Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities

This Annual Regulatory Plan outlines the Agency for Persons with Disabilities' intentions regarding amended statutes and rulemaking activities through July 1, 2026. The plan addresses laws enacted or amended in the previous 12 months, identifies expected rulemaking, and includes a detailed five-year schedule for the review of all existing agency rules.

This document presents the agency's annual cloud strategic plan, detailing the transition of systems from the northwest regional data center to a Microsoft Azure cloud environment. The plan outlines business objectives such as upgrading legacy systems, integrating digital technologies, ensuring robust disaster recovery, and achieving operational efficiencies, scalability, and high availability. It involves assessing cloud readiness for applications and implementing a phased migration strategy, with ongoing progress reported and future migrations planned through June 2026.

The long-range program plan for the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities focuses on supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in living, learning, and working within their communities. Key goals include improving the quality of life for individuals in both community-based settings and developmental services institutions, increasing employment opportunities, and reducing reliance on public institutions. The plan outlines strategies such as the Five Year Employment Initiative, emphasis on supported living, and the Zero Tolerance Initiative to address abuse and neglect. It also aims to enhance the quality of services through an outcome-based service delivery system and reduce the waitlist for Medicaid waiver services.

The Long Range Program Plan for the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities focuses on improving the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities by promoting community-based residential placements, services, and treatments, as well as ensuring a safe environment and competency restoration in developmental disabilities institutions. Key goals include increasing employment in integrated settings, expanding community living options, reducing reliance on public institutions, and prioritizing the enrollment of individuals from the waitlist into Medicaid waiver programs. The plan also emphasizes strengthening families through person-centered supports, implementing a zero-tolerance initiative against abuse and neglect, and transitioning towards an outcome-based service delivery system to enhance consumer choice and control over services.

The rule hearing is regarding Florida Administrative Code 65G-14, focusing on qualified organizations and waiver support coordination. The purpose of the proposed rules is to implement statutory changes adopted by Chapter 2020-71 laws of Florida. The agency is seeking input on these rules, particularly suggested changes to the language and proposed solutions to any perceived issues. The agency has already received a substantial number of comments from two prior workshops and revisions have been made based on these comments.