Senate Bill 1258e1
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CS for SB 1258 First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to health care; creating s.
3 381.0045, F.S.; creating the "Targeted Outreach
4 for Pregnant Women Act of 1998"; providing
5 purpose; requiring the Department of Health to
6 establish a pilot program; providing
7 requirements; requiring interim and final
8 reports; providing appropriations; providing
9 effective dates.
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11 WHEREAS, Florida ranks second in the nation in the
12 number of female AIDS cases and pediatric AIDS cases, and
13 WHEREAS, approximately 700 HIV-exposed women give birth
14 each year in Florida, and
15 WHEREAS, the administration of Zidovudine (AZT) to
16 pregnant HIV-exposed women can reduce the rate of
17 mother-to-child transmission by as much as two-thirds, while
18 without it approximately 210 of the 700 babies born to
19 HIV-exposed women in Florida would test positive for HIV, and
20 WHEREAS, thousands of infants born each year in Florida
21 are identified as prenatally substance-exposed, and
22 WHEREAS, the effect on a fetus from drugs can result in
23 a lifetime of devastating physical and mental problems for the
24 child, and
25 WHEREAS, the lifetime cost of treating an HIV-infected
26 infant can be as high as $200,000, and the cost of caring for
27 drug-exposed infants can be as high as $65,000, with special
28 classes for substance-exposed children costing approximately
29 $17,000 per year, and
30 WHEREAS, there is a strong need to reach out to
31 pregnant women who do not seek prenatal care, substance abuse
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CS for SB 1258 First Engrossed
1 treatment, or HIV testing due to poverty, lack of
2 transportation, lack of education, lack of health insurance,
3 fear of legal consequences, fear of domestic violence, and
4 fear of losing their child, and
5 WHEREAS, preventing perinatally transmitted HIV
6 infection and substance exposure depends on maximizing the
7 opportunities for pregnant women to learn their HIV status, to
8 be offered and receive preventive AZT therapy, and to gain
9 access to drug treatment and other health and social services
10 for themselves and their infants, NOW, THEREFORE,
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Section 381.0045, Florida Statutes, is
15 created to read:
16 381.0045 Targeted outreach for pregnant women.--
17 (1) This section may be cited as the "Targeted
18 Outreach for Pregnant Women Act of 1998."
19 (2) It is the purpose of this section to establish a
20 targeted outreach program for high-risk pregnant women who may
21 not seek proper prenatal care, who suffer from substance abuse
22 problems, or who are infected with human immunodeficiency
23 virus (HIV), and to provide these women with links to much
24 needed services and information.
25 (3) Effective October 1, 1998, the Department of
26 Health shall establish a 2-year pilot program to provide
27 outreach services to high-risk pregnant women, based in county
28 health departments in the five counties with the highest rates
29 of HIV infection in pregnant women and the largest proportion
30 of substance-exposed newborns. These counties shall include
31 Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, and Orange Counties.
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CS for SB 1258 First Engrossed
1 (4) The department shall:
2 (a) Conduct outreach programs through contracts with,
3 grants to, or other working relationships with persons or
4 entities where the target population is likely to be found.
5 (b) Provide outreach that is peer-based, culturally
6 sensitive, and performed in a nonjudgmental manner.
7 (c) Encourage high-risk pregnant women of unknown
8 status to be tested for HIV.
9 (d) Educate women not receiving prenatal care as to
10 the benefits of such care.
11 (e) Provide HIV-infected pregnant women with
12 information so they can make an informed decision about the
13 use of Zidovudine (AZT).
14 (f) Link women with substance abuse treatment, when
15 available, and act as a liaison with Healthy Start coalitions,
16 children's medical services, Ryan White-funded providers, and
17 other services of the Department of Health.
18 (g) Provide continued oversite to HIV-exposed
19 newborns.
20 (5) The types of entities the department is encouraged
21 to contract with, provide grants to, or enter into other
22 working relationships with may include, but are not limited
23 to, faith-based organizations, academic institutions,
24 religious organizations, nonprofit community centers, and
25 other social-services-related entities.
26 Section 2. The Department of Health shall compile and
27 analyze the risk information collected by the targeted
28 outreach programs and other services of the Department of
29 Health, including Healthy Start coalitions, children's medical
30 services, and Ryan White-funded providers, and submit to the
31 Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
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CS for SB 1258 First Engrossed
1 President of the Senate an interim report by December 1, 1999,
2 and a final report by December 1, 2000, that includes, but is
3 not limited to:
4 (1) The number of pregnant women and infants
5 identified as at potential risk of HIV infection or substance
6 abuse.
7 (2) The number of pregnant women and infants who
8 receive outreach services.
9 (3) The demand for services and unmet need for
10 services for the identified target groups.
11 (4) An assessment of the program's success in reaching
12 high-risk pregnant women and providing these women and their
13 infants with much needed services and information.
14 (5) Recommendations regarding whether the program
15 should be continued or expanded statewide, the funding
16 necessary to continue or expand the program, and any
17 additional efforts that are necessary to maximize the success
18 of the program.
19 Section 3. There is hereby appropriated to the
20 Department of Health from the General Revenue Fund the sum of
21 $500,000 to establish target outreach programs in Dade,
22 Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, and Orange Counties, with
23 two existing employees to be based in each county's health
24 department. All of the funds appropriated to the department
25 shall be used in the delivery of services as described in s.
26 381.0045, Florida Statutes, as created by this act.
27 Section 4. There is appropriated to the Department of
28 Health from the Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund the sum of $15
29 million to replace the Tampa Branch Health Laboratory and the
30 sum of $600,000 for the Healthy Moms and Healthy Babies
31 facility at the University of South Florida.
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CS for SB 1258 First Engrossed
1 Section 5. This act shall take effect October 1, 1998,
2 except that this section and section 4 of this act shall take
3 effect July 1, 1998.
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