HB0155 Mental Health Programs for Gun Violence Prevention

Plain English Breakdown

The bill creates a new statute (s. 394.4997) but does not specify exact details of how referrals are processed beyond listing which offices receive them.

Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program in Gainesville

This bill creates a pilot program in the City of Gainesville that uses mental health services and job training to help youth at risk of gun violence.

What This Bill Does

Creates a Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program run by IMPACT GNV with partners like the Department of Juvenile Justice, state attorneys, and public defenders.
Provides therapy, conflict resolution training, substance abuse treatment, and other mental health services for eligible participants.
Offers alternatives to incarceration through job training, apprenticeships, or education opportunities for youth involved in the legal system.
Requires IMPACT GNV to report program results to state leaders by December 31 each year.
Sets aside $500,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund to start the program.

Who It Names or Affects

Youth aged 10 to 21 who are at moderate or high risk of being victims or offenders of gun violence.
Family members of eligible youth participants.
The City of Gainesville and Alachua County officials responsible for reporting data on the program's impact.
IMPACT GNV, the Department of Juvenile Justice, state attorneys, and public defenders in the eighth judicial circuit.

Terms To Know

Pilot Program: A test project used to see if a new idea works before making it permanent or expanding it elsewhere; this program expires on June 30, 2030.
Alternatives to incarceration: Options that allow people involved in the legal system to avoid jail by completing specific services like counseling or training instead.
Nonrecurring funds: Money given for a one-time purpose, such as starting this program, rather than funding it every year automatically.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only applies to the City of Gainesville and does not cover other cities in Florida.
This section of the law will expire on June 30, 2030, unless changed by future legislation.
The bill states that IMPACT GNV must consult with stakeholders but does not list exactly who those people are.

Official Summary Text

Mental Health Programs for Gun Violence Prevention; Requires IMPACT GVN of City of Gainesville, in collaboration with others, to develop & implement Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program; provides eligibility & program requirements; provides alternatives to incarceration for specified youth; provides for referrals to specified programs; requires City of Gainesville, in collaboration with Alachua County, to annually submit specified report to IMPACT GVN of City of Gainesville by specified date; requires IMPACT GVN of City of Gainesville to report specified information to Governor & Legislature by specified date; provides for future repeal of pilot program.

APPROPRIATION:
$500,000

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to mental health programs for gun 2
violence prevention; creating s. 394.4997, F.S.; 3
providing legislative findings and intent; requiring 4
IMPACT GNV of the City of Gainesville, in 5
collaboration with certain entities, to develop and 6
implement the Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program; 7
providing eligibility and program requirements; 8
providing alternatives to incarceration for specified 9
youth; providing for referrals to specified programs; 10
requiring the City of Gainesville, in collaboration 11
with Alachua County, to annually submit a specified 12
report to IMPACT GNV by a specified date; requiring 13
IMPACT GNV to report specified information to the 14
Governor and the Legislature by a specified date; 15
providing for future repeal of the pilot program; 16
providing for an appropriation; providing an effective 17
date. 18
19
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20
21
Section 1. Section 394.4997, Florida Statutes, is created 22
to read: 23
394.4997 Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program.— 24
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds 25

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that persons under 21 years of age in this state are 26
disproportionately affected by gun violence, which has 27
significant adverse effects on the health, safety, and well-28
being of persons under 21 years of age. Further, the Legislature 29
finds that mental health challenges and unresolved conflicts are 30
contributing factors to the prevalence of gun violence and that 31
there is a need for targeted mental health and conflict 32
resolution education programs to assist persons under 21 years 33
of age in mitigating these issues. It is the intent of the 34
Legislature to establish programs that provide mental health 35
services tailored to the needs of persons under 21 years of age, 36
implement conflict resolution training in schools and community 37
centers to prevent violence, and fund community-based 38
initiatives that address the root causes of gun violence among 39
persons under 21 years of age. 40
(2) CREATION.— 41
(a) IMPACT GNV of the City of Gainesville shall develop 42
and implement a Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program in the 43
City of Gainesville, in collaboration with the Department of 44
Juvenile Justice, the state attorney, and the public defender of 45
the eighth judicial circuit. 46
(b) The Gun Violence Prevention Pilot Program shall 47
provide mental health services, community-based intervention 48
programs, conflict resolution training, and alternative 49
opportunities. 50

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(c) IMPACT GNV shall design the pilot program to align 51
with and complement existing efforts in the City of Gainesville 52
to address gun violence among youth and young adults. IMPACT GNV 53
shall, at a minimum, consult with stakeholders before and during 54
implementation of the pilot program. 55
(3) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to become an eligible program 56
participant, he or she must be: 57
(a) A person who is at least 10 to 21 years of age, who is 58
at moderate or high risk of being: 59
1. A victim of gun violence; 60
2. An offender who has inflicted bodily harm or death; or 61
3. An individual returning to the community from a 62
delinquency residential program. 63
(b) A family member of a person eligible under paragraph 64
(a). 65
(4) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—The program shall: 66
(a) Provide program participants with access to mental 67
health services, including, but not limited to, all of the 68
following: 69
1. Individual therapy sessions with qualified 70
professionals or mental health counselors to address personal 71
mental health issues. 72
2. Facilitated group therapy sessions to provide peer 73
support and shared experiences. 74
3. Family therapy sessions involving family members to 75

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address familial issues contributing to mental health problems. 76
4. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for 77
participants who have experienced trauma. 78
5. Art and music therapies to help participants express 79
emotions and cope with stress. 80
6. Substance abuse treatment programs addressing substance 81
abuse issues that may contribute to violent behavior. 82
7. Mediation training. 83
8. Restoration of relationships. 84
9. Resilience and leadership skills. 85
(b) In collaboration with the Department of Juvenile 86
Justice, the state attorney, and the public defender for the 87
eighth judicial circuit, provide program participants who are 88
involved with the delinquency system or on probation with 89
opportunities to obtain: 90
1. A graduate equivalency degree. 91
2. Job training, skills development, or an apprenticeship. 92
3. Employment at high-risk or critical need positions. 93
(5) REFERRAL.— 94
(a) The public defender's office will receive referrals to 95
the dependency program. 96
(b) The state attorney's office will receive referrals to 97
the diversion program under part III of chapter 985. 98
(c) The Department of Juvenile Justice will receive 99
referrals to the class for firearm offenders under s. 100

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985.601(11). 101
(6) REPORTS.- 102
(a) Beginning October 31, 2027, and annually thereafter, 103
the City of Gainesville, in collaboration with Alachua County, 104
shall report to IMPACT GNV and the Department of Juvenile 105
Justice the number of participants in the pilot program; data on 106
the impact on the rate of gun violence among individuals within 107
the age group and geographic area served by the program; data on 108
risk factors for gun violence in the geographic area served by 109
the program; feedback from program participants; and 110
recommendations for improvement and expansion of services based 111
on the results of the pilot program. 112
(b) IMPACT GNV shall report to the Governor, the Speaker 113
of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate 114
by December 31 of each year on the implementation and 115
performance of the program. 116
(7) REPEAL.—This section will expire on June 30, 2030. 117
Section 2. For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the sum of 118
$500,000 is appropriated in nonrecurring funds from the General 119
Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Families for the 120
purpose of implementing this act. 121
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 122