Bill Text: FL S1534 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Assistive Technology Advisory Council

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-23 - Withdrawn from further consideration [S1534 Detail]

Download: Florida-2017-S1534-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2017                                    SB 1534
       
       
        
       By Senator Thurston
       
       
       
       
       
       33-01152-17                                           20171534__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Assistive Technology Advisory
    3         Council; amending s. 413.407, F.S.; requiring a
    4         representative of the Department of Economic
    5         Opportunity, rather than of CareerSource Florida,
    6         Inc., to serve on the council; deleting a requirement
    7         that the council act as the board of directors of the
    8         Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and
    9         Technology; requiring the council to advise the
   10         alliance; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph
   15  (a) of subsection (2) of section 413.407, Florida Statutes, are
   16  amended to read:
   17         413.407 Assistive Technology Advisory Council.—There is
   18  created the Assistive Technology Advisory Council, responsible
   19  for ensuring consumer involvement in the creation, application,
   20  and distribution of technology-related assistance to and for
   21  persons who have disabilities. The council shall fulfill its
   22  responsibilities through statewide policy development, both
   23  state and federal legislative initiatives, advocacy at both the
   24  state and federal level, planning of statewide resource
   25  allocations, policy-level management, reviews of both consumer
   26  responsiveness and the adequacy of program service delivery, and
   27  by performing the functions listed in this section.
   28         (1)(a) The council shall be composed of:
   29         1. Individuals who have disabilities and who are assistive
   30  technology consumers or family members or guardians of those
   31  individuals.
   32         2. Representatives of consumer organizations concerned with
   33  assistive technology.
   34         3. Representatives of business and industry, including the
   35  insurance industry, concerned with assistive technology.
   36         4. A representative of the Division of Vocational
   37  Rehabilitation.
   38         5. A representative of the Division of Blind Services.
   39         6. A representative of the Florida Independent Living
   40  Council.
   41         7. A representative of the Department of Economic
   42  Opportunity CareerSource Florida, Inc.
   43         8. A representative of the Department of Education.
   44         9. Representatives of other state agencies that provide or
   45  coordinate services for persons with disabilities.
   46  
   47  Total membership on the council may not exceed 27 at any one
   48  time. A majority of the members shall be appointed in accordance
   49  with subparagraph 1.
   50         (2) In addition to the other functions specified in this
   51  section, the council shall:
   52         (a) Advise the Florida Act as the board of directors of a
   53  not-for-profit corporation created by the division. Through the
   54  corporation, the council shall provide direction to Florida’s
   55  Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology, administered
   56  through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation within the
   57  Florida Department of Education a project sponsored by the
   58  department for the coordination and delivery of appropriate,
   59  cost-effective, state-of-the-art assistive technology services
   60  and devices.
   61         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.