Sen. Gayle Harrell

Genetic Counseling; Designating the “Genetic Counseling Patient Protection Act”; providing licensure, licensure renewal, and continuing education requirements; requiring the Department of Health to adopt by rule continuing education requirements; authorizing the department to enter an order denying licensure or imposing other penalties for certain violations; revising the definition of the term “health care practitioner” to include licensed genetic counselors, etc.

Health Care Practitioner Licensure; Establishing that a physician licensed under the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is deemed to be licensed under chapter 458; establishing that an osteopathic physician licensed under the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is deemed to be licensed under chapter 459; deleting a provision classifying the failure to repay a student loan issued or guaranteed by the state or federal government in accordance with the terms of the loan as a failure to perform a statutory or legal obligation; implementing the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact in this state, etc.

Dyslexia; Requiring public schools to screen all students in kindergarten through grade 3 for dyslexia within a certain timeframe; requiring public school students with a substantial deficiency in reading to be placed in an intensive remedial intervention program; requiring public schools to have at least one person on staff with specified certification in reading instruction for students with dyslexia; creating the Dyslexia Task Force within the Department of Education, etc.

Early Learning and Early Grade Success; Adding the Division of Early Learning to the divisions of the Department of Education; revising the duties of the Early Learning Programs Estimating Conference; providing requirements for minimum child care licensing standards; requiring students enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to participate in a specified screening and progress-monitoring program; revising the performance standards for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; authorizing certain child development programs operating on military installations to participate in the school readiness program, etc.

Applied Behavior Analysis Services; Authorizing the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to establish a certification process for registered behavior technicians; requiring the agency to recognize the certification of registered behavior technicians awarded by a nonprofit corporation that meets specified requirements; providing an exemption from licensure requirements for certain individuals who are employed or under contract with certain entities providing applied behavior analysis services; revising the definition of the term “private instructional personnel” to include certain registered behavior technicians, etc.

Department of Health; Revising the purpose of patient care networks from serving patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome to serving those with human immunodeficiency virus; requiring the Department of Health to develop strategies to maximize federal-state partnerships that provide incentives for physicians to practice in medically underserved or rural areas; revising provisions related to the department’s rules governing minimum standards for ground ambulances and emergency medical services vehicles; extending through 2025 the Florida Center for Nursing’s responsibility to study and issue an annual report on the implementation of nursing education programs, etc.

Organ Donation; Providing that it is a felony for certain persons who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus to donate blood, plasma, organs, skin, or other human tissue for use in another person, with an exception; requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to adopt by rule specified minimum standards for certain organ transplants; prohibiting a health insurance policy from limiting or excluding coverage solely on the basis that an insured is a living organ donor; prohibiting an organ procurement organization from charging a deceased donor or his or her family member any fee for services relating to the procurement or donation of organs, etc.

Patient Safety Culture Surveys; Requiring certain licensed facilities to biennially conduct an anonymous patient safety culture survey using a specified federal publication; requiring the agency to collect, compile, and publish patient safety culture survey data submitted by facilities; revising requirements for the submission of health care data to the agency, etc. APPROPRIATION: $162,477

Assisted Living Facilities; Requiring assisted living facilities that provide certain services to maintain a written progress report on each person receiving such services from the facility’s staff; prohibiting a county or municipality from issuing a business tax receipt, rather than an occupational license, to a facility under certain circumstances; authorizing a facility to submit certain reports regarding adverse incidents through the agency’s online portal; authorizing certain persons to change a resident’s bandage for a minor cut or abrasion; revising the types of medications that may be self-administered, etc.

Public Records and Meetings/Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact; Providing an exemption from public records requirements for certain information held by the Department of Health or the Board of Psychology pursuant to the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact; authorizing disclosure of the information under certain circumstances; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemptions; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.