Senate Bill 1946
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1946
By Senator Diaz-Balart
37-1412-99
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to mental health and substance
3 abuse services; amending s. 394.66, F.S.;
4 conforming a reference to the renaming of a
5 department; amending s. 394.74, F.S.;
6 authorizing the Department of Children and
7 Family Services to use unit cost methods of
8 payments in contracts for mental health and
9 substance abuse services; amending s. 394.78,
10 F.S.; directing the department to adopt certain
11 rules; directing the department to propose
12 revisions to part IV of chapter 394, F.S.,
13 relating to community alcohol, drug abuse, and
14 mental health services; providing for a
15 workgroup; providing an effective date.
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17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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19 Section 1. Subsections (3) and (7) of section 394.66,
20 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
21 394.66 Legislative intent with respect to alcohol,
22 drug abuse, and mental health services.--It is the intent of
23 the Legislature to:
24 (3) Ensure that all activities of the Department of
25 Children Health and Family Rehabilitative Services and its
26 contractors are directed toward the coordination of planning
27 efforts in alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health treatment
28 services.
29 (7) Include alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health
30 services as a component of the integrated service delivery
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1946
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1 system of the Department of Children Health and Family
2 Rehabilitative Services.
3 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 394.74, Florida
4 Statutes, is amended to read:
5 394.74 Contracts for provision of local alcohol, drug
6 abuse, and mental health programs.--
7 (2)(a) Contracts for service shall be consistent with
8 the approved district plan and the service priorities
9 established in s. 394.75(4).
10 (b) Notwithstanding s. 394.76(3)(a) and (c), the
11 department may use unit cost methods of payment in contracts
12 for purchasing mental health and substance abuse services
13 through June 30, 2000. The unit cost contracting system must
14 account for those patient fees that are paid on behalf of a
15 specific client and those that are earned and used by the
16 provider for those services funded in whole or in part by the
17 department.
18 (c) The department may reimburse actual expenditures
19 for start-up contracts and fixed capital outlay contracts in
20 accordance with contract specifications.
21 Section 3. Subsection (6) is added to section 394.78,
22 Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, to read:
23 394.78 Operation and administration; personnel
24 standards; procedures for audit and monitoring of service
25 providers; resolution of disputes.--
26 (6) The department shall, by rule, establish standards
27 for contracting, budgeting, methods of payment, and the
28 accounting of patient fees that are earned on behalf of a
29 specific client.
30 Section 4. The Department of Children and Family
31 Services is directed to propose statutory revisions to part IV
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1946
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1 of chapter 394, Florida Statutes, pertaining to the overall
2 financing and contracting structure for publicly funded mental
3 health and substance abuse services. Other areas to be
4 reviewed for this statutory proposal are: priority population
5 groups for publicly funded mental health and substance abuse
6 services; a description of the comprehensive mental health and
7 substance abuse delivery systems; district mental health and
8 substance abuse needs assessment and planning activities; and
9 local government responsibilities for funding mental health
10 and substance abuse services. The department must convene a
11 workgroup to assist them in the development of these statutory
12 revisions. At a minimum, this workgroup must include two
13 persons who have knowledge and interest in mental health and
14 substance abuse services but who have no economic or vested
15 interest in the current delivery system; representatives from
16 the Department of Juvenile Justice, Agency for Health Care
17 Administration, Department of Elderly Affairs, Department of
18 Health, and Department of Education; a representative from the
19 Florida Association of Counties; two representatives of mental
20 health and substance abuse provider agencies; two mental
21 health and substance abuse advocates; one consumer of publicly
22 funded mental health or substance abuse services; and one
23 family member of a consumer of publicly funded mental health
24 and substance abuse services. The proposed statutory revisions
25 must be submitted to the Office of the Governor, President of
26 the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives no
27 later than December 1, 1999, for consideration by the
28 Legislature in 2000.
29 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
30 law.
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1946
37-1412-99
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Authorizes the Department of Children and Family Services
to use unit cost methods of payment in contracts for
4 mental health and substance abuse services. Directs the
department to adopt rules for contracting, budgeting,
5 methods of payment, and accounting of patient fees.
Directs the department to propose revisions to part IV of
6 chapter 394, Florida Statutes, relating to alcohol, drug
abuse, and mental health services and to convene a
7 workgroup to assist it in so doing. Proposals must be
reported by December 1, 1999.
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