Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 792
By
Senator Arrington
25-01285-26 2026792__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to community rehabilitation programs;
3 amending s. 413.014, F.S.; providing minimum
4 requirements a community rehabilitation program must
5 meet to qualify to enter into a cooperative agreement
6 with the Division of Blind Services to provide certain
7 services; authorizing the director of the division to
8 temporarily waive certain requirements for certain
9 purposes; providing that a community rehabilitation
10 program that meets specified requirements is
11 considered a priority service provider for purposes of
12 program funding; authorizing the division to enter
13 into a cooperative agreement with a noncommunity
14 rehabilitation program private vendor for a certain
15 purpose; providing requirements for such cooperative
16 agreement; requiring the Florida Association of
17 Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., to coordinate with
18 the division to ensure cooperative agreements meet
19 certain needs; providing for funding; providing
20 requirements for the disbursement of funds; providing
21 an effective date.
22
23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25 Section 1. Section 413.014, Florida Statutes, is amended to
26 read:
27 413.014 Community rehabilitation programs.—
28
(1)
The Division of Blind Services shall enter into
29 cooperative agreements with community rehabilitation programs as
30 defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, to be the
31 service providers for the blind citizens of their communities.
32
(2)
The division shall, as rapidly as feasible, increase
33 the amount of such services provided by community rehabilitation
34 programs
under subsection (3)
. The goal shall be to decrease the
35 amount of such services provided by division employees and to
36 increase to the maximum extent allowed by federal law the amount
37 of such services provided through cooperative agreements with
38 community service providers. The division shall seek, to the
39 maximum extent allowed by federal and state law and regulation,
40 all available federal funds for such purposes. Funds and in-kind
41 matching contributions from community and private sources shall
42 be used to maximize federal funds. Unless prohibited by federal
43 law or regulation, the share of the federal vocational
44 rehabilitation grant apportioned for services to the blind may
45 not be less than 17 percent.
46
(3)
A community rehabilitation program must, at a minimum,
47
meet all of the following requirements to qualify to enter into
48
a cooperative agreement with the division to provide services to
49
persons who are blind or visually impaired:
50
(a)
Be a qualified nonprofit agency for the blind as
51
defined in s. 413.033(3) and be organized and operated
52
exclusively for charitable purposes under s. 501(c)(3) of the
53
Internal Revenue Code or be an approved program at a state
54
college or university.
55
(b)
Maintain current accreditation from at least one of the
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following national accrediting organizations:
57
1.
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation
58
Facilities.
59
2.
The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the
60
Blind and Visually Impaired.
61
3.
Any other nationally recognized accrediting body for
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vision rehabilitation services as determined by the director of
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the division.
64
(c)
Employ staff who hold a current, valid certification
65
from at least one of the following:
66
1.
The Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation
67
and Education Professionals.
68
2.
The National Blindness Professional Certification Board.
69
3.
Any other nationally recognized certifying body for
70
vision rehabilitation professionals as determined by the
71
director of the division.
72
(d)
Provide services required under the cooperative
73
agreement by the division, including, but not limited to, the
74
following:
75
1.
Activities of daily living.
76
2.
Assessments.
77
3.
Assistive technology training.
78
4.
Communication skills training.
79
5.
Community integration.
80
6.
Counseling.
81
7.
Guidance and career counseling.
82
8.
Low vision training.
83
9.
Orientation and mobility training.
84
10.
Preemployment transition services, including, but not
85
limited to, career coaching, development, and placement;
86
workplace readiness; personal assistance; vocational
87
rehabilitation; technology training; and transportation
88
services.
89
11.
Recreation and leisure activities training.
90
12.
Self-advocacy training.
91
13.
Sensory and cognitive development.
92
14.
Other services as determined by the director of the
93
division or as may be required by state and federal guidelines.
94
95
The director of the division may temporarily waive staff
96
requirements and community rehabilitation program requirements
97
under this subsection in order to approve new community
98
rehabilitation program organizations.
99
(4)(a)
A community rehabilitation program that meets the
100
requirements in subsection (3) is a priority service provider
101
for purposes of program funding. In addition to the requirements
102
in subsection (3), the community rehabilitation program must be
103
qualified, accredited, and certified with evidence-supported
104
outcomes aligned with the federal Rehabilitation Services
105
Administration performance indicators for services to persons
106
who are blind or visually impaired to ensure quality, safety,
107
accountability, and sustainability.
108
(b)
In the event a community rehabilitation program is
109
unable to provide services to a specific client for any reason,
110
including client choice, suspension of services, capacity, or
111
timeliness, the division may enter into a cooperative agreement
112
for services with a noncommunity rehabilitation program private
113
vendor. The noncommunity rehabilitation program private vendor
114
must meet the requirements in subsection (3) and comply with all
115
requirements provided in the community rehabilitation program
116
cooperative agreement to ensure quality, safety, accountability,
117
and sustainability. If the division enters into a cooperative
118
agreement with a noncommunity rehabilitation program private
119
vendor to provide services, the community rehabilitation program
120
serving that same geographic area must be notified by the
121
division of the name of such private vendor to ensure that the
122
client receives the same level of high-quality service offered
123
by the community rehabilitation program.
124
(5)
The Florida Association of Agencies Serving the Blind,
125
Inc., shall coordinate with the division to ensure cooperative
126
agreements for services meet the needs of blind and visually
127
impaired clients served by community rehabilitation program
128
member organizations and act on behalf of such clients on
129
cooperative agreement issues or other issues in the best
130
interest of serving the clients.
131
(6)
As authorized by and consistent with funding
132
appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, the Florida
133
Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., may submit
134
requests to the Legislature for funding for community
135
rehabilitation programs. The division shall disperse funds to
136
community rehabilitation programs that are considered priority
137
service providers under paragraph (4)(a) within 45 days after
138
receipt of a qualified invoice and shall disperse subsequent
139
monthly payments thereafter.
140 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.