Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 224
By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
Senators Lynn, King and Geller
586-1989-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to suicide prevention; creating
3 s. 14.2019, F.S.; creating the Statewide Office
4 for Suicide Prevention as a unit of the Office
5 of Drug Control in the Executive Office of the
6 Governor; providing the goals and objectives of
7 the office; creating the position of statewide
8 coordinator for the statewide office,
9 contingent upon a specific appropriation;
10 authorizing the Statewide Office for Suicide
11 Prevention to seek and accept grants or funds
12 from any source to support its operation;
13 requiring that revenues from grants be
14 deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust
15 Fund within the Executive Office of the
16 Governor; creating s. 14.20195, F.S.; creating
17 the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council
18 within the Statewide Office for Suicide
19 Prevention; providing the scope of activities
20 for the coordinating council; authorizing the
21 coordinating council to assemble an ad hoc
22 committee to advise the coordinating council;
23 providing for membership on the coordinating
24 council; providing an appropriation and
25 authorizing additional positions; providing an
26 effective date.
27
28 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
29
30 Section 1. Section 14.2019, Florida Statutes, is
31 created to read:
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 224
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1 14.2019 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.--
2 (1) The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention is
3 created as a unit of the Office of Drug Control within the
4 Executive Office of the Governor.
5 (2) The statewide office shall, within available
6 resources:
7 (a) Develop a network of community-based programs to
8 improve suicide prevention initiatives. The network shall
9 identify and work to eliminate barriers to providing suicide
10 prevention services to individuals who are at risk of suicide.
11 The network shall consist of stakeholders advocating suicide
12 prevention, including, but not limited to, not-for-profit
13 suicide prevention organizations, faith-based suicide
14 prevention organizations, law enforcement agencies, first
15 responders to emergency calls, suicide prevention community
16 coalitions, schools and universities, mental health agencies,
17 substance abuse treatment agencies, health care providers, and
18 school personnel.
19 (b) Prepare and implement the statewide plan with
20 advice of the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council.
21 (c) Increase public awareness concerning topics
22 relating to suicide prevention.
23 (d) Coordinate education and training curricula in
24 suicide prevention efforts for law enforcement personnel,
25 first responders to emergency calls, health care providers,
26 school employees, and other persons who may have contact with
27 persons at risk of suicide.
28 (3) Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the
29 director of the Office of Drug Control shall employ a
30 coordinator for the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 224
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1 who shall work under the direction of the director to achieve
2 the goals and objectives set forth in this section.
3 (4) The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention may
4 seek and accept grants or funds from any federal, state, or
5 local source to support the operation and defray the
6 authorized expenses of the office and the Suicide Prevention
7 Coordinating Council. Revenues from grants shall be deposited
8 in the Grants and Donations Trust Fund within the Executive
9 Office of the Governor. In accordance with s. 216.181(11), the
10 Executive Office of the Governor may request changes to the
11 approved operating budget to allow the expenditure of any
12 additional grant funds collected pursuant to this subsection.
13 (5) Agencies under the control of the Governor or the
14 Governor and Cabinet are directed, and all others are
15 encouraged, to provide information and support to the
16 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention as requested.
17 Section 2. Section 14.20195, Florida Statutes, is
18 created to read:
19 14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council;
20 creation; membership; duties.--There is created within the
21 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention
22 Coordinating Council. The council shall develop strategies for
23 preventing suicide.
24 (1) SCOPE OF ACTIVITY.--The Suicide Prevention
25 Coordinating Council is a coordinating council as defined in
26 s. 20.03 and shall:
27 (a) Advise the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
28 regarding the development of a statewide plan for suicide
29 prevention, with the guiding principle being that suicide is a
30 preventable problem. The statewide plan must:
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 224
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1 1. Align and provide direction for statewide suicide
2 prevention initiatives.
3 2. Establish partnerships with state and private
4 agencies for the purpose of promoting public awareness of
5 suicide prevention.
6 3. Address specific populations in this state who are
7 at risk for suicide.
8 4. Identify ways to improve access to crisis services
9 for individuals in acute situations.
10 5. Identify resources to support the implementation of
11 the statewide plan.
12 (b) Assemble an ad hoc advisory committee comprised of
13 members from outside the council, if necessary, in order for
14 the council to receive advice and assistance in carrying out
15 its responsibilities.
16 (c) Make findings and recommendations regarding
17 suicide prevention programs and activities. The council shall
18 prepare an annual report and present it to the Governor, the
19 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
20 Representatives by January 1, 2008, and each year thereafter.
21 The annual report must describe the status of existing and
22 planned initiatives identified in the statewide plan for
23 suicide prevention and any recommendations arising therefrom.
24 (2) MEMBERSHIP.--The Suicide Prevention Coordinating
25 Council shall consist of 28 voting members.
26 (a) Fourteen members shall be appointed by the
27 director of the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the
28 following organizations:
29 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation
30 described in s. 394.655.
31 2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists.
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1 3. The Florida Sheriffs Association.
2 4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.
3 5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention.
4 6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.
5 7. The Alzheimer's Association.
6 8. The Florida School Board Association.
7 9. Volunteer Florida.
8 10. The state chapter of AARP.
9 11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.
10 12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health.
11 13. The Florida Counseling Association.
12 14. NAMI Florida.
13 (b) The following state officials or their designees
14 shall serve on the coordinating council:
15 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
16 2. The Secretary of Health.
17 3. The Commissioner of Education.
18 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration.
19 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice.
20 6. The Secretary of Corrections.
21 7. The executive director of the Department of Law
22 Enforcement.
23 8. The executive director of the Department of
24 Veterans' Affairs.
25 9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
26 10. The director of the Agency for Workforce
27 Innovation.
28 (c) The Governor shall appoint four additional members
29 to the coordinating council. The appointees must have
30 expertise that is critical to the prevention of suicide or
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 224
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1 represent an organization that is not already represented on
2 the coordinating council.
3 (d) For the members appointed by the director of the
4 Office of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to
5 initial terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed
6 to initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the
7 Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4
8 years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of
9 3 years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms
10 of 4 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be
11 filled in the same manner as the original appointment, and any
12 member who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of
13 death, resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall
14 serve only for the unexpired term of the member's predecessor.
15 A member is eligible for reappointment.
16 (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall
17 be a nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall
18 act as chair.
19 (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve
20 without compensation. Any member of the coordinating council
21 who is a public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per
22 diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
23 (3) MEETINGS.--The coordinating council shall meet at
24 least quarterly or upon the call of the chair. The council
25 meetings may be held via teleconference or other electronic
26 means.
27 Section 3. Two full-time equivalent positions are
28 authorized and the sum of $150,000 is appropriated from the
29 General Revenue Fund to the Office of Drug Control for the
30 purpose of implementing this act during the 2007-2008 fiscal
31 year.
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 224
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1 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
2
3 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
4 Senate Bill 224
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6 The committee substitute makes it clear that the Statewide
Office is responsible for preparing and implementing the
7 statewide plan with the advice of the Coordinating Council. It
further specifies that the director of the Office of Drug
8 Control within the Executive Office of the Governor is
responsible for employing and directing the coordinator of the
9 Statewide Office.
10 It removes the sections describing the education, skills, and
duties of the coordinator and corrects technical deficiencies.
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It removes authorization for the Coordinating Council to seek
12 grant money, and specifies that revenues from grants sought by
the Office shall be deposited in the Grants & Donations Trust
13 Fund with the EOG.
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