The agency’s largest request is $36.6 million to continue modernizing its Automated Community Connection to Economic Self Sufficiency (ACCESS) Florida System. ACCESS Florida is an integrated eligibility system serving Economic Self Sufficiency (ESS) programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), according to the LBR.
In FY 2023-24 alone, more than 4 million applications were processed through ACCESS Florida; on an average monthly basis, SNAP benefits were distributed to approximately 3 million individuals, more than 4.2 million individuals received Medicaid benefits and more than 57,000 received TANF benefits.
The system was designed almost 40 years ago as a mainframe system relying on COBOL and Information Management System.
As a result, these outdated technologies have been difficult and costly to maintain. Updates have been implemented over the years to address new business requirements; however, no replacements have been made to the system’s core mainframe hardware and software components. The department has received more than $73 million from state budgets since Fiscal Year 2022-23 for the project; this request is for the fourth year of the initiative.
The other IT-related requests are:
- $28 million to modernize the department’s child welfare software and enterprise architecture
- $3.6 million for the maintenance and operations costs associated with electronic health records implemented at Florida State Hospital
- $2.5 million to replace 950 wireless access points and related controllers
- $1.8 million for Florida Planning, Accounting and Ledger Management (PALM) readiness
- $750,000 for cybersecurity services
- $500,000 for enhanced security software
