Senator Annette Taddeo (D- Miami) and Representative Allison Tant (D- Tallahassee) are pleased to announce the signing of their bill, SB 714, into law, which will assist persons with disabilities and their loved ones through planning for their most suitable outcomes as well as establishing plans for when a caregiver is no longer present.
“The current generation of people with developmental disabilities is the first to routinely outlive their parents’ life spans and ability to provide for them. SB 714 helps families understand what they need to do to help their loved ones become as independent as possible as well as plan for the eventuality when a caregiver is no longer present. This should be done by every family with a loved one with disabilities regardless of med waiver status. I am proud to have joined forces with Representative Allison Tant for this initiative,” said Senator Taddeo.
“This bill was based upon my own life experiences and stumbling upon these resources by happenstance for my son. That was something no other family should have to figure out alone. By providing information on existing resources, this new law will make a big difference for so many families in the state of Florida,” said Representative Tant.
This law will require the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to establish a roadmap for persons with disabilities and their loved ones, whether Medwaiver-served or wait list eligible, to understand which resources they should explore to achieve the best outcome for their loved ones’ lives. While not every person with a disability is eligible for all services outlined in this roadmap, this strategy provides a starting point for them and their families to best understand necessary life and caregiver preparation process.
In addition to the planning requirements of this new law, it will also require the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to issue a certain disclosure statement alongside specified information to persons applying for certain waiver services. Further, it would require the agency to publish such information and statements on its website and provide such information and statements to certain persons annually.
