SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 674

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senator Brown-Waite moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         Delete everything after the enacting clause

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16  and insert:

17         Section 1.  Medical and other personal information

18  about patients of a home medical equipment provider which is

19  received by the licensing agency through reports or inspection

20  is confidential and exempt from the provisions of s.

21  119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

22  Constitution. This section is subject to the Open Government

23  Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15,

24  Florida Statutes, and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2004,

25  unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by

26  the Legislature.

27         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that exempting

28  medical and other personal information related to patients of

29  home medical equipment providers from public records law

30  requirements is a public necessity, in that the harm caused by

31  the release of such personal and sensitive information

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 674

    Amendment No.    





 1  outweighs any public benefit derived from releasing such

 2  information. The patients of home medical equipment providers

 3  need assurances that the medical and other information of a

 4  sensitive personal nature they share with the providers will

 5  be held in confidence by the licensing agency in order for the

 6  patients to provide essential, accurate information about

 7  themselves related to home medical equipment. The public

 8  disclosure of such information would lead to a reluctance on

 9  the part of patients to provide accurate information which

10  would result in an adverse impact on their health.

11         Section 3.  This act shall take effect on the same date

12  that House Bill 247 or similar legislation creating part X of

13  chapter 400, Florida Statutes, requiring licensure of home

14  medical equipment providers, takes effect, if such legislation

15  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension

16  thereof.

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19  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

20  And the title is amended as follows:

21         Delete everything before the enacting clause

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23  and insert:

24                      A bill to be entitled

25         An act relating to public records; providing an

26         exemption from public records requirements for

27         medical and other personal information about

28         patients of home medical equipment providers

29         which is obtained by the licensing agency;

30         providing for future review and repeal;

31         providing findings of public necessity;

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 674

    Amendment No.    





 1         providing a contingent effective date.

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