The Florida Senate

383.15  Legislative intent; perinatal intensive care services.--The Legislature finds and declares that many perinatal diseases and disabilities have debilitating, costly, and often fatal consequences if left untreated. Many of these debilitating conditions could be prevented or ameliorated if services were available to the public through a regional perinatal intensive care centers program. Perinatal intensive care services are critical to the well-being and development of a healthy society and represent a constructive, cost-beneficial, and essential investment in the future of our state. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to develop a regional perinatal intensive care centers program. The Legislature further intends that development of a regional perinatal intensive care centers program shall not reduce or dilute the current financial commitment of the state, as indicated through appropriation, to the existing regional perinatal intensive care centers. It is the intent of the Legislature that any additional regional perinatal intensive care center authorized under s. 383.19 after July 1, 1993, shall not receive payments authorized under s. 409.9112 unless specific appropriations are provided to expand such payments to additional hospitals.

History.--s. 1, ch. 76-54; s. 1, ch. 77-171; s. 1, ch. 94-140.