Legislative intent; definitions.

(1)(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to use citizen volunteers as members of the Florida Statewide Advocacy Council and the Florida local advocacy councils, and to have volunteers operate a network of councils that shall, without interference by an executive agency, undertake to discover, monitor, investigate, and determine the presence of conditions or individuals that constitute a threat to the rights, health, safety, or welfare of persons who receive services from state agencies.

(b) It is the further intent of the Legislature that the monitoring and investigation shall safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of consumers of services provided by these state agencies.

(c) It is the further intent of the Legislature that state agencies cooperate with the councils in forming interagency agreements to provide the councils with authorized client records so that the councils may monitor services and investigate claims.

(2) As used in this section through s. 402.167, the term:

(a) “Access” means a visual inspection or the copying of the records maintained by the state agency, facility, provider, or contractor.

(b) “Client” means a client of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Children and Families, or the Department of Elderly Affairs, as defined in s. 393.063, s. 394.67, s. 397.311, or s. 400.960, a forensic client or client as defined in s. 916.106, a child or youth as defined in s. 39.01, a child as defined in s. 827.01, a family as defined in s. 414.0252, a participant as defined in s. 429.901, a resident as defined in s. 429.02, a Medicaid recipient or recipient as defined in s. 409.901, a child receiving child care as defined in s. 402.302, a disabled adult as defined in s. 410.032 or s. 410.603, or a victim as defined in s. 39.01 or s. 415.102 as each definition applies within its respective chapter.

(c) “Client services” means health and human services that are provided to a client by a state agency or a service provider operated, funded, or contracted by the state.

(d) “Council” or “statewide council” means the Florida Statewide Advocacy Council.

(e) “Local council” or “local advocacy council” means one of the local advocacy councils located in this state, under the supervision of the Florida Statewide Advocacy Council.