CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 1543er
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1997 Legislature HB 1543, First Engrossed
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2 An act relating to Volusia County; creating the
3 Task Force on Health Care Organization in
4 Volusia County; requiring the task force to
5 determine if the health care needs of county
6 residents are being met; requiring that the
7 task force make recommendations for
8 administering and providing health care
9 services within the county; providing for the
10 appointment of members to the task force;
11 providing for funding the activities of the
12 task force through a proportionate assessment
13 on each hospital taxing district within the
14 county; requiring that the task force contract
15 with an institution of higher learning for
16 assistance in producing a final report;
17 requiring the task force to provide an official
18 copy of its final report to the Governor, the
19 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
20 House of Representatives, the Volusia County
21 Legislative Delegation, the Volusia County
22 Council, the Halifax Hospital Medical Center,
23 the Southeast Volusia Hospital District, the
24 West Volusia Hospital Authority, and the
25 District Four Health Planning Council;
26 providing for expiration of the task force;
27 capping the millage rate within each of the
28 three hospital taxing districts within Volusia
29 County; providing that the millage rates may be
30 adjusted downward; authorizing the governing
31 authority of each respective hospital taxing
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1997 Legislature HB 1543, First Engrossed
1 district to set millage rates after specific
2 legislative action is taken based on the
3 recommendations of the task force; providing an
4 effective date.
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6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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8 Section 1. (1)(a) There is created the Task Force on
9 Health Care Organization in Volusia County.
10 (b) The task force shall study the tax revenues
11 generated from health care services provided within Volusia
12 County and the county's health care resources and determine if
13 the health care needs of the residents of the county are being
14 met in the most efficient manner possible. The task force
15 shall review how initiatives have been organized for funding
16 health care services within other counties, including, but not
17 limited to, the special health care taxing district in Palm
18 Beach County and the sales tax initiative for funding health
19 care for indigents in Hillsborough County. The task force
20 shall also evaluate whether it is appropriate for a single
21 governmental entity to be responsible for purchasing health
22 care services as well as delivering health care services.
23 (c) The task force shall conduct a thorough review of
24 all publicly funded health care services provided in Volusia
25 County and recommend the most efficient system of
26 administering a health care system and the most efficient
27 method of providing health care services. The task force
28 shall:
29 1. Review how various areas in the state provide
30 health care, including areas that do not have a dedicated
31 source of tax revenues. The review must compare the per-capita
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1997 Legislature HB 1543, First Engrossed
1 cost of health care services delivered in areas that have a
2 dedicated source of tax revenues with the per-capita cost of
3 health care services delivered in areas that do not have a
4 dedicated source of tax revenues, and must identify the
5 strengths and weaknesses of each method of funding.
6 2. Determine whether there is a need to provide public
7 funds for health care services in Volusia County.
8 3. Recommend the extent to which a publicly funded
9 health care delivery system is needed, the level of tax
10 support needed, and a system of administration and service
11 delivery, if the task force determines that a publicly funded
12 health care delivery system is necessary for Volusia County.
13 4. Recommend how the existing publicly funded health
14 care delivery system should be modified to complement the
15 existing private-sector health care delivery system, if the
16 task force determines that a publicly funded health care
17 delivery system is not necessary in Volusia County.
18 (2) The task force shall be composed of 17 members,
19 who shall serve until the task force expires by operation of
20 law, and who shall be appointed as follows:
21 (a) One member appointed by the Florida League of
22 Health Systems.
23 (b) One member appointed by the Florida Hospital
24 Association.
25 (c) One member appointed by the Association of
26 Community Hospitals and Health Systems of Florida.
27 (d) One member appointed by the Tax Cap Committee.
28 (e) One member appointed by Florida TaxWatch.
29 (f) Nine members, each appointed by a single member of
30 the Volusia County Legislative Delegation.
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1997 Legislature HB 1543, First Engrossed
1 (g) One member of the Volusia County Council,
2 appointed by the chairperson of the council.
3 (h) One member appointed by the President of the
4 Senate.
5 (i) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House
6 of Representatives.
7 (3) Failure to appoint a member to the task force does
8 not invalidate the task force. The first meeting of the task
9 force must be held within 45 days after this act becomes a
10 law.
11 (4)(a) The operation and activities of the task force
12 shall be funded by a proportionate assessment on each hospital
13 taxing district. A total of not more than $250,000 shall be
14 assessed. The Southeast Volusia Hospital District shall be
15 assessed not more than $45,000, the West Volusia Hospital
16 Authority shall be assessed not more than $67,500, and the
17 Halifax Hospital Medical Center shall be assessed not more
18 than $137,500. Any funds that remain upon expiration of the
19 task force shall be proportionally divided and returned to the
20 respective hospital taxing district.
21 (b) The task force shall contract with a public
22 institution of higher learning within the state for purposes
23 of staffing and producing a final report of its findings and
24 recommendations. The Governor, the President of the Senate,
25 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Volusia
26 County Legislative Delegation, the Volusia County Council, the
27 Halifax Hospital Medical Center, the Southeast Volusia
28 Hospital District, the West Volusia Hospital Authority, and
29 the District Four Health Planning Council shall each receive
30 an official copy of the final report of the task force. The
31 final report is due by January 15, 1998, with an interim
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1997 Legislature HB 1543, First Engrossed
1 report on the study presented to the delegation due by
2 November 15, 1997.
3 (c) The Volusia County Council shall provide meeting
4 facilities and administrative support, free of charge,
5 including an equipped office that will accommodate the task
6 force.
7 (5) The task force shall expire on June 1, 1998.
8 Section 2. Notwithstanding any other law, the millage
9 rate of the Southeast Volusia Hospital Taxing District and the
10 millage rate of the Halifax Hospital Taxing District are
11 capped at the rate in place as of January 1, 1997, for each
12 respective district. The millage rate of the West Volusia
13 Hospital Authority is capped at 1.52 mills. The millage rate
14 of each hospital taxing district may be adjusted downward at
15 any time by the governing authority of each respective
16 district. The authority to set millage rates shall be restored
17 to the governing authorities of the hospital taxing districts
18 within Volusia County only after specific legislative action
19 is taken based on the recommendations generated by the task
20 force created by this act.
21 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
22 law.
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