of contracted services 18
and programs and shall ensure that, at a minimum, services are 19
delivered in accordance with applicable federal and state 20
statutes and regulations and the performance standards and 21
metrics specified in the strategic plan created under s. 22
20.19(1). 23
(1) The department shall enter into contracts with lead 24
agencies for the performance of the duties by the lead agencies 25
HB 757 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0757-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
established in s. 409.9 88. At a minimum, the contracts must do 26
all of the following: 27
(f) Require lead agencies to annually provide written and 28
published plans that detail timelines and procedures to maximize 29
the use of concurrent case planning, minimize the time to 30
complete preliminary and final adoptive home studies, streamline 31
data entry into the statewide child welfare information system, 32
and reduce time to permanency. 33
(g) Require lead agencies to complete preliminary and 34
final adoptive home studies no later than 90 days a fter the 35
filing of the petition for termination of parental rights. 36
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 37