Senate Bill 1868c1
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1868
By the Committee on Health Care and Senator Turner
317-2131A-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to community environmental
3 health protection; creating ss. 381.102,
4 381.103, 381.104, 381.105, 381.106, 381.107,
5 F.S., the "Florida Community Environmental
6 Health Protection Act"; providing a short
7 title; providing for community environmental
8 health protection; providing legislative
9 findings; providing definitions; creating the
10 Community Environmental Health Program;
11 providing purposes of the program; designating
12 pilot projects; providing for Committee
13 Environmental Health Advisory Boards; requiring
14 a report to the Legislature; providing duties
15 of the Department of Health; creating s.
16 240.707, F.S.; creating the Center for
17 Environmental Equity and Justice; providing
18 appropriations and prescribing purposes for
19 which the funds may be used; providing an
20 effective date.
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22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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24 Section 1. Section 381.102, Florida Statutes, is
25 created to read:
26 381.102 Short title.--Sections 381.102-381.107 may be
27 cited as the "Florida Community Environmental Health
28 Protection Act."
29 Section 2. Section 381.103, Florida Statutes, is
30 created to read:
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1868
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1 381.103 Community environmental health protection;
2 legislative findings.--
3 (1) This state is committed to the economic,
4 environmental, and public health revitalization of its
5 communities.
6 (2) Low-income communities bear a significant burden
7 of environmental contamination that thwarts the revitalization
8 of these communities.
9 (3) This state has made progress in addressing the
10 economic development and environmental needs of its
11 communities.
12 (4) Measures to address the public health needs of
13 low-income communities that are exposed to contaminated sites
14 must be implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of
15 the communities in this state.
16 (5) The Legislature has determined that it would be
17 beneficial to provide resources in this state to undertake a
18 series of pilot projects that demonstrate techniques and
19 approaches to ensure health care for low-income persons who
20 are living in communities that are adversely affected by
21 contaminated sites, to mobilize additional resources from the
22 government, private sector, and private foundations to address
23 this need, and to develop a mechanism for collecting data.
24 (6) The implementation of these measures will enhance
25 cooperative efforts among the private sector, government, and
26 nonprofit organizations in this state to ensure the
27 sustainability of this state.
28 (7) Efforts to initiate measures that address public
29 health problems in communities affected by contaminated sites
30 will enable this state to leverage additional resources
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1868
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1 available from the Federal Government and private foundations
2 for this purpose.
3 Section 3. Section 381.104, Florida Statutes, is
4 created to read:
5 381.104 Definitions.--As used in ss. 381.102-381.107,
6 the term:
7 (1) "Low-income community" means a contiguous grouping
8 of residences with a significant portion of occupants who have
9 a family income equal to or below 100 percent of the most
10 recent federal poverty level and who are exposed to multiple
11 sources of environmental contamination.
12 (2) "Contaminated site" means any contiguous land,
13 surface water, or groundwater areas that may contain
14 contaminants that may be harmful to human health or the
15 environment and includes federal Superfund sites and state or
16 federally designated Brownfield areas.
17 Section 4. Section 381.105, Florida Statutes, is
18 created to read:
19 381.105 Community Environmental Health Program;
20 creation; purposes.--There is created the Community
21 Environmental Health Program. The primary purpose of the
22 program is to ensure the availability of public health
23 services to members of low-income communities that may be
24 adversely affected by contaminated sites located in or near
25 the community. These services extend beyond health services
26 that are currently provided pursuant to chapter 154 and
27 include measures to address the cumulative and synergistic
28 health effects that may be associated with exposure to
29 environmental contamination. An additional purpose is to
30 ensure the collection of information and data on health
31 effects potentially caused by acute and chronic exposure to
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1868
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1 low and high levels of environmental contaminants so that the
2 information and data may be used for research, education, and
3 the improvement of decisionmaking on sustainability goals.
4 Section 5. Section 381.106, Florida Statutes, is
5 created to read:
6 381.106 Community Environmental Health Program pilot
7 projects.--
8 (1) Community Environmental Health Program pilot
9 projects are hereby established within the Department of
10 Health to promote disease prevention and health protection
11 among low-income people who live in communities that have
12 Superfund or legally designated Brownfield areas. The pilot
13 projects must seek to build upon existing environmental and
14 economic efforts to address contaminated sites through the
15 Florida Brownfields Redevelopment Act, the Eastward Ho!
16 Brownfields Partnership, the federal Superfund Program, and
17 other state and federal programs that address public health
18 and the environment. The pilot projects may form partnerships
19 with existing health care providers, contribute to a health
20 care needs assessment, and serve as the basis for the
21 development of health care capacity in underserved areas.
22 (2) A pilot project must be established to serve each
23 of the following:
24 (a) In Escambia County, the low-income communities
25 surrounding the Escambia Treating Company and Agrico Company
26 Superfund sites that are part of the national pilot relocation
27 project and the former workers at those sites;
28 (b) In Broward County, the low-income communities
29 surrounding the Wingate Superfund site, which is located in
30 the federally designated Brownfield Showcase Community;
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1 (c) In Palm Beach County, within the City of Riviera
2 Beach, the low-income communities surrounding the BMI-Textron
3 Superfund site, which is located in the federally designated
4 Brownfield Showcase community;
5 (d) In Pinellas County, the low-income communities
6 designated as a pilot project under the 1997 Florida
7 Brownfields Redevelopment Act, including the Greenwood
8 community in Clearwater;
9 (e) In Miami-Dade County, the low income communities
10 in Liberty City and Brownsville, which are located in the
11 federally designated Brownfield Showcase Community;
12 (f) In Polk County, the low-income communities
13 surrounding the Alpha Chemical Corporation Superfund site;
14 (g) In Hillsborough County, the low-income communities
15 surrounding the Kassouf-Kimberling Battery Disposal Superfund
16 site, the Landfill Superfund site, and the Sixty-Second Street
17 Dump Superfund site, which have been designated as a proposed
18 Brownfield Redevelopment project area; and
19 (h) In Duval County, the low-income communities
20 surrounding the Pickettville Road Landfill Superfund site.
21 (3) The Department of Health shall establish a
22 Community Environmental Health Advisory Board for each pilot
23 project, and the majority of board members shall be low-income
24 residents who are beneficiaries of the pilot project. The
25 board must also include representatives from the respective
26 county health departments, health care professionals and
27 providers, and elected officials. The board shall identify the
28 community environmental health needs and types of services
29 which should be provided by the pilot project, initiate and
30 support efforts to secure additional resources to meet these
31 needs, oversee the functions and operations of the pilot
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1 project, evaluate the pilot project, and prepare for the
2 Legislature a report that discusses the progress of the pilot
3 project toward achieving its stated goals and recommends
4 future courses of action.
5 Section 6. Section 381.107, Florida Statutes, is
6 created to read:
7 381.107 Duties of Department of Health.--The
8 Department of Health shall, to the extent that resources are
9 available:
10 (1) Assist each pilot project in obtaining low-cost
11 health care services designed to treat the effects of exposure
12 to environmental contaminants and to ensure disease prevention
13 and health promotion.
14 (2) Facilitate the application to other appropriate
15 Superfund sites and Brownfield areas in the state the
16 techniques and approaches developed by the pilot project to
17 ensure health care for low-income persons who are living in
18 communities with contaminated sites.
19 (3) Develop a proactive, rapid-identification system
20 for evaluating the health impact of exposure to environmental
21 contamination and for detecting health effects.
22 (4) Explore alternative methodologies for evaluating
23 the human health consequences of exposure to environmental
24 contamination.
25 (5) Develop and maintain a registry to track health
26 problems addressed by the project.
27 (6) Develop environmental education and outreach
28 programs for health care providers and communities which
29 increase awareness and reporting of health effects resulting
30 from exposure to environmental contamination within
31 communities.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1868
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1 (7) Work with affected communities, appropriate
2 agencies, and ongoing initiatives, such as Eastward Ho!
3 Brownfields Partnership, to implement communication between
4 government agencies and affected communities.
5 (8) Collect data on potential environmental health
6 effects of environmental contamination.
7 Section 7. Section 240.707, Florida Statutes, is
8 created to read:
9 240.707 Center for Environmental Equity and Justice.--
10 (1) The Center for Environmental Equity and Justice is
11 established at Florida A & M University.
12 (2) The purpose of the center is to conduct and
13 facilitate research, develop policies, and engage in
14 education, training, and community outreach with respect to
15 the fair treatment of all people of all races, cultures, and
16 incomes with respect to the development, implementation, and
17 enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
18 (3) The Center for Environmental Equity and Justice
19 shall sponsor students to serve as interns at the Department
20 of Health, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the
21 Department of Community Affairs.
22 Section 8. (1) There is appropriated from the General
23 Revenue Fund the sum of $1.8 million during fiscal year
24 1998-1999 for the Community Environmental Health Program, of
25 which $200,000 is allocated to the Pensacola pilot project;
26 $200,000 is allocated to the Wingate pilot project; $200,000
27 is allocated to the Clearwater/Greenwood pilot project;
28 $200,000 is allocated to the City of Riviera Beach pilot
29 project; $200,000 is allocated to Liberty City and to
30 Brownsville, in Miami-Dade County; $200,000 is allocated to
31 the Polk County pilot project; $200,000 is allocated to the
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1868
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1 Hillsborough County pilot project; $200,000 is allocated to
2 the Duval County pilot project; and $200,000 is allocated to
3 the Department of Health.
4 (2) The funds allocated under subsection (1) must be
5 used for:
6 (a) The delivery of health services, including
7 screening, diagnosis and treatment of disease; preventive
8 annual physical examinations; monitoring for effects of toxic
9 exposure; and consultation on measures to prevent diseases.
10 (b) Maintenance of the voluntary Community
11 Environmental Health Advisory Boards for the pilot projects.
12 (c) Resources for accessing the delivery of health
13 services through Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party coverage,
14 among other sources, and for ensuring quality assurance and
15 quality control for the implementation of pilot projects.
16 (3) The sum of $500,000 is appropriated from the
17 General Revenue Fund to Florida A & M University for the
18 Center for Environmental Equity and Justice for fiscal year
19 1998-1999.
20 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1868
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1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 1868
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4 Deletes from the bill all references to "communities of color"
and instead refers to "low-income communities."
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Deletes from the bill the references to pollution and
6 consistently refers to contaminated sites and environmental
contamination.
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Provides definitions.
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Specifies the eight pilot sites, with funding for each.
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Requires the establishment of a Community Environmental Health
10 Advisory Board for each pilot project.
11 Provides for the creation and funding of the Center for
Environmental Equity and Justice at Florida A & M University.
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