Senate Bill 1908

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1908

    By Senator Dawson-White





    30-624-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the prevention of HIV and

  3         AIDS; creating the Minority HIV and AIDS Task

  4         Force within the Department of Health;

  5         requiring the task force to develop

  6         recommendations on ways to strengthen HIV and

  7         AIDS prevention and treatment programs in

  8         minority communities; requiring the Secretary

  9         of Health to appoint the members of the task

10         force; requiring that the task force include

11         representatives of certain groups and

12         organizations; providing for the members to

13         serve without compensation; requiring a report

14         to the Legislature; providing for the task

15         force to be abolished on a specified date;

16         requiring that the Department of Health develop

17         and implement a statewide HIV and AIDS

18         prevention campaign that is directed to

19         minorities; providing requirements for the

20         campaign; requiring the department to establish

21         positions within the department for regional

22         and statewide coordinators; requiring that the

23         department conduct a Black Leadership

24         Conference on HIV and AIDS by a specified date;

25         providing an appropriation; providing an

26         effective date.

27

28         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that HIV and AIDS

29  infections are one of the state's most critical public health

30  challenges, with Florida having the third highest number of

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1908
    30-624-99




  1  AIDS cases in the nation and the second highest number of

  2  pediatric AIDS cases, and

  3         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the epidemic is

  4  reaching alarming proportions in the state's minority

  5  communities, with approximately 59 percent of reported AIDS

  6  cases and 75 percent of reported HIV cases occurring among

  7  blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities, and

  8         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that HIV and AIDS

  9  infections are the leading cause of death for black males and

10  black females between the ages of 25 and 44, and

11         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that members of the

12  black community tend to develop AIDS within 1 month after

13  being diagnosed with HIV and to die within 1 month after being

14  diagnosed with AIDS, which indicates that members of this

15  community, more than any other, fail to avail themselves to

16  early testing and treatment, and

17         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that black women who are

18  heterosexually infected with HIV are the fastest growing group

19  of infected persons, and

20         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the total medical

21  and related lifetime costs for a patient infected with HIV may

22  reach $175,000 or more, and

23         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that sustained,

24  comprehensive prevention efforts can have a substantial impact

25  on slowing the course of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, and

26         WHEREAS, the Legislature intends to decrease the number

27  of deaths of minorities due to HIV and AIDS by increasing

28  public awareness, increasing early detection and treatment of

29  HIV and AIDS in the state's minority communities, and by

30  increasing the coordination of HIV and AIDS prevention and

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1908
    30-624-99




  1  treatment efforts in the state's minority communities, NOW,

  2  THEREFORE,

  3

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

  5

  6         Section 1.  The Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force.--

  7         (1)  There is created within the Department of Health

  8  the Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force to develop and provide

  9  specific recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and

10  the Department of Health on ways to strengthen HIV and AIDS

11  prevention programs and early intervention and treatment

12  efforts in the state's black, Hispanic, and other minority

13  communities, as well as ways to address the many needs of the

14  state's minorities infected with AIDS and their families.

15         (2)  The Secretary of Health shall appoint at least 15

16  members to the task force. The members must include, but need

17  not be limited to, representatives from:

18         (a)  Persons infected with the human immunodeficiency

19  virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

20         (b)  Minority community-based support organizations.

21         (c)  Minority treatment providers.

22         (d)  The religious community within groups of persons

23  infected with HIV or AIDS.

24         (e)  The Department of Health.

25         (3)  The task force shall meet as often as necessary to

26  carry out its duties and responsibilities. Within existing

27  resources, the Department of Health shall provide support

28  services to the task force.

29         (4)  The members of the task force shall serve without

30  compensation.

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1908
    30-624-99




  1         (5)  The task force shall prepare and submit a report

  2  of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the

  3  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

  4  Representatives by February 1, 2001. The report must include:

  5         (a)  Specific strategies for reducing the risk of HIV

  6  and AIDS in the state's minority communities.

  7         (b)  A plan for establishing mentor programs and

  8  exchanging information and ideas among minority

  9  community-based organizations that provide HIV and AIDS

10  prevention services.

11         (c)  The needs of prevention and treatment programs

12  within communities and the resources that are available within

13  minority communities.

14         (d)  Specific strategies for ensuring that minority

15  persons who are at risk of HIV and AIDS infection seek

16  testing.

17         (e)  Specific strategies for ensuring that persons who

18  test positive for HIV or AIDS are provided with access to

19  treatment and secondary prevention services.

20         (f)  Specific strategies to help reduce or eliminate

21  high-risk behaviors in persons who test negative but continue

22  to practice high-risk behaviors.

23         (g)  A plan to evaluate the implementation of the

24  recommendations of the task force.

25         (6)  The task force is abolished on July 1, 2001.

26         Section 2.  Statewide HIV and AIDS prevention

27  campaign.--

28         (1)  The Department of Health shall develop and

29  implement a statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign that is

30  directed towards minorities who are at risk of HIV infection.

31  The campaign shall include television, radio, and outdoor

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1908
    30-624-99




  1  advertising; public service announcements; and peer-to-peer

  2  outreach. Each campaign message and concept shall be evaluated

  3  with members of the target group to ensure its effectiveness.

  4  The campaign shall provide information on the risk of HIV and

  5  AIDS infection and strategies to follow for prevention, early

  6  detection, and treatment. The campaign shall use culturally

  7  sensitive literature and educational materials and promote the

  8  development of individual skills for behavior modification.

  9         (2)  The Department of Health shall establish four

10  positions within the department for HIV and AIDS regional

11  minority coordinators and one position for a statewide HIV and

12  AIDS minority coordinator. The coordinators shall facilitate

13  statewide efforts to implement and coordinate HIV and AIDS

14  prevention and treatment programs. The statewide coordinator

15  shall report directly to the chief of the Bureau of HIV and

16  AIDS within the Department of Health.

17         (3)  The Department of Health shall, with assistance

18  from the Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force and the statewide

19  coordinator, plan and conduct a statewide Black Leadership

20  Conference on HIV and AIDS by January 2000. The conference

21  shall provide workshops for minority organizations in building

22  skills and improving an organization's capacity to conduct HIV

23  and AIDS prevention and treatment programs.

24         Section 3.  The sum of $500,000 is appropriated from

25  the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Health for the

26  purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act during the

27  1999-2000 fiscal year.

28         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1908
    30-624-99




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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Establishes the Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force within
      the Department of Health for the purpose of developing
  4    recommendations on ways to strengthen HIV and AIDS
      prevention and treatment programs in minority
  5    communities. Requires that the Secretary of Health
      appoint the members of the task force. Requires that the
  6    task force report to the Legislature by February 1, 2001.
      Provides for the task force to be abolished on July 1,
  7    2001. Requires the Department of Health to develop and
      implement a statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign
  8    that is directed to minorities. Provides requirements for
      the campaign. Provides for additional positions within
  9    the department for regional and statewide coordinators
      for HIV and AIDS prevention efforts. Requires that the
10    department conduct a Black Leadership Conference on HIV
      and AIDS by January, 2000. Provides an appropriation.
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