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The Florida Senate

2018 Florida Statutes

Title XXIX PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter 381 PUBLIC HEALTH: GENERAL PROVISIONS Entire Chapter
SECTION 96
Pregnancy support and wellness services.
F.S. 381.96
381.96 Pregnancy support and wellness services.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Department” means the Department of Health.
(b) “Eligible client” means a pregnant woman or a woman who suspects she is pregnant, and the family of such woman, who voluntarily seeks pregnancy support services and any woman who voluntarily seeks wellness services.
(c) “Florida Pregnancy Care Network, Inc.,” or “network” means the not-for-profit statewide alliance of pregnancy support organizations that provide pregnancy support and wellness services through a comprehensive system of care to women and their families.
(d) “Pregnancy support services” means services that promote and encourage childbirth, including, but not limited to:
1. Direct client services, such as pregnancy testing, counseling, referral, training, and education for pregnant women and their families. A woman and her family shall continue to be eligible to receive direct client services for up to 12 months after the birth of the child.
2. Program awareness activities, including a promotional campaign to educate the public about the pregnancy support services offered by the network and a website that provides information on the location of providers in the user’s area and other available community resources.
3. Communication activities, including the operation and maintenance of a hotline or call center with a single statewide toll-free number that is available 24 hours a day for an eligible client to obtain the location and contact information for a pregnancy center located in the client’s area.
(e) “Wellness services” means services or activities intended to maintain and improve health or prevent illness and injury, including, but not limited to, high blood pressure screening, anemia testing, thyroid screening, cholesterol screening, diabetes screening, and assistance with smoking cessation.
(2) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall contract with the network for the management and delivery of pregnancy support and wellness services to eligible clients.
(3) CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS.—The department contract shall specify the contract deliverables, including financial reports and other reports due to the department, timeframes for achieving contractual obligations, and any other requirements the department determines are necessary, such as staffing and location requirements. The contract shall require the network to:
(a) Establish, implement, and monitor a comprehensive system of care through subcontractors to meet the pregnancy support and wellness needs of eligible clients.
(b) Establish and manage subcontracts with a sufficient number of providers to ensure the availability of pregnancy support and wellness services for eligible clients, and maintain and manage the delivery of such services throughout the contract period.
(c) Spend at least 90 percent of the contract funds on pregnancy support and wellness services.
(d) Offer wellness services through vouchers or other appropriate arrangements that allow the purchase of services from qualified health care providers.
(e) Require a background screening under s. 943.0542 for all paid staff and volunteers of a subcontractor if such staff or volunteers provide direct client services to an eligible client who is a minor or an elderly person or who has a disability.
(f) Annually monitor its subcontractors and specify the sanctions that shall be imposed for noncompliance with the terms of a subcontract.
(g) Subcontract only with providers that exclusively promote and support childbirth.
(h) Ensure that informational materials provided to an eligible client by a provider are current and accurate and cite the reference source of any medical statement included in such materials.
(4) SERVICES.—Services provided pursuant to this section must be provided in a noncoercive manner and may not include any religious content.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2018-29.