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





                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senator Kirkpatrick moved the following amendment:

12

13         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 73, between lines 25 and 26,

15

16  insert:

17         Section 48.  Effective October 1, 2000, section

18  215.311, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

19         215.311  State funds; exceptions.--The provisions of s.

20  215.31 shall not apply to funds collected by and under the

21  direction and supervision of the Division of Blind Services of

22  the Department of Management Services Labor and Employment

23  Security as provided under ss. 413.011, 413.041, and 413.051;

24  however, nothing in this section shall be construed to except

25  from the provisions of s. 215.31 any appropriations made by

26  the state to the division.

27         Section 49.  Effective October 1, 2000, subsection (1)

28  of section 413.091, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

29         413.091  Identification cards.--

30         (1)  The Division of Blind Services of the Department

31  of Management Services Labor and Employment Security is hereby

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  empowered to issue identification cards to persons known to be

 2  blind or partially sighted, upon the written request of such

 3  individual.

 4         Section 50.  Subsection (3) of section 440.102, Florida

 5  Statutes, is amended to read:

 6         440.102  Drug-free workplace program requirements.--The

 7  following provisions apply to a drug-free workplace program

 8  implemented pursuant to law or to rules adopted by the Agency

 9  for Health Care Administration:

10         (3)  NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES AND JOB APPLICANTS.--

11         (a)  One time only, prior to testing, an employer shall

12  give all employees and job applicants for employment a written

13  policy statement which contains:

14         1.  A general statement of the employer's policy on

15  employee drug use, which must identify:

16         a.  The types of drug testing an employee or job

17  applicant may be required to submit to, including

18  reasonable-suspicion drug testing or drug testing conducted on

19  any other basis.

20         b.  The actions the employer may take against an

21  employee or job applicant on the basis of a positive confirmed

22  drug test result.

23         2.  A statement advising the employee or job applicant

24  of the existence of this section.

25         3.  A general statement concerning confidentiality.

26         4.  Procedures for employees and job applicants to

27  confidentially report to a medical review officer the use of

28  prescription or nonprescription medications to a medical

29  review officer both before and after being tested.

30         5.  A list of the most common medications, by brand

31  name or common name, as applicable, as well as by chemical

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  name, which may alter or affect a drug test. A list of such

 2  medications as developed by the Agency for Health Care

 3  Administration shall be available to employers through the

 4  Division of Workers' Compensation of the Department of

 5  Insurance Labor and Employment Security.

 6         6.  The consequences of refusing to submit to a drug

 7  test.

 8         7.  A representative sampling of names, addresses, and

 9  telephone numbers of employee assistance programs and local

10  drug rehabilitation programs.

11         8.  A statement that an employee or job applicant who

12  receives a positive confirmed test result may contest or

13  explain the result to the medical review officer within 5

14  working days after receiving written notification of the test

15  result; that if an employee's or job applicant's explanation

16  or challenge is unsatisfactory to the medical review officer,

17  the medical review officer shall report a positive test result

18  back to the employer; and that a person may contest the drug

19  test result pursuant to law or to rules adopted by the Agency

20  for Health Care Administration.

21         9.  A statement informing the employee or job applicant

22  of his or her responsibility to notify the laboratory of any

23  administrative or civil action brought pursuant to this

24  section.

25         10.  A list of all drugs for which the employer will

26  test, described by brand name or common name, as applicable,

27  as well as by chemical name.

28         11.  A statement regarding any applicable collective

29  bargaining agreement or contract and the right to appeal to

30  the Public Employees Relations Commission or applicable court.

31         12.  A statement notifying employees and job applicants

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  of their right to consult with a medical review officer for

 2  technical information regarding prescription or

 3  nonprescription medication.

 4         (b)  An employer not having a drug-testing program

 5  shall ensure that at least 60 days elapse between a general

 6  one-time notice to all employees that a drug-testing program

 7  is being implemented and the beginning of actual drug testing.

 8  An employer having a drug-testing program in place prior to

 9  July 1, 1990, is not required to provide a 60-day notice

10  period.

11         (c)  An employer shall include notice of drug testing

12  on vacancy announcements for positions for which drug testing

13  is required. A notice of the employer's drug-testing policy

14  must also be posted in an appropriate and conspicuous location

15  on the employer's premises, and copies of the policy must be

16  made available for inspection by the employees or job

17  applicants of the employer during regular business hours in

18  the employer's personnel office or other suitable locations.

19         Section 51.  Subsection (1) of section 440.125, Florida

20  Statutes, is amended to read:

21         440.125  Medical records and reports; identifying

22  information in employee medical bills; confidentiality.--

23         (1)  Any medical records and medical reports of an

24  injured employee and any information identifying an injured

25  employee in medical bills which are provided to the Division

26  of Workers' Compensation of the Department of Insurance Labor

27  and Employment Security pursuant to s. 440.13 are confidential

28  and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a),

29  Art. I of the State Constitution, except as otherwise provided

30  by this chapter.

31         Section 52.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (11) of

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  section 440.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

 2         440.13  Medical services and supplies; penalty for

 3  violations; limitations.--

 4         (11)  AUDITS BY DIVISION; JURISDICTION.--

 5         (a)  The Division of Workers' Compensation of the

 6  Department of Insurance Labor and Employment Security may

 7  investigate health care providers to determine whether

 8  providers are complying with this chapter and with rules

 9  adopted by the division, whether the providers are engaging in

10  overutilization, and whether providers are engaging in

11  improper billing practices. If the division finds that a

12  health care provider has improperly billed, overutilized, or

13  failed to comply with division rules or the requirements of

14  this chapter it must notify the provider of its findings and

15  may determine that the health care provider may not receive

16  payment from the carrier or may impose penalties as set forth

17  in subsection (8) or other sections of this chapter. If the

18  health care provider has received payment from a carrier for

19  services that were improperly billed or for overutilization,

20  it must return those payments to the carrier. The division may

21  assess a penalty not to exceed $500 for each overpayment that

22  is not refunded within 30 days after notification of

23  overpayment by the division or carrier.

24         Section 53.  Paragraph (f) of subsection (4) and

25  paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section 440.25, Florida

26  Statutes, are amended to read:

27         (4)

28         (f)  Each judge of compensation claims is required to

29  submit a special report to the Chief Judge in each contested

30  workers' compensation case in which the case is not determined

31  within 14 days of final hearing. Said form shall be provided

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  by the Chief Judge and shall contain the names of the judge of

 2  compensation claims and of the attorneys involved and a brief

 3  explanation by the judge of compensation claims as to the

 4  reason for such a delay in issuing a final order. The Chief

 5  Judge shall compile these special reports into an annual

 6  public report to the Governor, the Insurance Commissioner

 7  Secretary of Labor and Employment Security, the Legislature,

 8  The Florida Bar, and the appellate district judicial

 9  nominating commissions.

10         (5)

11         (b)  An appellant may be relieved of any necessary

12  filing fee by filing a verified petition of indigency for

13  approval as provided in s. 57.081(1) and may be relieved in

14  whole or in part from the costs for preparation of the record

15  on appeal if, within 15 days after the date notice of the

16  estimated costs for the preparation is served, the appellant

17  files with the judge of compensation claims a copy of the

18  designation of the record on appeal, and a verified petition

19  to be relieved of costs. A verified petition filed prior to

20  the date of service of the notice of the estimated costs shall

21  be deemed not timely filed. The verified petition relating to

22  record costs shall contain a sworn statement that the

23  appellant is insolvent and a complete, detailed, and sworn

24  financial affidavit showing all the appellant's assets,

25  liabilities, and income. Failure to state in the affidavit all

26  assets and income, including marital assets and income, shall

27  be grounds for denying the petition with prejudice. The

28  division shall promulgate rules as may be required pursuant to

29  this subsection, including forms for use in all petitions

30  brought under this subsection. The appellant's attorney, or

31  the appellant if she or he is not represented by an attorney,

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  shall include as a part of the verified petition relating to

 2  record costs an affidavit or affirmation that, in her or his

 3  opinion, the notice of appeal was filed in good faith and that

 4  there is a probable basis for the District Court of Appeal,

 5  First District, to find reversible error, and shall state with

 6  particularity the specific legal and factual grounds for the

 7  opinion. Failure to so affirm shall be grounds for denying the

 8  petition. A copy of the verified petition relating to record

 9  costs shall be served upon all interested parties, including

10  the division and the Office of the General Counsel, Department

11  of Insurance Labor and Employment Security, in Tallahassee.

12  The judge of compensation claims shall promptly conduct a

13  hearing on the verified petition relating to record costs,

14  giving at least 15 days' notice to the appellant, the

15  division, and all other interested parties, all of whom shall

16  be parties to the proceedings. The judge of compensation

17  claims may enter an order without such hearing if no objection

18  is filed by an interested party within 20 days from the

19  service date of the verified petition relating to record

20  costs. Such proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with

21  the provisions of this section and with the workers'

22  compensation rules of procedure, to the extent applicable. In

23  the event an insolvency petition is granted, the judge of

24  compensation claims shall direct the division to pay record

25  costs and filing fees from the Workers' Compensation Trust

26  Fund pending final disposition of the costs of appeal. The

27  division may transcribe or arrange for the transcription of

28  the record in any proceeding for which it is ordered to pay

29  the cost of the record. In the event the insolvency petition

30  is denied, the judge of compensation claims may enter an order

31  requiring the petitioner to reimburse the division for costs

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  incurred in opposing the petition, including investigation and

 2  travel expenses.

 3         Section 54.  Section 440.525, Florida Statutes, is

 4  amended to read:

 5         440.525  Examination of carriers.--Beginning July 1,

 6  1994, The Division of Workers' Compensation of the Department

 7  of Insurance Labor and Employment Security may examine each

 8  carrier as often as is warranted to ensure that carriers are

 9  fulfilling their obligations under the law, and shall examine

10  each carrier not less frequently than once every 3 years. The

11  examination must cover the preceding 3 fiscal years of the

12  carrier's operations and must commence within 12 months after

13  the end of the most recent fiscal year being covered by the

14  examination. The examination may cover any period of the

15  carrier's operations since the last previous examination.

16         Section 55.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section 440.59,

17  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

18         440.59  Reporting requirements.--

19         (1)  The Department of Insurance Labor and Employment

20  Security shall annually prepare a report of the administration

21  of this chapter for the preceding calendar year, including a

22  detailed statement of the receipts of and expenditures from

23  the fund established in s. 440.50 and a statement of the

24  causes of the accidents leading to the injuries for which the

25  awards were made, together with such recommendations as the

26  department considers advisable. On or before September 15 of

27  each year, the department shall submit a copy of the report to

28  the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the

29  House of Representatives, the Democratic and Republican

30  Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and

31  the chairs of the legislative committees having jurisdiction

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1206

    Amendment No.    





 1  over workers' compensation.

 2         (2)  The Division of Workers' Compensation of the

 3  Department of Insurance Labor and Employment Security shall

 4  complete on a quarterly basis an analysis of the previous

 5  quarter's injuries which resulted in workers' compensation

 6  claims. The analysis shall be broken down by risk

 7  classification, shall show for each such risk classification

 8  the frequency and severity for the various types of injury,

 9  and shall include an analysis of the causes of such injuries.

10  The division shall distribute to each employer and

11  self-insurer in the state covered by the Workers' Compensation

12  Law the data relevant to its workforce. The report shall also

13  be distributed to the insurers authorized to write workers'

14  compensation insurance in the state.

15

16  (Redesignate subsequent sections.)

17

18

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

20  And the title is amended as follows:

21         On page 9, line 11, after the semicolon

22

23  insert:

24         amending ss. 215.311, 413.091, 440.102,

25         440.125, 440.13, 440.25, 440.525, and 440.59,

26         F.S.; conforming agency references to reflect

27         the transfer of programs from the Department of

28         Labor and Employment Security to the Department

29         of Management Services and the Department of

30         Insurance;

31

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