Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 By the Committee on Appropriations 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 1 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to health; amending s. 216.136, F.S.; 2 requiring the Social Services Estimating Conference to 3 develop certain official information relating to the 4 pilot program for individuals with developmental 5 disabilities; amending s. 394.495, F.S.; authorizing 6 the Department of Children and Families, as authorized 7 by and consistent with appropriated funding, to 8 contract with a specified organization to provide 9 grief support services to help certain children and 10 youth; requiring that the services be provided at no 11 cost; authorizing the contracted organization to also 12 provide grief awareness training and outreach to local 13 schools and medical facilities under the contract; 14 amending s. 409.145, F.S.; revising the monthly room 15 and board rates the department is required to pay to 16 certain foster parents and caregivers; amending s. 17 409.1455, F.S.; renaming the Step into Success 18 Workforce Education and Internship Pilot Program as 19 the Step into Success Workforce Education and 20 Internship Program; deleting a provision limiting the 21 duration of the program; requiring the Office of 22 Continuing Care within the department to develop 23 certain cohorts within specified regions, to 24 collaborate with certain organizations to recruit 25 mentors and organizations, and to provide eligible 26 former foster youth with internship placement 27 opportunities; deleting a provision requiring that the 28 program be administered in a certain manner; deleting 29

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 2 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. obsolete language; requiring the office to develop 30 trauma-informed training for mentors of certain former 31 foster youth; providing requirements for the training; 32 authorizing the office to provide certain additional 33 trainings on mentorship of special populations; 34 revising the amount of monthly financial assistance 35 that the office provides to participating former 36 foster youth; requiring the office to assign 37 experienced staff to serve as program liaisons for a 38 specified purpose; revising qualifications to serve as 39 a mentor; authorizing the department to offer certain 40 training to mentors in subsequent years; authorizing 41 an employee who serves as a mentor to participate in 42 certain additional trainings; deleting a provision 43 authorizing the offset of a reduction in or loss of 44 certain benefits due to receipt of a Step into Success 45 stipend by an additional stipend payment; creating s. 46 409.1475, F.S.; providing legislative findings and 47 intent; creating the Foster and Family Support Grant 48 Program within the department; requiring the 49 department to award grants to not-for-profit, faith-50 based organizations for specified purposes; requiring 51 that the program emphasize certain support; specifying 52 authorized uses for awarded grant funds; requiring 53 grant recipients to submit reports to the department 54 in a format and at intervals prescribed by the 55 department; authorizing the department to adopt rules; 56 amending s. 409.908, F.S.; revising the parameters for 57 the prospective payment methodology used for 58

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 3 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. determining the Agency for Health Care 59 Administration’s long-term care reimbursement plan for 60 nursing home care; requiring the agency to consider 61 specified recommendations when revising its 62 methodology for calculating Quality Incentive Program 63 payments; requiring the agency to delay the effective 64 date of any changes to its methodology for a specified 65 timeframe; amending s. 409.9855, F.S.; requiring the 66 agency to collect and analyze certain data relating to 67 the pilot program for individuals with developmental 68 disabilities for a specified timeframe; requiring the 69 agency to report specified information to the Social 70 Services Estimating Conference; amending s. 409.990, 71 F.S.; revising the cumulative amount of unexpended 72 state funds that a community-based care lead agency 73 may carry forward to the next fiscal year; amending s. 74 414.56, F.S.; conforming a provision to changes made 75 by the act; reenacting ss. 39.5085(2)(d), 76 39.6225(5)(d), 393.065(5)(b), and 409.1451(2)(b), 77 F.S., relating to the Relative Caregiver Program, the 78 Guardianship Assistance Program, application and 79 eligibility determinations, and the Road-to-80 Independence Program, respectively, to incorporate the 81 amendment made to s. 409.145, F.S., in references 82 thereto; providing an effective date. 83 84 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 85 86

Section 1. Paragraph (

c) is added to subsection (6) of 87

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section 216.136, Florida Statutes, to read: 88 216.136 Consensus estimating conferences; duties and 89 principals.— 90

(6) SOCIAL SERVICES ESTIMATING CONFERENCE.— 91 (

c) The Social Services Estimating Conference shall develop 92 official information relating to the pilot program for 93 individuals with developmental disabilities implemented pursuant 94 to s. 409.9855, including, but not limited to, data related to 95 enrollment, caseloads, utilization of services, program 96 expenditures, and any other information that the conference 97 determines necessary for the state planning and budgeting system 98 and to project future budgets and drawdown of federal matching 99 funds. 100

Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to

section 394.495, 101 Florida Statutes, to read: 102 394.495 Child and adolescent mental health system of care; 103 programs and services.— 104

(8) As authorized by and consistent with funding 105 appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, the department 106 may contract with Valerie’s House, Inc., a nonprofit 107 organization exempt from taxation pursuant to s. 501(c)(3) of 108 the Internal Revenue Code, to provide grief support services to 109 help children and youth ages 4 to 19 who have experienced the 110 death of a parent or sibling.

The services provided must be at 111 no cost to the bereaved child or his or her caregiver and may 112 include, but need not be limited to, grief support groups, 113 mentoring, individual grief counseling, financial crisis 114 support, and in-school support services. Valerie’s House, Inc., 115 may also provide grief awareness training and outreach to local 116

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 5 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. schools and medical facilities under the contract. 117

Section 3. Subsection (3) of

section 409.145, Florida 118 Statutes, is amended to read: 119 409.145 Care of children; “reasonable and prudent parent” 120 standard.—The child welfare system of the department shall 121 operate as a coordinated community-based system of care which 122 empowers all caregivers for children in foster care to provide 123 quality parenting, including approving or disapproving a child’s 124 participation in activities based on the caregiver’s assessment 125 using the “reasonable and prudent parent” standard. 126

(3) ROOM AND BOARD RATES.— 127 (

a) Effective July 1, 2026 2022, room and board rates shall 128 be paid to foster parents, including relative and nonrelative 129 caregivers who are licensed as a level I child-specific foster 130 placement, and to relative and nonrelative caregivers who are 131 participating in the Relative Caregiver Program and receiving 132 payments pursuant to s. 39.5085(2)(d)1. or 2., as follows: 133 134 Monthly Room and Board Rate 135 0-5 Years Age 6-12 Years Age 13-21 Years Age 136 $663.03 $517.94 $680.01 $531.21 $795.94 $621.77 137 (

b) Each January, foster parents, including relative and 138 nonrelative caregivers who are licensed as a level I child-139 specific foster placement and relative and nonrelative 140

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 6 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. caregivers who are participating in the Relative Caregiver 141 Program and receiving payments pursuant to s. 39.5085(2)(d)1. or 142 2., shall receive an annual cost of living increase. The 143 department shall calculate the new room and board rate increase 144 equal to the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for 145 All Urban Consumers, U.S.

City Average, All Items, not 146 seasonally adjusted, or successor reports, for the preceding 147 December compared to the prior December as initially reported by 148 the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor 149 Statistics. The department shall make available the adjusted 150 room and board rates annually. 151 (

c) The amount of the monthly room and board rate may be 152 increased upon agreement among the department, the community-153 based care lead agency, and the foster parent. 154 (

d) Effective July 1, 2022, community-based care lead 155 agencies providing care under contract with the department shall 156 pay a supplemental room and board payment to foster parents, 157 including relative and nonrelative caregivers who are licensed 158 as a level I child-specific foster placement and relative and 159 nonrelative caregivers who are participating in the Relative 160 Caregiver Program and receiving payments pursuant to s. 161 39.5085(2)(d)1. or 2., on a per-child basis, for providing 162 independent life skills and normalcy supports to children who 163 are 13 through 17 years of age placed in their care.

The 164 supplemental payment must be paid monthly in addition to the 165 current monthly room and board rate payment. The supplemental 166 monthly payment shall be based on 10 percent of the monthly room 167 and board rate for children 13 through 21 years of age as 168 provided under this

section and adjusted annually. 169

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Section

Section 409.1455, Florida Statutes, is amended 170 to read: 171 409.1455 Step into Success Workforce Education and 172 Internship Pilot Program for foster youth and former foster 173 youth.— 174

(1) SHORT TITLE.—This

section may be cited as the “Step 175 into Success Act.” 176

(2) CREATION.—The department shall establish the 3-year 177 Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Pilot 178 Program to give eligible foster youth and former foster youth an 179 opportunity to learn and develop essential workforce and 180 professional skills, to transition from the custody of the 181 department to independent living, and to become better prepared 182 for an independent and successful future.

The pilot program must 183 consist of an independent living professionalism and workforce 184 education component and, for youth who complete that component, 185 an onsite workforce training internship component.

In 186 consultation with subject-matter experts and the community-based 187 care lead agencies, the office shall develop and administer the 188 pilot program for interested foster youth and former foster 189 youth; however, the department may contract with entities that 190 have demonstrable subject-matter expertise in the transition to 191 adulthood for foster youth, workforce training and preparedness, 192 professional skills, and related subjects to collaborate with 193 the office in the development and administration of the pilot 194 program.

The independent living professionalism and workforce 195 education component of the program must culminate in a 196 certificate that allows a former foster youth to participate in 197 the onsite workforce training internship. 198

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(3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the term: 199 (a) “Community-based care lead agency” has the same meaning 200 as in s. 409.986(3). 201 (b) “Former foster youth” means an individual 18 years of 202 age or older but younger than 26 years of age who is currently 203 or was previously placed in licensed care, excluding Level I 204 licensed placements pursuant to s. 409.175(5)(a)1., for at least 205 60 days within this state. 206 (c) “Foster youth” means an individual older than 16 years 207 of age but younger than 18 years of age who is currently in 208 licensed care, excluding Level I licensed placements pursuant to 209 s. 409.175(5)(a)1. 210 (d) “Office” means the department’s Office of Continuing 211 Care. 212 (e) “Participating organization” means a state agency, a 213 corporation under

chapter 607 or

chapter 617, or another 214 relevant entity that has agreed to collaborate with the office 215 in the development and implementation of a trauma-informed 216 onsite workforce training internship program pursuant to 217 subsections (6) and (7). 218

(4) REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OFFICE.—The 219 department shall establish and the office shall develop and 220 administer the pilot program for eligible foster youth and 221 former foster youth. The office shall do all of the following: 222 (

a) Develop eligible foster youth and former foster youth 223 cohorts within the department’s regions. 224 (

b) Collaborate with local chambers of commerce and recruit 225 mentors and organizations within the department’s regions, 226 emphasizing recruitment of mentors and organizations in the 227

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 9 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. following counties: 228 1. Duval. 229 2. Escambia. 230 3. Hillsborough. 231 4. Palm Beach. 232 5. Polk. 233 (

c) Provide eligible former foster youth with a variety of 234 internship placement opportunities, including by connecting 235 existing third-party mentorship organizations that focus on 236 former foster youth with eligible former foster youth who have 237 an interest in such organizations’ programs The pilot program 238 must be administered as part of an eligible foster youth’s 239 regular transition planning under s. 39.6035 or as a post-240 transition service for eligible former foster youth.

The office 241 must begin the professionalism and workforce education component 242 of the program on or before January 1, 2024, and the onsite 243 workforce training internship component of the program on or 244 before July 1, 2024. 245

(5) INDEPENDENT LIVING PROFESSIONALISM AND WORKFORCE 246 EDUCATION COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS.—The office shall do all of the 247 following in connection with the independent living 248 professionalism and workforce education component for eligible 249 foster youth and former foster youth: 250 (

a) Designate and ensure that the number of qualified staff 251 is sufficient to implement and administer the component, which 252 may be part of a larger independent living or life skills 253 training program if the larger program meets the requirements of 254 this subsection. 255 (

b) Develop all workshops, presentations, and curricula for 256

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 10 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the component, including, but not limited to, all written 257 educational and training materials for foster youth and former 258 foster youth. Resources may include, but are not limited to, 259 workshops and materials to assist with preparing résumés, mock 260 interviews, experiential training, and assistance with securing 261 an internship or employment. The office must review and update 262 these materials as necessary.

The training materials must 263 address, but are not limited to, the following: 264 1. Interview skills; 265 2. Professionalism; 266 3. Teamwork; 267 4. Leadership; 268 5. Problem solving; and 269 6. Conflict resolution in the workplace. 270 (

c) Require that the training provided be in addition to 271 any other life skills or employment training required by law. 272 The training may be developed or administered by the department, 273 community-based care lead agencies, or the lead agencies’ 274 subcontracted providers, or in collaboration with colleges or 275 universities or other nonprofit organizations in the community 276 with workforce education and training resources. 277 (

d) Provide relevant written materials from the component 278 and any relevant tools developed to ensure participants’ 279 successful transition to internships to all participating 280 organizations that offer workforce training internship 281 opportunities. 282 (

e) Provide materials to inform eligible foster youth and 283 former foster youth of the program, the requirements for 284 participation, and contact information for enrollment. The 285

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 11 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. community-based care lead agencies shall ensure that any 286 subcontracted providers that directly serve youth receive this 287 information. 288 (

f) Advertise and promote the availability of the education 289 and internship program to engage as many eligible foster youth 290 and former foster youth as possible. 291 (

g) Assess the career interests of each eligible foster 292 youth and former foster youth who expresses interest in 293 participating in the program and determine the most appropriate 294 internship and post-internship opportunities for that youth 295 based on his or her expressed interests. 296

(6) ONSITE WORKFORCE TRAINING INTERNSHIP COMPONENT 297 REQUIREMENTS.—The office shall do all of the following in 298 connection with the onsite workforce training internship program 299 for eligible former foster youth: 300 (

a) Develop processes and procedures to implement a trauma-301 informed onsite workforce training internship component. The 302 processes and procedures of the internship component must be 303 designed so that they can be replicated and scaled to meet 304 various organizational structures and sizes. The component must 305 include: 306 1. Recruitment of agencies, corporations, and other 307 entities to host interns as participating organizations; 308 2. Assisting participating organizations with mentor 309 recruitment, training, and matching; 310 3.

Mentor-led performance reviews, including a review of 311 the intern’s work product, professionalism, time management, 312 communication style, and stress-management strategies; 313 4. Daily mentorship and coaching on topics such as: 314

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 12 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. a. Professionalism; 315 b. Teamwork; 316 c. Leadership; 317 d. Problem solving; and 318 e. Conflict resolution in the workplace; 319 5. Development of opportunities for interns to become 320 employees of the participating organization; and 321 6. Reporting requirements specified in subsection (11). 322 (

b) Develop a minimum of 1 hour of required trauma-informed 323 training for mentors to satisfy the requirements of sub-324 subparagraph (7)(b)1.e. Such training must include interactive 325 or experiential components, such as role-playing, scenario 326 discussion, or case studies.

The office may provide at least 327 four additional 1-hour trainings on mentorship of special 328 populations as optional training opportunities, which must be 329 asynchronous and accessible to mentors online at their 330 convenience, and must inform participating organizations of 331 these optional training opportunities teach the skills necessary 332 to engage with participating eligible former foster youth. 333 (

c) Provide assistance to eligible foster youth and former 334 foster youth interested in participating in the internship 335 component, including, but not limited to, identifying and 336 monitoring internship opportunities, being knowledgeable of the 337 training and skills needed to match eligible foster youth and 338 former foster youth with appropriate internships, and assisting 339 eligible foster youth and former foster youth with applying for 340 post-internship employment opportunities. 341 (

d) Publicize specific internship positions in an easily 342 accessible manner and inform eligible foster youth and former 343

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 13 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. foster youth of where to locate such information. 344 (

e) Provide a participating former foster youth with 345 financial assistance in the amount of $1,717 $1,517 monthly and 346 develop a process and

schedule for the distribution of payments 347 to former foster youth participating in the component, subject 348 to the availability of funds. 349 (

f) Distribute funds appropriated for the compensation of 350 mentors who are participating in the component as provided in 351 paragraph (7)(b). 352 (

g) By May 1, 2024, provide to the Board of Governors and 353 the State Board of Education all relevant internship information 354 necessary to support the award of postsecondary credit or career 355 education clock hours for internship positions held by former 356 foster youth participating in the onsite workforce training 357 internship component. 358 (

h) Develop and conduct follow-up surveys with: 359 1. Former foster youth within 3 months after their 360 internship start date to ensure successful transition into the 361 work environment and to gather feedback on how to improve the 362 experience for future participants. 363 2. Mentors assigned to participating former foster youth. 364 Such data must be collected by October 1, 2024, and by October 1 365 annually thereafter, for inclusion in the independent living 366 services annual report. 367 3. Any other persons the office deems relevant for purposes 368 of continued improvement of the internship component. 369 (

i) Assign experienced staff to serve as program liaisons 370 who are available for mentors to contact whenever the mentors 371 need to debrief or have questions concerning a former foster 372

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 14 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. youth. 373

(7) REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS.—Each 374 organization participating in the onsite workforce training 375 internship component shall: 376 (

a) Collaborate with the office to implement a trauma-377 informed approach to mentoring and training former foster youth. 378 (

b) Recruit employees to serve as mentors for former foster 379 youth interning with such organizations. 380 1. To serve as a mentor, an employee must: 381 a. Have worked in his or her career field or area for the 382 participating organization for at least 1 year; 383 b. Have experience relevant to the job and task 384 responsibilities of the intern; 385 c. Sign a monthly hour statement for the intern; 386 d.

Allocate at least 1 hour per month to conduct mentor-led 387 performance reviews, to include a review of the intern’s work 388 product, professionalism, time management, communication style, 389 and stress-management strategies; and 390 e. Complete a minimum of 1 hour of trauma-informed training 391 to gain and maintain skills critical for successfully engaging 392 former foster youth. Before being matched with a former foster 393 youth, the employee must complete a 1-hour training that covers 394 core topics, including, but not limited to: 395 (

I) Understanding trauma and its impacts. 396 (II) Recognizing and responding to trauma-related 397 behaviors. 398 (III) De-escalation strategies and crisis response. 399 (IV) Boundaries and mentor self-care. 400 (

V) Communication skills. 401

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 15 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 402 The department may offer a 1-hour training to review topics 403 covered by the training required under this sub-subparagraph 404 every subsequent year that the employee chooses to serve as a 405 mentor. 406 2.

Subject to available funding, an employee who serves as 407 a mentor and receives the required trauma-informed training is 408 eligible for a maximum payment of $1,200 per intern per fiscal 409 year, to be issued as a $100 monthly payment for every month of 410 service as a mentor. 411 3. An employee may serve as a mentor for a maximum of three 412 interns at one time and may not receive more than $3,600 in 413 compensation per fiscal year for serving as a mentor. Any time 414 spent serving as a mentor to an intern under this

section counts 415 toward the minimum service required for eligibility for payments 416 pursuant to subparagraph 2. and this subparagraph. 417 4. An employee who serves as a mentor may participate in 418 additional trainings on the mentorship of special populations as 419 made available by the office. 420 (

c) When necessary, have a discussion with an intern’s 421 assigned mentor, the participating organization’s internship 422 program liaison, and the office about the creation of a 423 corrective action plan to address issues related to the intern’s 424 professionalism, work product, or performance and, if 425 applicable, after giving the intern a reasonable opportunity to 426 comply with the corrective action plan, document the intern’s 427 failure to do so before discharging him or her. 428 (

d) Provide relevant feedback to the office at least 429 annually for the office to comply with paragraph (6)(h). 430

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e) Collaborate with the department to provide any 431 requested information necessary to prepare the annual report 432 required under subsection (11). 433

(8) TIME LIMITATIONS FOR PARTICIPATION.—A former foster 434 youth who obtains an internship with a participating 435 organization may participate in the internship component for no 436 more than 1 year, calculated as 12 monthly stipend periods. The 437 year begins on his or her start date with a participating 438 organization. A former foster youth may intern under the 439 internship program with more than one participating 440 organization, but may not intern with more than one 441 participating organization at the same time.

A participating 442 organization may hire the intern as an employee, but the hiring 443 of a former foster youth may not be for an internship under this 444 section. 445

(9) AWARD OF POSTSECONDARY CREDIT.—The Board of Governors 446 and the State Board of Education shall adopt regulations and 447 rules, respectively, to award postsecondary credit or career 448 education clock hours for eligible former foster youth 449 participating in the internship component pursuant to subsection 450 (4). The regulations and rules must include procedures for the 451 award of postsecondary credit or career education clock hours, 452 including, but not limited to, equivalency and alignment of the 453 internship component with appropriate postsecondary courses and 454 course descriptions. 455

(10) CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERNSHIP 456 COMPONENT.— 457 (

a) To become a participant in the internship component of 458 the program, the applicant must be a foster youth or a former 459

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 17 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. foster youth as those terms are defined in subsection (3) at the 460 time such youth applies for an internship position with a 461 participating organization. A foster youth or former foster 462 youth who has completed the training component with the 463 department may apply for a position with a participating 464 organization but may not begin an internship until attaining the 465 age of 18 years. 466 (

b) If offered an internship, a former foster youth must be 467 classified as an intern and must work 80 hours per month to be 468 eligible for the stipend payment. 469 (

c) A former foster youth must spend any stipend funds 470 specified for clothing on clothing that is in compliance with 471 the dress code requirements of the participating organization 472 with which the former foster youth is interning. Notwithstanding 473 any limitation on funds provided to purchase clothing, the 474 former foster youth must comply with any dress code requirements 475 of the participating organization with which he or she is 476 interning. 477 (

d) Stipend money earned pursuant to the internship 478 component may not be considered earned income for purposes of 479 computing eligibility for federal or state benefits, including, 480 but not limited to, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 481 Program, a housing choice assistance voucher program, the 482 Temporary Cash Assistance Program, the Medicaid program, or the 483 school readiness program. Notwithstanding this paragraph, any 484 reduction in the amount of benefits or loss of benefits due to 485 receipt of the Step into Success stipend may be offset by an 486 additional stipend payment equal to the value of the maximum 487 benefit amount for a single person allowed under the 488

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 18 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 489 (

e) A former foster youth may, at the discretion of a 490 postsecondary educational institution within this state in which 491 such youth is enrolled, earn postsecondary credit or career 492 education clock hours for work performed as an intern under the 493 internship component. Postsecondary credit and career education 494 clock hours earned for work performed under the internship 495 component may be in addition to any compensation earned for the 496 same work performed under the internship component and may be 497 awarded for completion of all or any part of the internship 498 component.

Participating organizations shall cooperate with 499 postsecondary educational institutions to provide any 500 information about internship positions which is necessary to 501 enable the institutions to determine whether to grant the 502 participating former foster youth postsecondary credit or career 503 education clock hours toward his or her degree. 504 (

f) A former foster youth who accepts an internship with a 505 participating organization pursuant to this

section may only be 506 discharged from the internship component after the participating 507 organization engages the intern’s assigned mentor and the 508 participating organization’s internship program staff to assist 509 the intern in performing the duties of the internship. Before 510 discharging the former foster youth, the participating 511 organization must also document the intern’s failure to comply 512 with a corrective action plan after being given a reasonable 513 opportunity to do so. 514

(11) REPORT.—The department shall include a

section on the 515 Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Pilot 516 Program in the independent living annual report prepared 517

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 19 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. pursuant to s. 409.1451(6) which includes, but is not limited 518 to, all of the following: 519 (

a) Whether the pilot program is in compliance with this 520 section, and if not, barriers to compliance. 521 (

b) A list of participating organizations and the number of 522 interns. 523 (

c) A

summary of recruitment efforts to increase the number 524 of participating organizations. 525 (

d) A

summary of the feedback and surveys received pursuant 526 to paragraph (6)(

h) from participating former foster youth, 527 mentors, and others who have participated in the pilot program. 528 (

e) Recommendations, if any, for actions necessary to 529 improve the quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of the pilot 530 program. 531 (

f) Employment outcomes of former foster youth who 532 participated in the pilot program, including employment status 533 after completion of the program, whether he or she is employed 534 by the participating organization in which he or she interned or 535 by another entity, and job description and salary information, 536 if available. 537

(12) RULEMAKING.—The department shall adopt rules to 538 implement this section. 539

Section

Section 409.1475, Florida Statutes, is created 540 to read: 541 409.1475 Foster and Family Support Grant Program.— 542

(1) The Legislature recognizes that children and families 543 thrive when caregivers are engaged, supported, and equipped to 544 meet their responsibilities. It is the intent of the Legislature 545 to strengthen community-based support that promotes stable 546

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 20 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. caregiving relationships, responsible parenting, and improved 547 outcomes for vulnerable children. Therefore, the Foster and 548 Family Support Grant Program is created within the department. 549

(2) The department shall award grants to not-for-profit, 550 faith-based organizations to support their efforts in the 551 recruitment of foster and adoptive families through faith-based 552 organizations and strengthening local capacity to support 553 foster, adoptive, and kinship families and families caring for 554 vulnerable children in underserved and rural communities. The 555 program shall emphasize sustained, community-based support 556 beyond initial licensure or training in order to improve 557 caregiver retention and outcomes for children. 558

(3) Awarded grant funds must be used to provide education, 559 resources, training, and technical assistance to eligible faith-560 based organizations involved in foster care, adoption, and 561 family preservation activities and to support the development of 562 trauma-informed, community-based support systems for families 563 throughout the caregiving continuum. Allowable uses of funds 564 include, but are not limited to: 565 (

a) Outreach and recruitment activities to increase the 566 number of licensed foster and adoptive families; 567 (

b) Training and support for organizations and volunteers 568 assisting foster, adoptive, and kinship families and families; 569 (

c) Trauma-informed training, coaching, and counseling 570 services for caregivers, families, and individuals involved in 571 supporting children in out-of-home care or at risk of entry into 572 care; 573 (

d) Program support and other activities to strengthen 574 local capacities to support foster, adoptive, and kinship 575

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 21 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. families and families. 576 (

e) Expansion of foster parent training initiatives 577 designed to improve caregiver engagement, retention, and 578 placement stability; 579 (

f) Development of volunteer-based wraparound support 580 services for foster and adoptive families, including kinship 581 caregivers; 582 (

g) Assistance with essential family needs for families 583 actively fostering, adopting, or pursuing licensure, consistent 584 with federal and state law; and 585 (

h) Ongoing family mentoring and peer support to promote 586 placement stability, permanency, and family well-being. 587

(4) Grant recipients must submit reports to the department 588 in a format and at intervals, at least annually, as prescribed 589 by the department. 590

(5) The department may adopt rules to implement this 591 section. 592

Section 6. Upon the expiration and reversion of the 593 amendments made to s. 409.908, Florida Statutes, pursuant to 594

section 26 of

chapter 2025-199, Laws of Florida, paragraph (b) 595 of subsection (2) of

section 409.908, Florida Statutes, is 596 amended to read: 597 409.908 Reimbursement of Medicaid providers.—Subject to 598 specific appropriations, the agency shall reimburse Medicaid 599 providers, in accordance with state and federal law, according 600 to methodologies set forth in the rules of the agency and in 601 policy manuals and handbooks incorporated by reference therein. 602 These methodologies may include fee schedules, reimbursement 603 methods based on cost reporting, negotiated fees, competitive 604

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 22 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. bidding pursuant to s. 287.057, and other mechanisms the agency 605 considers efficient and effective for purchasing services or 606 goods on behalf of recipients.

If a provider is reimbursed based 607 on cost reporting and submits a cost report late and that cost 608 report would have been used to set a lower reimbursement rate 609 for a rate semester, then the provider’s rate for that semester 610 shall be retroactively calculated using the new cost report, and 611 full payment at the recalculated rate shall be effected 612 retroactively. Medicare-granted extensions for filing cost 613 reports, if applicable, shall also apply to Medicaid cost 614 reports.

Payment for Medicaid compensable services made on 615 behalf of Medicaid-eligible persons is subject to the 616 availability of moneys and any limitations or directions 617 provided for in the General Appropriations Act or

chapter 216. 618 Further, nothing in this

section shall be construed to prevent 619 or limit the agency from adjusting fees, reimbursement rates, 620 lengths of stay, number of visits, or number of services, or 621 making any other adjustments necessary to comply with the 622 availability of moneys and any limitations or directions 623 provided for in the General Appropriations Act, provided the 624 adjustment is consistent with legislative intent. 625 (2) 626 (

b) Subject to any limitations or directions in the General 627 Appropriations Act, the agency shall establish and implement a 628 state Title XIX Long-Term Care Reimbursement Plan for nursing 629 home care in order to provide care and services in conformance 630 with the applicable state and federal laws, rules, regulations, 631 and quality and safety standards and to ensure that individuals 632 eligible for medical assistance have reasonable geographic 633

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 23 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. access to such care. 634 1. The agency shall amend the long-term care reimbursement 635 plan and cost reporting system to create direct care and 636 indirect care subcomponents of the patient care component of the 637 per diem rate. These two subcomponents together shall equal the 638 patient care component of the per diem rate.

Separate prices 639 shall be calculated for each patient care subcomponent, 640 initially based on the September 2016 rate setting cost reports 641 and subsequently based on the most recently audited cost report 642 used during a rebasing year. The direct care subcomponent of the 643 per diem rate for any providers still being reimbursed on a cost 644 basis shall be limited by the cost-based class ceiling, and the 645 indirect care subcomponent may be limited by the lower of the 646 cost-based class ceiling, the target rate class ceiling, or the 647 individual provider target.

The ceilings and targets apply only 648 to providers being reimbursed on a cost-based system. Effective 649 October 1, 2018, a prospective payment methodology shall be 650 implemented for rate setting purposes with the following 651 parameters: 652 a. Peer Groups, including: 653 (

I) North-SMMC Regions 1-9, less Palm Beach and Okeechobee 654 Counties; and 655 (II) South-SMMC Regions 10-11, plus Palm Beach and 656 Okeechobee Counties. 657 b. Percentage of Median Costs based on the cost reports 658 used for September 2016 rate setting: 659 (

I) Direct Care Costs ..........................100 percent. 660 (II) Indirect Care Costs ........................92 percent. 661 (III) Operating Costs ...........................86 percent. 662

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 24 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. c. Floors: 663 (

I) Direct Care Component .......................95 percent. 664 (II) Indirect Care Component ..................92.5 percent. 665 (III) Operating Component .............................None. 666 d. Pass-through Payments ....................Real Estate and 667 ................................................Personal Property 668 ....................................Taxes and Property Insurance. 669 e.

Quality Incentive Program Payment 670 Pool................................14.77 10 percent of September 671 ........................................2016 non-property related 672 .................................payments of included facilities. 673 f. Quality Score Threshold to Qualify for Quality Incentive 674 Payment........33 percent of all available points in the Medicaid 675 Quality Incentive Program 20th 676 ...............................percentile of included facilities. 677 g. Fair Rental Value System Payment Parameters: 678 (

I) Building Value per Square Foot based on 2018 RS Means. 679 (II) Land Valuation .....10 percent of Gross Building value. 680 (III) Facility Square Footage ........Actual Square Footage. 681 (IV) Movable Equipment Allowance ............$8,000 per bed. 682 (

V) Obsolescence Factor ........................1.5 percent. 683 (VI) Fair Rental Rate of Return ..................8 percent. 684 (VII) Minimum Occupancy .........................90 percent. 685 (VIII) Maximum Facility Age .......................40 years. 686 (IX) Minimum Square Footage per Bed ....................350. 687 (

X) Maximum Square Footage for Bed .....................500. 688 (XI) Minimum Cost of a renovation/replacements $500 per bed. 689 h. Ventilator Supplemental payment of $200 per Medicaid day 690 of 40,000 ventilator Medicaid days per fiscal year. 691

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 25 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 2. The agency shall revise its methodology for calculating 692 Quality Incentive Program payments to: 693 a. Include the results of consumer satisfaction surveys 694 conducted pursuant to s. 400.0225 as a measure of nursing home 695 quality.

The agency shall so revise the methodology after the 696 surveys have been in effect for an amount of time the agency 697 deems sufficient for statistical and scientific validity as a 698 meaningful quality measure that may be incorporated into the 699 methodology. 700 b. During the next rebasing for the Quality Incentive 701 Program, consider implementing the recommendations proposed in 702 sections 3.1.2-3.1.5 of the Study of Nursing Home Quality 703 Incentive Programs Final Report that was prepared by Guidehouse, 704 Inc., and presented to the agency on December 22, 2025. 705 c.

Delay the effective date of any change made to its 706 methodology or scoring due to rebasing for 1 year after any 707 recalculations have been completed and the scores have been made 708 available to the public. 709 3. The direct care subcomponent shall include salaries and 710 benefits of direct care staff providing nursing services 711 including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and 712 certified nursing assistants who deliver care directly to 713 residents in the nursing home facility, allowable therapy costs, 714 and dietary costs.

This excludes nursing administration, staff 715 development, the staffing coordinator, and the administrative 716 portion of the minimum data set and care plan coordinators. The 717 direct care subcomponent also includes medically necessary 718 dental care, vision care, hearing care, and podiatric care. 719 4. All other patient care costs shall be included in the 720

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 26 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. indirect care cost subcomponent of the patient care per diem 721 rate, including complex medical equipment, medical supplies, and 722 other allowable ancillary costs. Costs may not be allocated 723 directly or indirectly to the direct care subcomponent from a 724 home office or management company. 725 5.

On July 1 of each year, the agency shall report to the 726 Legislature direct and indirect care costs, including average 727 direct and indirect care costs per resident per facility and 728 direct care and indirect care salaries and benefits per category 729 of staff member per facility. 730 6. Every fourth year, the agency shall rebase nursing home 731 prospective payment rates to reflect changes in cost based on 732 the most recently audited cost report for each participating 733 provider. 734 7.

A direct care supplemental payment may be made to 735 providers whose direct care hours per patient day are above the 736 80th percentile and who provide Medicaid services to a larger 737 percentage of Medicaid patients than the state average. 738 8. Pediatric, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, and 739 government-owned facilities are exempt from the pricing model 740 established in this subsection and shall remain on a cost-based 741 prospective payment system.

Effective October 1, 2018, the 742 agency shall set rates for all facilities remaining on a cost-743 based prospective payment system using each facility’s most 744 recently audited cost report, eliminating retroactive 745 settlements. 746 9. By October 1, 2025, and each year thereafter, the agency 747 shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and 748 the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report on each 749

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 27 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Quality Incentive Program payment made pursuant to sub-750 subparagraph 1.e. The report must, at a minimum, include all of 751 the following information: 752 a. The name of each facility that received a Quality 753 Incentive Program payment and the dollar amount of such payment 754 each facility received. 755 b.

The total number of quality incentive metric points 756 awarded by the agency to each facility and the number of points 757 awarded by the agency for each individual quality metric 758 measured. 759 c. An examination of any trends in the improvement of the 760 quality of care provided to nursing home residents which may be 761 attributable to incentive payments received under the Quality 762 Incentive Program.

The agency shall include examination of 763 trends both for the program as a whole as well as for each 764 individual quality metric used by the agency to award program 765 payments. 766 767 It is the intent of the Legislature that the reimbursement plan 768 achieve the goal of providing access to health care for nursing 769 home residents who require large amounts of care while 770 encouraging diversion services as an alternative to nursing home 771 care for residents who can be served within the community.

The 772 agency shall base the establishment of any maximum rate of 773 payment, whether overall or component, on the available moneys 774 as provided for in the General Appropriations Act. The agency 775 may base the maximum rate of payment on the results of 776 scientifically valid analysis and conclusions derived from 777 objective statistical data pertinent to the particular maximum 778

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 28 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. rate of payment. The agency shall base the rates of payments in 779 accordance with the minimum wage requirements as provided in the 780 General Appropriations Act. 781

Section 7. Paragraph (

d) is added to subsection (6) of 782

section 409.9855, Florida Statutes, to read: 783 409.9855 Pilot program for individuals with developmental 784 disabilities.— 785

(6) PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION.— 786 (

d) The agency shall collect and analyze data needed to 787 project program enrollment costs, current and projected 788 caseloads, utilization, and current and projected expenditures 789 for the next 3 years. The agency shall report caseload and 790 expenditure data and trends and any other information requested 791 by the Social Services Estimating Conference in accordance with 792

chapter 216. 793

Section 8. Subsection (5) of

section 409.990, Florida 794 Statutes, is amended to read: 795 409.990 Funding for lead agencies.—A contract established 796 between the department and a lead agency must be funded by a 797 grant of general revenue, other applicable state funds, or 798 applicable federal funding sources. 799

(5) A lead agency may carry forward documented unexpended 800 state funds from one fiscal year to the next; however, the 801 cumulative amount carried forward may not exceed 8 percent of 802 the annual amount of the total contract. Any unexpended state 803 funds in excess of that percentage must be returned to the 804 department. 805 (

a) The funds carried forward may not be used in any way 806 that would create increased recurring future obligations, and 807

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 29 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. such funds may not be used for any type of program or service 808 that is not currently authorized by the existing contract with 809 the department. 810 (

b) Expenditures of funds carried forward must be 811 separately reported to the department. 812 (

c) Any unexpended funds that remain at the end of the 813 contract period shall be returned to the department. 814 (

d) Funds carried forward may be retained through any 815 contract renewals and any new procurements as long as the same 816 lead agency is retained by the department. 817

Section 9. Subsection (5) of

section 414.56, Florida 818 Statutes, is amended to read: 819 414.56 Office of Continuing Care.—The department shall 820 establish an Office of Continuing Care to ensure young adults 821 who age out of the foster care system between 18 and 21 years of 822 age, or 22 years of age with a documented disability, have a 823 point of contact until the young adult reaches the age of 26 in 824 order to receive ongoing support and care coordination needed to 825 achieve self-sufficiency. Duties of the office include, but are 826 not limited to: 827

(5) Developing and administering the Step into Success 828 Workforce Education and Internship Pilot Program for foster 829 youth and former foster youth as required under s. 409.1455. 830

Section 10. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 831 made by this act to

section 409.145, Florida Statutes, in a 832 reference thereto, paragraph (

d) of subsection (2) of

section 833 39.5085, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 834 39.5085 Relative Caregiver Program.— 835 (2) 836

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 30 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (d)1.

Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child placed 837 with them in out-of-home care and who have obtained licensure as 838 a child-specific level I foster placement, regardless of whether 839 a court has found the child to be dependent, shall receive a 840 monthly payment in accordance with s. 409.145(3) from the date 841 the child is placed in out-of-home care with his or her 842 relatives or with nonrelatives until the child achieves 843 permanency as determined by the court pursuant to s. 39.621. 844 2.

Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child who has been 845 found to be dependent placed with them in out-of-home care shall 846 receive a monthly payment at a rate equal to the rate 847 established in s. 409.145(3) for licensed foster parents, 848 regardless of whether the relatives or nonrelatives have 849 obtained a child-specific level I foster license, from the date 850 the child is found to be dependent or from the date the child is 851 placed with them in out-of-home care, whichever is later, for a 852 period of no more than 6 months or until the child achieves 853 permanency as determined by the court pursuant to s. 39.621, 854 whichever occurs first. 855 3.

Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child who has been 856 found to be dependent placed with them in out-of-home care and 857 who have not obtained a child-specific level I foster license 858 within 6 months from the date of such placement shall receive a 859 monthly payment in an amount determined by department rule from 860 6 months after the date the child is found to be dependent or 861 from 6 months after the child is placed with them in out-of-home 862 care, whichever is later, until the relatives or nonrelatives 863 obtain a child-specific level I foster license or until the 864 child achieves permanency as determined by the court pursuant to 865

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 31 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. s. 39.621, whichever occurs first. The monthly payment amount 866 paid to relatives or nonrelatives pursuant to this subparagraph 867 must be less than the monthly payment amount provided to a 868 participant enrolled in the Guardianship Assistance Program 869 pursuant to s. 39.6225. 870 4.

Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child placed in 871 their care by permanent guardianship pursuant to s. 39.6221, in 872 a permanent placement with a fit and willing relative pursuant 873 to s. 39.6231, or under former s. 39.622 if the placement was 874 made before July 1, 2006, and who are not enrolled in the 875 Guardianship Assistance Program pursuant to s. 39.6225 shall 876 receive a monthly payment in an amount determined by department 877 rule which must be less than the monthly payment amount provided 878 to a participant enrolled in the Guardianship Assistance Program 879 under s. 39.6225. 880

Section 11. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 881 made by this act to

section 409.145, Florida Statutes, in a 882 reference thereto, paragraph (

d) of subsection (5) of

section 883 39.6225, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 884 39.6225 Guardianship Assistance Program.— 885

(5) A guardian with an application approved pursuant to 886 subsection (2) who is caring for a child placed with the 887 guardian by the court pursuant to this part may receive 888 guardianship assistance payments based on the following 889 criteria: 890 (

d) The department shall provide guardianship assistance 891 payments in the amount of $4,000 annually, paid on a monthly 892 basis, or in an amount other than $4,000 annually as determined 893 by the guardian and the department and memorialized in a written 894

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 32 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. agreement between the guardian and the department. The agreement 895 shall take into consideration the circumstances of the guardian 896 and the needs of the child. Changes may not be made without the 897 concurrence of the guardian. However, the amount of the monthly 898 payment may not exceed the foster care maintenance payment that 899 would have been paid during the same period if the child had 900 been in licensed care at his or her designated level of care at 901 the rate established in s. 409.145(3). 902

Section 12. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 903 made by this act to

section 409.145, Florida Statutes, in a 904 reference thereto, paragraph (

b) of subsection (5) of

section 905 393.065, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 906 393.065 Application and eligibility determination.— 907

(5) Except as provided in subsections (6) and (7), if a 908 client seeking enrollment in the developmental disabilities home 909 and community-based services Medicaid waiver program meets the 910 level of care requirement for an intermediate care facility for 911 individuals with intellectual disabilities pursuant to 42 C.F.R. 912 ss. 435.217(b)(1) and 440.150, the agency must assign the client 913 to an appropriate preenrollment category pursuant to this 914 subsection and must provide priority to clients waiting for 915 waiver services in the following order: 916 (

b) Category 2, which includes clients in the preenrollment 917 categories who are: 918 1. From the child welfare system with an open case in the 919 Department of Children and Families’ statewide automated child 920 welfare information system and who are either: 921 a. Transitioning out of the child welfare system into 922 permanency; or 923

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 33 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. b. At least 18 years but not yet 22 years of age and who 924 need both waiver services and extended foster care services; or 925 2. At least 18 years but not yet 22 years of age and who 926 withdrew consent pursuant to s. 39.6251(5)(

c) to remain in the 927 extended foster care system. 928 929 For individuals who are at least 18 years but not yet 22 years 930 of age and who are eligible under sub-subparagraph 1.b., the 931 agency must provide waiver services, including residential 932 habilitation, and must actively participate in transition 933 planning activities, including, but not limited to, 934 individualized service coordination, case management support, 935 and ensuring continuity of care pursuant to s. 39.6035.

The 936 community-based care lead agency must fund room and board at the 937 rate established in s. 409.145(3) and provide case management 938 and related services as defined in s. 409.986(3)(e). Individuals 939 may receive both waiver services and services under s. 39.6251. 940 Services may not duplicate services available through the 941 Medicaid state plan. 942 943 Within preenrollment categories 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, the agency 944 shall prioritize clients in the order of the date that the 945 client is determined eligible for waiver services. 946

Section 13. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 947 made by this act to

section 409.145, Florida Statutes, in a 948 reference thereto, paragraph (

b) of subsection (2) of

section 949 409.1451, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 950 409.1451 The Road-to-Independence Program.— 951

(2) POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION SERVICES AND SUPPORT.— 952

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2518 576-03004-26 20262518__ Page 34 of 34 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (

b) The amount of the financial assistance shall be as 953 follows: 954 1. For a young adult who does not remain in foster care and 955 is attending a postsecondary school as provided in s. 1009.533, 956 the amount is $1,720 monthly. 957 2. For a young adult who remains in foster care, is 958 attending a postsecondary school, as provided in s. 1009.533, 959 and continues to reside in a licensed foster home, the amount is 960 the established room and board rate for foster parents. This 961 takes the place of the payment provided for in s. 409.145(3). 962 3.

For a young adult who remains in foster care, but 963 temporarily resides away from a licensed foster home for 964 purposes of attending a postsecondary school as provided in s. 965 1009.533, the amount is $1,720 monthly. This takes the place of 966 the payment provided for in s. 409.145(3). 967 4. For a young adult who remains in foster care, is 968 attending a postsecondary school as provided in s. 1009.533, and 969 continues to reside in a licensed group home, the amount is 970 negotiated between the community-based care lead agency and the 971 licensed group home provider. 972 5.

For a young adult who remains in foster care, but 973 temporarily resides away from a licensed group home for purposes 974 of attending a postsecondary school as provided in s. 1009.533, 975 the amount is $1,720 monthly. This takes the place of a 976 negotiated room and board rate. 977 6. A young adult is eligible to receive financial 978 assistance during the months when he or she is enrolled in a 979 postsecondary educational institution. 980

Section 14. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 981