Florida SB 792: Community Rehabilitation Programs

Bill Text

792 
Community Rehabilitation Programs 
2025-12-08T08:55:15Z 
Providing minimum requirements a community rehabilitation program must meet to qualify to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Division of Blind Services to provide certain services; providing that a community rehabilitation program that meets specified requirements is considered a priority service provider for purposes of program funding; requiring the Florida Association of Agencies Serving the Blind, Inc., to coordinate with the division to ensure cooperative agreements meet certain needs, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 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 
 56 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 
 62 vision rehabilitation services as determined by the director of 
 63 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.