TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill that would limit state dollars that could go to salaries at two types of organizations that play key roles in the child-welfare and mental-health systems.
The limit on money for salaries is included in a broader bill (SB 92), approved by the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee, that deals with issues at the Department of Children and Families.
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The limit would apply to employees of community-based care lead organizations and managing entities.
Community-based care lead agencies contract with the department to manage foster care and other child-welfare services, while managing entities contract to help direct mental-health and substance-abuse services.
Under the bill, employees would not be able to receive state-funded salaries that would exceed the amount made by the secretary of the Department of Children and Families.
Bill sponsor Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, said that amount now is $148,000. Bean said, however, the bill would allow employees to be paid more if the additional funding came from other sources.