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CS/CS/HB 975 — Background Screenings and Certifications
by Health & Human Services Committee; Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee; and Reps. Trabulsy, Bell, Campbell, and others (SB 558 by Senator Rouson)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Health Policy Committee (HP)
Background Screening in General
Related to background screening, the bill:
- Effective July 1, 2024, adds eight offenses to the statutory list of 52 offenses that can disqualify a person from employment in certain regulated professions if he or she has been the subject of certain legal actions regarding such offenses;
- Effective July 1, 2024, revises the provisions under which an agency head may provide an exemption from a disqualification of employment in certain regulated professions;
- Delays the effective date for the requirement that current and prospective athletic coaches must undergo a Level 2 background screening, from July 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025; and
- Requires that, effective July 1, 2025, background checks conducted for 24 types of health care practitioners must include fingerprint screening by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, for both prospective licensure applicants and practitioners licensed prior to July 1, 2025, when they renew their licenses after that date. Under prior law, these practitioner types were not required to undergo fingerprint screening prior to licensure.
Background Screening of Persons with Lived Experience
Effective July 1, 2024, the bill creates a process for former homeless individuals to become certified as a “person with lived experience” to provide support services to individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness. The bill requires an individual seeking certification to complete a background screening. The bill requires a Continuum of Care lead agency (CoC) serving the homeless to provide documentation of the homeless services an individual received from the CoC to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when requesting a background check of the applicant. The bill further requires the DCF to ensure an adequate background screening of an applicant. The bill makes an applicant ineligible for certification under certain circumstances.
Appropriation
Effective July 1, 2024, the bill appropriates $250,000 in nonrecurring funds from the Medical Quality Assurance Trust Fund to the Department of Health to implement the bill.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, and unless otherwise specified in the bill, these provisions take effect July 1, 2025.
Vote: Senate 40-0; House 109-0