FL H0233

Licensed substance abuse education and intervention programs may provide probation supervision services for defendants convicted of misdemeanor controlled substance possession or drug paraphernalia offenses under chapter 893.

Private entities, including licensed substance abuse education and intervention programs, providing misdemeanor probation supervision services must contract with the county in which services are rendered, subject to county court judge approval in counties with populations under 70,000.

Contracts must specify service extent, staff qualifications with criminal record checks, staffing levels, minimum face-to-face contact frequency, fee collection and indigent offender procedures, probation revocation circumstances, reporting requirements, job assistance procedures, and criminal history record access procedures.

Private entities charging fees for court-ordered services must register with the county board of commissioners and provide information on program operating history, staff qualifications, services offered, and fees with procedures for handling indigent offenders.

Effective date is July 1, 2012.