Senate Bill 2550

    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2550

    By Senator Silver





    38-976-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to brain and spinal cord

  3         injury; stating legislative intent to provide a

  4         permanent source of funding to increase amounts

  5         available for spinal cord injury and brain

  6         injury research; amending s. 413.20, F.S.;

  7         amending the definition of the term "traumatic

  8         injury"; amending s. 413.613, F.S.; providing

  9         for the distribution of moneys from the Brain

10         and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Trust

11         Fund to specified universities for spinal cord

12         injury and brain injury research; deleting a

13         limitation on the dollar amount of such trust

14         fund moneys that may be distributed in any one

15         year to certain of the universities for such

16         purposes; providing an effective date.

17

18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

19

20         Section 1.  It is the intent of the Legislature to

21  specify a permanent source of funding to increase amounts

22  available for spinal cord injury and brain injury research.

23         Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 413.613, Florida

24  Statutes, is amended to read:

25         413.613  Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

26  Trust Fund.--

27         (3)  Annually, 5 percent of the revenues deposited

28  monthly in the fund pursuant to s. 318.21(2)(d) shall be

29  appropriated to the University of Florida, and 5 percent to

30  the University of Miami, and 2 percent (not to exceed $200,000

31  annually) to the University of South Florida, for spinal cord

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2550
    38-976-98




  1  injury and brain injury research. The amount to be distributed

  2  to the universities shall be calculated based on the deposits

  3  into the fund for each quarter in the fiscal year, but may not

  4  exceed $500,000 per university per year. Funds distributed

  5  under this subsection shall be made in quarterly payments at

  6  the end of each quarter during the fiscal year.

  7         Section 3.  Subsection (33) of section 413.20, Florida

  8  Statutes, is amended to read:

  9         413.20  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

10         (33)  "Traumatic injury" means:

11         (a)  A lesion to the spinal cord or cauda equina

12  resulting from external trauma and exhibiting with evidence of

13  significant involvement of two of the following deficits or

14  dysfunctions:

15         1.  Motor deficit.

16         2.  Sensory deficit.

17         3.  Bowel and bladder dysfunction; or

18         (b)  An insult to the skull, brain, or its covering,

19  resulting from external trauma which produces an altered state

20  of consciousness or anatomic motor, sensory, cognitive, or

21  behavioral deficits.

22         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.

23

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    States the legislative intent to provide a permanent
      source of funding to increase amounts available for
27    spinal cord injury and brain injury research. Redefines
      the term "traumatic injury." Provides for the
28    distribution of a portion of the moneys from the Brain
      and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Trust Fund to
29    specified universities for spinal cord injury and brain
      injury research. Deletes the maximum amount of $500,000
30    that may be appropriated yearly to the University of
      Miami and to the University of Florida for such research.
31

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