Senate Bill 0880

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 880

    By Senator Myers





    27-464-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Department of Health

  3         Care; transferring powers, duties, functions,

  4         and assets of the Agency for Health Care

  5         Administration to the Department of Health

  6         Care; amending s. 20.43, F.S.; redesignating

  7         the Department of Health as the Department of

  8         Health Care; adding to the department a

  9         Division of Health Care Administration;

10         providing for the organization and

11         administration of this division; repealing s.

12         20.42, F.S., relating to the Agency for Health

13         Care Administration; providing for the

14         appointment of and duties for a transition

15         advisory committee; providing for a reviser's

16         bill; providing an effective date.

17

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

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20         Section 1.  Effective July 1, 1999, all powers, duties,

21  functions, records, personnel, property, and unexpended

22  balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds of

23  the Agency for Health Care Administration are transferred by a

24  type two transfer, as defined in section 20.06(2), Florida

25  Statutes, to the Department of Health Care. Any rules adopted

26  by or for the Agency for Health Care Administration for the

27  administration and operation of such programs are included in

28  this transfer and shall remain in effect until specifically

29  changed in the manner provided by law. The Department of

30  Health Care may organize, classify, and manage the positions

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  1  transferred in a manner that will reduce duplication, achieve

  2  maximum efficiency, and ensure accountability.

  3         Section 2.  Section 20.43, Florida Statutes, 1998

  4  Supplement, is amended to read:

  5         20.43  Department of Health Care.--There is created a

  6  Department of Health Care.

  7         (1)  The purpose of the Department of Health Care is to

  8  promote and protect the health of all residents and visitors

  9  in the state through organized state and community efforts,

10  including cooperative agreements with counties.  The

11  department shall:

12         (a)  Prevent to the fullest extent possible, the

13  occurrence and progression of communicable and noncommunicable

14  diseases and disabilities.

15         (b)  Maintain a constant surveillance of disease

16  occurrence and accumulate health statistics necessary to

17  establish disease trends and to design health programs.

18         (c)  Conduct special studies of the causes of diseases

19  and formulate preventive strategies.

20         (d)  Promote the maintenance and improvement of the

21  environment as it affects public health.

22         (e)  Promote the maintenance and improvement of health

23  in the residents of the state.

24         (f)  Provide leadership, in cooperation with the public

25  and private sectors, in establishing statewide and community

26  public health delivery systems.

27         (g)  Provide health care and early intervention

28  services to infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, and

29  high-risk perinatal patients who are at risk for disabling

30  conditions or have chronic illnesses.

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 880
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  1         (h)  Provide services to abused and neglected children

  2  through child protection teams and sexual abuse treatment

  3  programs.

  4         (i)  Develop working associations with all agencies and

  5  organizations involved and interested in health and health

  6  care delivery.

  7         (j)  Analyze trends in the evolution of health systems,

  8  and identify and promote the use of innovative, cost-effective

  9  health delivery systems.

10         (k)  Serve as the statewide repository of all aggregate

11  data accumulated by state agencies related to health care;

12  analyze that data and issue periodic reports and policy

13  statements, as appropriate; require that all aggregated data

14  be kept in a manner that promotes easy utilization by the

15  public, state agencies, and all other interested parties;

16  provide technical assistance as required; and work

17  cooperatively with the state's higher education programs to

18  promote further study and analysis of health care systems and

19  health care outcomes.

20         (l)  Biennially publish, and annually update, a state

21  health plan that assesses current health programs, systems,

22  and costs; makes projections of future problems and

23  opportunities; and recommends changes needed in the health

24  care system to improve the public health.

25         (m)  Regulate health practitioners, to the extent

26  authorized by the Legislature, as necessary for the

27  preservation of the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

28         (2)  The head of the Department of Health Care is the

29  Secretary of Health Care and State Health Officer.  The

30  secretary must be a physician licensed under chapter 458 or

31  chapter 459 who has advanced training or extensive experience

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  1  in public health administration.  The secretary is appointed

  2  by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Senate.  The

  3  secretary serves at the pleasure of the Governor.

  4         (3)  The following divisions of the Department of

  5  Health Care are established. Except as otherwise provided,

  6  each division is under the direct supervision of a division

  7  director appointed by the secretary.:

  8         (a)  Division of Administration.

  9         (b)  Division of Environmental Health.

10         (c)  Division of Disease Control.

11         (d)  Division of Family Health Services.

12         (e)  Division of Children's Medical Services.

13         (f)  Division of Local Health Planning, Education, and

14  Workforce Development.

15         (g)  Division of Medical Quality Assurance, which is

16  responsible for the following boards and professions

17  established within the division:

18         1.  Nursing assistants, as provided under s. 400.211.

19         2.  Health care services pools, as provided under s.

20  402.48.

21         3.  The Board of Acupuncture, created under chapter

22  457.

23         4.  The Board of Medicine, created under chapter 458.

24         5.  The Board of Osteopathic Medicine, created under

25  chapter 459.

26         6.  The Board of Chiropractic Medicine, created under

27  chapter 460.

28         7.  The Board of Podiatric Medicine, created under

29  chapter 461.

30         8.  Naturopathy, as provided under chapter 462.

31         9.  The Board of Optometry, created under chapter 463.

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  1         10.  The Board of Nursing, created under chapter 464.

  2         11.  The Board of Pharmacy, created under chapter 465.

  3         12.  The Board of Dentistry, created under chapter 466.

  4         13.  Midwifery, as provided under chapter 467.

  5         14.  The Board of Speech-Language Pathology and

  6  Audiology, created under part I of chapter 468.

  7         15.  The Board of Nursing Home Administrators, created

  8  under part II of chapter 468.

  9         16.  The Board of Occupational Therapy, created under

10  part III of chapter 468.

11         17.  Respiratory therapy, as provided under part V of

12  chapter 468.

13         18.  Dietetics and nutrition practice, as provided

14  under part X of chapter 468.

15         19.  Athletic trainers, as provided under part XIII of

16  chapter 468.

17         20.  The Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists, created

18  under part XIV of chapter 468.

19         21.  Electrolysis, as provided under chapter 478.

20         22.  The Board of Massage Therapy, created under

21  chapter 480.

22         23.  The Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel,

23  created under part III of chapter 483.

24         24.  Medical physicists, as provided under part IV of

25  chapter 483.

26         25.  The Board of Opticianry, created under part I of

27  chapter 484.

28         26.  The Board of Hearing Aid Specialists, created

29  under part II of chapter 484.

30         27.  The Board of Physical Therapy Practice, created

31  under chapter 486.

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  1         28.  The Board of Psychology, created under chapter

  2  490.

  3         29.  School psychologists, as provided under chapter

  4  490.

  5         30.  The Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and

  6  Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling, created under

  7  chapter 491.

  8         (h)  Division of Health Care Administration. This

  9  division shall be known as the Agency for Health Care

10  Administration. The head of the division is the Director of

11  Health Care Administration, who shall be appointed by the

12  Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The director

13  shall serve at the pleasure of and report to the Governor. The

14  division shall be organized as follows:

15         1.  The Bureau of Health Quality Assurance, which is

16  responsible for health facility licensure and inspection.

17         2.  The Bureau of Health Policy and Cost Control, which

18  is responsible for health policy, the State Center for Health

19  Statistics, certificate of need, and research and analysis.

20         3.  The Bureau of State Health Purchasing, which is

21  responsible for the Medicaid program. The division shall also

22  administer the contracts with the Florida Health Access

23  Corporation program and the Florida Health Care Purchasing

24  Cooperative and the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation.

25         4.  The Bureau of Administrative Services, which is

26  responsible for revenue management, budget, personnel, and

27  general services.

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29  The department may contract with the Agency for Health Care

30  Administration who shall provide consumer complaint,

31  investigative, and prosecutorial services required by the

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  1  Division of Medical Quality Assurance, councils, or boards, as

  2  appropriate.

  3         (4)(a)  The members of each board within the department

  4  shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by

  5  the Senate. Consumer members on the board shall be appointed

  6  pursuant to paragraph (b). Members shall be appointed for

  7  4-year terms, and such terms shall expire on October 31.

  8  However, a term of less than 4 years may be used to ensure

  9  that:

10         1.  No more than two members' terms expire during the

11  same calendar year for boards consisting of seven or eight

12  members.

13         2.  No more than 3 members' terms expire during the

14  same calendar year for boards consisting of 9 to 12 members.

15         3.  No more than 5 members' terms expire during the

16  same calendar year for boards consisting of 13 or more

17  members.

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19  A member whose term has expired shall continue to serve on the

20  board until such time as a replacement is appointed.  A

21  vacancy on the board shall be filled for the unexpired portion

22  of the term in the same manner as the original appointment.

23  No member may serve for more than the remaining portion of a

24  previous member's unexpired term, plus two consecutive 4-year

25  terms of the member's own appointment thereafter.

26         (b)  Each board with five or more members shall have at

27  least two consumer members who are not, and have never been,

28  members or practitioners of the profession regulated by such

29  board or of any closely related profession. Each board with

30  fewer than five members shall have at least one consumer

31  member who is not, and has never been, a member or

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  1  practitioner of the profession regulated by such board or of

  2  any closely related profession.

  3         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the

  4  department is authorized to establish uniform application

  5  forms and certificates of licensure for use by the boards

  6  within the department.  Nothing in this paragraph authorizes

  7  the department to vary any substantive requirements, duties,

  8  or eligibilities for licensure or certification as provided by

  9  law.

10         (5)  The department shall plan and administer its

11  public health programs through its county health departments

12  and may, for administrative purposes and efficient service

13  delivery, establish up to 15 service areas to carry out such

14  duties as may be prescribed by the secretary. The boundaries

15  of the service areas shall be the same as, or combinations of,

16  the districts of the health and human services boards

17  established in s. 20.19 and, to the extent practicable, shall

18  take into consideration the boundaries of the jobs and

19  education regional boards.

20         (6)  The secretary and division directors are

21  authorized to appoint ad hoc advisory committees as necessary.

22  The issue or problem that the ad hoc committee shall address,

23  and the timeframe within which the committee is to complete

24  its work, shall be specified at the time the committee is

25  appointed. Ad hoc advisory committees shall include

26  representatives of groups or entities affected by the issue or

27  problem that the committee is asked to examine. Members of ad

28  hoc advisory committees shall receive no compensation, but

29  may, within existing departmental resources, receive

30  reimbursement for travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.

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  1         (7)  To protect and improve the public health, the

  2  department may use state or federal funds to:

  3         (a)  Provide incentives, including food coupons or

  4  payment for travel expenses, for encouraging disease

  5  prevention and patient compliance with medical treatment, such

  6  as tuberculosis therapy.

  7         (b)  Plan and conduct health education campaigns for

  8  the purpose of protecting or improving public health. The

  9  department may purchase promotional items and advertising,

10  such as space on billboards or in publications or radio or

11  television time, for health information and promotional

12  messages that recognize that the following behaviors, among

13  others, are detrimental to public health: unprotected sexual

14  intercourse, other than with one's spouse; cigarette smoking;

15  alcohol consumption or other substance abuse during pregnancy;

16  alcohol abuse or other substance abuse; lack of exercise and

17  poor diet and nutrition habits; and failure to recognize and

18  address a genetic tendency to suffer from sickle-cell anemia,

19  diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or

20  cancer. For purposes of activities under this paragraph, the

21  Department of Health may establish requirements for local

22  matching funds or in-kind contributions to create and

23  distribute advertisements, in either print or electronic

24  format, which are concerned with each of the targeted

25  behaviors, establish an independent evaluation and feedback

26  system for the public health communication campaign, and

27  monitor and evaluate the efforts to determine which of the

28  techniques and methodologies are most effective.

29         (c)  Plan and conduct promotional campaigns to recruit

30  health professionals to be employed by the department or to

31  recruit participants in departmental programs for health

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  1  practitioners, such as scholarship, loan repayment, or

  2  volunteer programs. To this effect the department may purchase

  3  promotional items and advertising.

  4         Section 3.  Section 20.42, Florida Statutes, 1998

  5  Supplement, is repealed.

  6         Section 4.  The Secretary of Health Care and the

  7  Director of Health Care Administration shall each appoint four

  8  staff members to a Transition Advisory Committee. Appointments

  9  must be made no later than August 1, 1999. The Secretary of

10  Health Care shall designate a member of the committee to serve

11  as committee chair. The committee shall be located, for

12  administrative purposes, in the Department of Health Care. The

13  committee shall review current activities and make

14  recommendations regarding consolidation of potentially

15  duplicative functions, particularly those relating to

16  administrative services, legal services, information and

17  management information systems, and data and planning

18  services, and any needed modifications in organizational

19  structure.  The committee shall report its findings, including

20  recommendations for changes in state policy, rules, and

21  statutes that will improve the functioning of the Department

22  of Health Care, to the Secretary of Health Care, the Director

23  of Health Care Administration, the Governor, the President of

24  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

25  January 15, 2000.

26         Section 5.  The Division of Statutory Revision of the

27  Office of Legislative Services is requested to prepare a

28  reviser's bill for introduction at a subsequent session of the

29  Legislature to change the term "Department of Health" to

30  "Department of Health Care" in the Florida Statutes and to

31  make such further changes as are necessary to conform the

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  1  Florida Statutes to the organizational changes effected by

  2  this act.

  3         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

  4

  5            *****************************************

  6                          SENATE SUMMARY

  7    Renames the Department of Health the Department of Health
      Care and transfers to it the powers, duties, functions,
  8    and assets of the Agency for Health Care Administration.
      The head of the Division of Health Care Administration is
  9    a director appointed by the Governor, subject to Senate
      confirmation. Provides for a Transition Advisory
10    Committee to make recommendations with respect to the
      incorporation of the agency's activities under the
11    department.

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