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Florida Senate - 2025 CS for CS for SB 584 By the Committees on Fiscal Policy; and Education Postsecondary; and Senators Garcia and Osgood 594-03711-25 2025584c2 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to young adult housing support; 3 amending s. 409.1452, F.S.; requiring each Florida 4 College System institution and state university to 5 develop plans for prioritizing the placement of 6 certain students; requiring a Florida College System 7 institution or state university to provide certain 8 students with first priority for housing and work 9 study opportunities under certain circumstances; 10 prohibiting Florida College System institutions and 11 state universities from requiring that certain 12 students have a cosigner or guarantor; creating s. 13 409.14525, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children 14 and Families, community-based care lead agencies, and 15 housing authorities to take any action required by the 16 United States Department of Housing and Urban 17 Development to administer the federal Foster Youth to 18 Independence initiative and other federal programs and 19 vouchers; requiring the department, community-based 20 care lead agencies, and certain subcontracted service 21 providers to document certain actions; providing 22 applicability; requiring the Office of Program Policy 23 Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to 24 conduct a study of the barriers to housing faced by 25 young adults who are homeless or were formerly in 26 foster care; requiring OPPAGA to consult with certain 27 entities in conducting the study; requiring OPPAGA to 28 provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature 29 by a certain date; providing an effective date. 30 31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 32 33 Section 1.Subsections (4), (5), and (6) are added to 34 section 409.1452, Florida Statutes, to read: 35 409.1452Collaboration with State University System, 36 Florida College System, and Department of Education to assist 37 children and young adults who have been or are in foster care or 38 are experiencing homelessness; documentation regarding 39 eligibility for tuition and fee exemptions; housing assistance. 40 The department shall collaborate with the State University 41 System, the Florida College System, and the Department of 42 Education to address the need for a comprehensive support 43 structure in the academic arena to assist children and young 44 adults who have been or remain in the foster care system in 45 making the transition from a structured care system into an 46 independent living setting. 47 (4)Each Florida College System institution and state 48 university shall, in consultation with the State Office on 49 Homelessness within the Department of Children and Families, 50 develop plans for prioritizing the placement of students who are 51 or were formerly in foster care and those experiencing 52 homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness, including, 53 but not limited to, students eligible for a tuition and fee 54 exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(c)1.-4. or (e), in residence halls 55 and dormitory residences owned by the institution or university. 56 The Office of Continuing Care established under s. 414.56 is 57 responsible for determining whether a student is or was formerly 58 in foster care. Each Florida College System institution and 59 state university is responsible for determining whether a 60 student is eligible for a tuition or fee exemption under s. 61 1009.25(1)(e). 62 (5)If a Florida College System institution or state 63 university implements a priority system for the assignment of 64 students to or the award of any of the following, the 65 institution or university must provide students eligible for the 66 tuition and fee exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(c)1.-4. or (e) 67 with first priority: 68 (a)Institution-operated or university-operated housing. 69 (b)Year-round housing. 70 (c)Work-study opportunities. 71 (6)Florida College System institutions and state 72 universities may not require students to have a cosigner or 73 guarantor to obtain housing if the student receives housing 74 support under s. 409.1451(2) or (3) or is in care under s. 75 39.6251. 76 Section 2.Section 409.14525, Florida Statutes, is created 77 to read: 78 409.14525Housing support for young adults; federal housing 79 vouchers.The department, community-based care lead agencies, 80 and housing authorities created under s. 421.04 shall take any 81 action required by the United States Department of Housing and 82 Urban Development to administer the federal Foster Youth to 83 Independence (FYI) initiative and other federal programs and 84 vouchers offered by the United States Department of Housing and 85 Urban Development, which may include the department, the 86 community-based care lead agencies, and their subcontractors 87 doing any of the following: 88 (1)Entering into a memorandum of understanding or a letter 89 of intent with all of the housing authorities within their 90 service areas. 91 (2)Providing or securing supportive services for 92 participating youth for the duration of the FYI initiative 93 voucher. 94 (3)Providing a written certification to the housing 95 authority verifying the youths child welfare history. 96 (4)Identifying youth eligible for an FYI initiative 97 voucher within the community-based care lead agencys caseload 98 and communicating their eligibility to the youth. 99 100 The department, community-based care lead agencies, and their 101 subcontracted service providers that administer housing funds 102 for young adults in the child welfare system shall document 103 actions taken to facilitate a young adults acquisition of a 104 residential lease, which may include, but are not limited to, 105 providing assurances to a landlord that funding will be provided 106 on a monthly basis through a housing voucher. This section 107 applies to entities that serve young adults receiving 108 postsecondary educational services and support or aftercare 109 services under s. 409.1451 or young adults receiving continuing 110 care under s. 39.6251. 111 Section 3.(1)The Office of Program Policy Analysis and 112 Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a study of the 113 barriers that young adults who are homeless or were formerly in 114 foster care face when trying to obtain housing. The study must 115 include recommendations for overcoming those barriers. 116 (2)In conducting the study, OPPAGA shall consult with the 117 Department of Children and Families, the Board of Governors of 118 the State University System, the Florida College System, the 119 Department of Commerce, public housing authorities, affected 120 young adults, and other stakeholders. 121 (3)OPPAGA must issue its findings by December 1, 2026, in 122 a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the 123 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 124 Section 4.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
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