CS/HB 7235 Summary

• Defines "certified homeless youth" as minors certified as homeless by school districts, emergency shelters, or runaway/homeless youth programs, and authorizes them to obtain birth certificates without parental consent.

• Prohibits monitoring requirements for residential facilities serving persons with disabilities from mandating pornographic materials be available.

• Requires courts to release persons involuntarily admitted to residential services through the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (rather than directly to service providers) and authorizes the agency to transfer persons between residential settings with court notification within 30 days.

• Decreases liability insurance requirements and damage caps for lead community-based foster care providers and subcontractors (reduces general liability from $1 million to $500,000 per occurrence), and provides immunity from liability for the Department of Children and Family Services.

• Establishes a task force to develop guidelines and procedures for providers regarding sexual activity among developmentally disabled residents in residential facilities, with findings due to the Legislature by November 1, 2011.