Committee adopts SPB 7018 as committee bill to ease foster‑home visitor screenings and expand youth workforce program

The committee considered SPB 7018, which modifies the definition of "visitor" for foster homes by extending the threshold from 5 to 10 consecutive days (and similar changes to non‑consecutive day counts) before an adult is considered a visitor for background‑check purposes. The proposal aims to reduce burdensome screenings while maintaining child safety.

The bill also makes the Step Into Success pilot permanent statewide, increases mentor training, allows certain experienced employees to serve as mentors, and removes a stipend offset that previously reduced youth stipends by other public assistance amounts. Finally, the bill creates a program within the Florida Institute for Child Welfare to catalog and share best practices among Community‑Based Care (CBC) lead agencies.

Committee members sought clarification about county emphasis in initial rollouts; the chair said named counties were an emphasis for early development and not an exclusive list. Senator Russon moved to submit SPB 7018 as a committee bill; there was no objection and the motion was adopted. The clerk reported SPB 7,018 as a committee bill and favorably reported.