Florida Senate - 2007 CS for CS for SB 224
By the Committees on Health and Human Services Appropriations;
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and Senators Lynn,
King, Geller, Rich, Wilson and Oelrich
603-2629-07
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 effective date.
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. Section 14.2019, Florida Statutes, is
29 created to read:
30 14.2019 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.--
31
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for CS for SB 224
603-2629-07
1 (1) The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention is
2 created as a unit of the Office of Drug Control within the
3 Executive Office of the Governor.
4 (2) The statewide office shall, within available
5 resources:
6 (a) Develop a network of community-based programs to
7 improve suicide prevention initiatives. The network shall
8 identify and work to eliminate barriers to providing suicide
9 prevention services to individuals who are at risk of suicide.
10 The network shall consist of stakeholders advocating suicide
11 prevention, including, but not limited to, not-for-profit
12 suicide prevention organizations, faith-based suicide
13 prevention organizations, law enforcement agencies, first
14 responders to emergency calls, suicide prevention community
15 coalitions, schools and universities, mental health agencies,
16 substance abuse treatment agencies, health care providers, and
17 school personnel.
18 (b) Prepare and implement the statewide plan with
19 advice of the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council.
20 (c) Increase public awareness concerning topics
21 relating to suicide prevention.
22 (d) Coordinate education and training curricula in
23 suicide prevention efforts for law enforcement personnel,
24 first responders to emergency calls, health care providers,
25 school employees, and other persons who may have contact with
26 persons at risk of suicide.
27 (3) Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the
28 director of the Office of Drug Control shall employ a
29 coordinator for the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
30 who shall work under the direction of the director to achieve
31 the goals and objectives set forth in this section.
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for CS for SB 224
603-2629-07
1 (4) The Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention may
2 seek and accept grants or funds from any federal, state, or
3 local source to support the operation and defray the
4 authorized expenses of the office and the Suicide Prevention
5 Coordinating Council. Revenues from grants shall be deposited
6 in the Grants and Donations Trust Fund within the Executive
7 Office of the Governor. In accordance with s. 216.181(11), the
8 Executive Office of the Governor may request changes to the
9 approved operating budget to allow the expenditure of any
10 additional grant funds collected pursuant to this subsection.
11 (5) Agencies under the control of the Governor or the
12 Governor and Cabinet are directed, and all others are
13 encouraged, to provide information and support to the
14 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention as requested.
15 Section 2. Section 14.20195, Florida Statutes, is
16 created to read:
17 14.20195 Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council;
18 creation; membership; duties.--There is created within the
19 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention a Suicide Prevention
20 Coordinating Council. The council shall develop strategies for
21 preventing suicide.
22 (1) SCOPE OF ACTIVITY.--The Suicide Prevention
23 Coordinating Council is a coordinating council as defined in
24 s. 20.03 and shall:
25 (a) Advise the Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention
26 regarding the development of a statewide plan for suicide
27 prevention, with the guiding principle being that suicide is a
28 preventable problem. The statewide plan must:
29 1. Align and provide direction for statewide suicide
30 prevention initiatives.
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for CS for SB 224
603-2629-07
1 2. Establish partnerships with state and private
2 agencies for the purpose of promoting public awareness of
3 suicide prevention.
4 3. Address specific populations in this state who are
5 at risk for suicide.
6 4. Identify ways to improve access to crisis services
7 for individuals in acute situations.
8 5. Identify resources to support the implementation of
9 the statewide plan.
10 (b) Assemble an ad hoc advisory committee comprised of
11 members from outside the council, if necessary, in order for
12 the council to receive advice and assistance in carrying out
13 its responsibilities.
14 (c) Make findings and recommendations regarding
15 suicide prevention programs and activities. The council shall
16 prepare an annual report and present it to the Governor, the
17 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
18 Representatives by January 1, 2008, and each year thereafter.
19 The annual report must describe the status of existing and
20 planned initiatives identified in the statewide plan for
21 suicide prevention and any recommendations arising therefrom.
22 (2) MEMBERSHIP.--The Suicide Prevention Coordinating
23 Council shall consist of 28 voting members.
24 (a) Fourteen members shall be appointed by the
25 director of the Office of Drug Control and shall represent the
26 following organizations:
27 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation
28 described in s. 394.655.
29 2. The Florida Association of School Psychologists.
30 3. The Florida Sheriffs Association.
31 4. The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for CS for SB 224
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1 5. The Florida Initiative of Suicide Prevention.
2 6. The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.
3 7. The Alzheimer's Association.
4 8. The Florida School Board Association.
5 9. Volunteer Florida.
6 10. The state chapter of AARP.
7 11. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.
8 12. The Florida Council for Community Mental Health.
9 13. The Florida Counseling Association.
10 14. NAMI Florida.
11 (b) The following state officials or their designees
12 shall serve on the coordinating council:
13 1. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
14 2. The Secretary of Health.
15 3. The Commissioner of Education.
16 4. The Secretary of Health Care Administration.
17 5. The Secretary of Juvenile Justice.
18 6. The Secretary of Corrections.
19 7. The executive director of the Department of Law
20 Enforcement.
21 8. The executive director of the Department of
22 Veterans' Affairs.
23 9. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
24 10. The director of the Agency for Workforce
25 Innovation.
26 (c) The Governor shall appoint four additional members
27 to the coordinating council. The appointees must have
28 expertise that is critical to the prevention of suicide or
29 represent an organization that is not already represented on
30 the coordinating council.
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for CS for SB 224
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1 (d) For the members appointed by the director of the
2 Office of Drug Control, seven members shall be appointed to
3 initial terms of 3 years, and seven members shall be appointed
4 to initial terms of 4 years. For the members appointed by the
5 Governor, two members shall be appointed to initial terms of 4
6 years, and two members shall be appointed to initial terms of
7 3 years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed to terms
8 of 4 years. Any vacancy on the coordinating council shall be
9 filled in the same manner as the original appointment, and any
10 member who is appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of
11 death, resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall
12 serve only for the unexpired term of the member's predecessor.
13 A member is eligible for reappointment.
14 (e) The director of the Office of Drug Control shall
15 be a nonvoting member of the coordinating council and shall
16 act as chair.
17 (f) Members of the coordinating council shall serve
18 without compensation. Any member of the coordinating council
19 who is a public employee is entitled to reimbursement for per
20 diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
21 (3) MEETINGS.--The coordinating council shall meet at
22 least quarterly or upon the call of the chair. The council
23 meetings may be held via teleconference or other electronic
24 means.
25 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
26
27 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
28 CS for SB 224
29
30 Removes the appropriation of two full-time equivalent
positions and $150,000 from the General Revenue Fund for
31 Fiscal Year 07-08 to the Statewide Office of Suicide
Prevention.
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