Bill Text: FL S1404 | 2010 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Veterans' Suicide Prevention [GPSC]
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Messages [S1404 Detail]
Download: Florida-2010-S1404-Engrossed.html
CS for CS for SB 1404 First Engrossed 20101404e1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to veterans’ suicide prevention; 3 directing the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in 4 partnership with the Statewide Office for Suicide 5 Prevention and the Department of Children and Family 6 Services, to seek federal funding for a grants program 7 that addresses veterans’ outreach and suicide 8 prevention; amending s. 14.20195, F.S.; revising the 9 membership of the Suicide Prevention Coordinating 10 Council to include a representative of the Florida 11 Psychological Association, the Florida Psychiatric 12 Society, and veterans appointed by the Governor; 13 providing an effective date. 14 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16 17 Section 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in 18 collaboration with the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention 19 and the Department of Children and Families Services, shall seek 20 federal funding for veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention 21 programs and initiatives. Subject to the receipt of such 22 funding, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall implement and 23 administer a veterans’ outreach and suicide prevention grants 24 program. The department may focus grant awards to those areas of 25 the state which are considered underserved by United States 26 Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities and to 27 veterans who are otherwise ineligible for health care services 28 under the federal veterans’ benefits system. Programs and 29 initiatives awarded grants by the department must include both 30 veterans and their families in outreach and suicide prevention 31 efforts and coordinate their efforts with the United States 32 Department of Veterans Affairs. 33 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 14.20195, Florida 34 Statutes, is amended to read: 35 14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council; creation; 36 membership; duties.—There is created within the Statewide Office 37 for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention Coordinating 38 Council. The council shall develop strategies for preventing 39 suicide. 40 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council 41 shall consist of 3228voting members. 42 (a) SixteenFourteenmembers shall be appointed by the 43 director of the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the 44 following organizations: 45 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation 46 described in s. 394.655. 47 2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists. 48 3. The Florida Sheriffs Association. 49 4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA. 50 5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention. 51 6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition. 52 7. The Alzheimer’s Association. 53 8. The Florida School Board Association. 54 9. Volunteer Florida. 55 10. The state chapter of AARP. 56 11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association. 57 12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health. 58 13. The Florida Counseling Association. 59 14. NAMI Florida. 60 15. The Florida Psychological Association. 61 16. The Florida Psychiatric Society. 62 (b) The following state officials or their designees shall 63 serve on the coordinating council: 64 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs. 65 2. The State Surgeon General. 66 3. The Commissioner of Education. 67 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration. 68 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice. 69 6. The Secretary of Corrections. 70 7. The executive director of the Department of Law 71 Enforcement. 72 8. The executive director of the Department of Veterans’ 73 Affairs. 74 9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services. 75 10. The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation. 76 (c) The Governor shall appoint sixfouradditional members 77 to the coordinating council. At least four of the appointees 78 must have expertise that is critical to the prevention of 79 suicide or represent an organization that is not already 80 represented on the coordinating council. At least two of the 81 appointees must be veterans, of whom one must be currently 82 enrolled as a student. 83 (d) For the members appointed by the director of the Office 84 of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to initial 85 terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed to 86 initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the 87 Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4 88 years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 3 89 years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms of 4 90 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be filled 91 in the same manner as the original appointment, and any member 92 who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death, 93 resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only 94 for the unexpired term of the member’s predecessor. A member is 95 eligible for reappointment. 96 (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall be a 97 nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall act as 98 chair. 99 (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve without 100 compensation. Any member of the coordinating council who is a 101 public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per diem and 102 travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. 103 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.
