(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The Legislature finds that the ability to provide adequate homeless services is limited due to a shortage of professionals and paraprofessionals in the field. Persons with lived experience of homelessness are uniquely qualified to provide effective support services because they share common life experiences with the persons they assist. A person with lived experience may have a criminal history that prevents him or her from meeting background screening requirements.
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—A person may seek certification as a person with lived experience if he or she has received homeless services. A continuum of care lead agency serving the homeless must include documentation of the homeless services such person received when requesting a background check of the applicant.
(3) DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.—The department shall ensure that an applicant’s background screening required to achieve certification is conducted as provided in subsection (4).
(4) BACKGROUND SCREENING.—
(a) The background screening conducted under this subsection must ensure that the qualified applicant has not, during the preceding 3 years, been arrested for and is not awaiting final disposition of, has not been found guilty of, regardless of adjudication, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, or has not been adjudicated delinquent and the record has been sealed or expunged for, any felony.
(b) The background screening conducted under this subsection must ensure that the qualified applicant has not been arrested for and is not awaiting final disposition of, has not been found guilty of, regardless of adjudication, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, or has not been adjudicated delinquent and the record has been sealed or expunged for, any offense prohibited under any of the following state laws or similar laws of another jurisdiction:
1. Section 393.135, relating to sexual misconduct with certain developmentally disabled clients and reporting of such sexual misconduct.
2. Section 394.4593, relating to sexual misconduct with certain mental health patients and reporting of such sexual misconduct.
3. Section 409.920, relating to Medicaid provider fraud, if the offense is a felony of the first or second degree.
4. Section 415.111, relating to criminal penalties for abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults.
5. Any offense that constitutes domestic violence, as defined in s. 741.28.
6. Section 777.04, relating to attempts, solicitation, and conspiracy to commit an offense listed in this paragraph.
8. Section 782.07, relating to manslaughter, aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or a disabled adult, aggravated manslaughter of a child, or aggravated manslaughter of an officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, or a paramedic.
9. Section 782.071, relating to vehicular homicide.
10. Section 782.09, relating to killing of an unborn child by injury to the mother.
11. Chapter 784, relating to assault, battery, and culpable negligence, if the offense is a felony.
13. Section 787.02, relating to false imprisonment.
14. Section 787.025, relating to luring or enticing a child.
15. Section 787.04(2), relating to leading, taking, enticing, or removing a minor beyond the state limits, or concealing the location of a minor, with criminal intent pending custody proceedings.
16. Section 787.04(3), relating to leading, taking, enticing, or removing a minor beyond the state limits, or concealing the location of a minor, with criminal intent pending dependency proceedings or proceedings concerning alleged abuse or neglect of a minor.
17. Section 790.115(1), relating to exhibiting firearms or weapons within 1,000 feet of a school.
18. Section 790.115(2)(b), relating to possessing an electric weapon or device, a destructive device, or any other weapon on school property.
43. Section 827.03, relating to child abuse, aggravated child abuse, or neglect of a child.
44. Section 827.04, relating to contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child.
45. Former s. 827.05, relating to negligent treatment of children.
46. Section 827.071, relating to sexual performance by a child.
47. Section 831.30, relating to fraud in obtaining medicinal drugs.
48. Section 831.31, relating to the sale, manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver any counterfeit controlled substance, if the offense is a felony.
49. Section 843.01, relating to resisting arrest with violence.
50. Section 843.025, relating to depriving a law enforcement, correctional, or correctional probation officer of the means of protection or communication.
51. Section 843.12, relating to aiding in an escape.
52. Section 843.13, relating to aiding in the escape of juvenile inmates of correctional institutions.
53. Chapter 847, relating to obscenity.
54. Section 874.05, relating to encouraging or recruiting another to join a criminal gang.
55. Chapter 893, relating to drug abuse prevention and control, if the offense is a felony of the second degree or greater severity.
56. Section 895.03, relating to racketeering and collection of unlawful debts.
57. Section 896.101, relating to the Florida Money Laundering Act.
58. Section 916.1075, relating to sexual misconduct with certain forensic clients and reporting of such sexual misconduct.
59. Section 944.35(3), relating to inflicting cruel or inhuman treatment on an inmate, resulting in great bodily harm.
61. Section 944.46, relating to harboring, concealing, or aiding an escaped prisoner.
62. Section 944.47, relating to introduction of contraband into a correctional institution.
63. Section 985.701, relating to sexual misconduct in juvenile justice programs.
64. Section 985.711, relating to introduction of contraband into a detention facility.
(5) EXEMPTION REQUESTS.—An applicant who desires to become a certified person with lived experience but is disqualified under subsection (4) may apply to the department for an exemption from disqualification under s. 435.07, as applicable. The department shall accept or reject an application for exemption within 90 days after receiving the application from the applicant.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2024-243.
1Note.—As enacted by s. 2, ch. 2024-243. Section 1, ch. 2024-132, amended s. 810.145 and redesignated the offense of “video voyeurism” as “digital voyeurism.”
