Downloads
HB 1045 — Closing the Gap Grant Proposals
by Rep. Brown and others (CS/SB 1436 by Appropriations Committee and Senator Gibson)
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)
The bill amends s. 381.7355, F.S., to expand the priority areas eligible for a Closing the Gap grant award to include Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The bill also amends s. 381.7354, F.S., to eliminate the requirement that up to 20 percent of any grants awarded under the program be set aside for projects related to Front Porch Florida
Communities. The bill also prohibits the Department of Health (DOH) from establishing a minimum or maximum award amount, requires the DOH to determine grant award amounts based on the merit of the application, and requires the DOH to award grants in various regions of the state.
Finally, the bill provides that, subject to the availability of state and federal funds in the DOH HIV/AIDS program, DOH must promote synergistic initiatives between the Closing the Gap grant program and the HIV/AIDS program to leverage the expertise of the Closing the Gap grant program. These initiatives may include the establishment of a supplemental grant program whereby persons, entities, or organizations eligible for a Closing the Gap grant may submit to DOH a grant proposal, pursuant to the application process for the Closing the Gap program, to promote innovative prevention, treatment, and awareness initiatives for minority populations in metropolitan areas which have a higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS for the purposes of reducing the incidence of the HIV infection in such communities and prioritizing the identification of individuals, in a manner consistent with the clinical guidelines of the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, who are not yet aware of their HIV status.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2019
Vote: Senate 40-0; House 110-0