Senate Bill 1222
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1222
By Senator McKay
26-938-00
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act creating the Task Force on the
3 Availability and Affordability of Long-term
4 Care; providing for membership and duties;
5 providing for staff and expenses; requiring a
6 report; providing for the expiration of the
7 task force; providing an appropriation;
8 providing an effective date.
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10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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12 Section 1. (1) There is created the Task Force on the
13 Availability and Affordability of Long-term Care, to study
14 issues related to the provision of long-term care to the
15 elderly in nursing homes and alternatives to nursing homes,
16 and to make recommendations to the Governor and the
17 Legislature. The task force shall, at a minimum, study and
18 make recommendations concerning the following:
19 (a) The availability of alternative housing and care
20 settings for the elderly, including the use of public housing
21 facilities, assisted living facilities, and adult family care
22 homes.
23 (b) The availability of community-based care
24 arrangements that support elderly individuals to age in place
25 in their own homes and in alternative housing and care
26 settings.
27 (c) The adequacy of reimbursements for the cost of
28 providing care to the elderly in nursing homes and in
29 alternative housing and care settings.
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1222
26-938-00
1 (d) The availability and affordability of
2 long-term-care insurance coverage and the potential for
3 funding long-term care through such coverage.
4 (e) The role of the certificate-of-need process in the
5 development of systems of long-term care for the elderly.
6 (f) The extent to which the quality of care in
7 long-term-care facilities in this state is compromised because
8 of market changes that affect the financial stability of the
9 long-term-care industry.
10 (g) The effect of lawsuits against nursing homes on
11 the cost of nursing home care and on the financial stability
12 of the nursing home industry in the state.
13 (h) The kinds of incidents that lead to the filing of
14 lawsuits and the extent to which frivolous lawsuits are filed.
15 (i) The cost of liability insurance coverage for
16 long-term-care providers and the extent to which such costs
17 affect the affordability of care.
18 (j) The availability of liability insurance coverage
19 for long-term-care providers through Florida insurance
20 companies.
21 (2) The task force shall be composed of 13 members, as
22 follows:
23 (a) The Lieutenant Governor, who shall serve as chair
24 of the task force.
25 (b) The Secretary of Elderly Affairs.
26 (c) The director of the state Medicaid program.
27 (d) The Chief of Health Facility Compliance in the
28 Agency for Health Care Administration.
29 (e) The State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
30 (f) A member of The Florida Bar, appointed by The
31 Florida Bar.
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1222
26-938-00
1 (g) A representative of the Florida Assisted Living
2 Association, appointed by the association.
3 (h) A representative of the Florida Health Care
4 Association, appointed by the association.
5 (i) A representative of the Florida Association of
6 Homes for the Aging, appointed by the association.
7 (j) A representative of the insurance industry who has
8 experience in the insurance markets affecting long-term care,
9 appointed by the Governor in consultation with the President
10 of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
11 (k) A member to represent public housing authorities,
12 appointed by the Secretary of Community Affairs.
13 (l) A representative of the American Association of
14 Retired Persons, appointed by the association.
15 (m) An investment banker who has experience in
16 long-term-care economics, appointed by the Governor in
17 consultation with the President of the Senate and the Speaker
18 of the House of Representatives.
19 (3) The task force shall conduct research, hold public
20 meetings, receive testimony, employ consultants, and undertake
21 other activities determined by its members to be necessary to
22 complete its responsibilities.
23 (4) The members of the task force may not delegate
24 their attendance or voting power to designees.
25 (5) The task force shall be located at the University
26 of South Florida for administrative purposes. The Florida
27 Policy Exchange Center on Aging at the University of South
28 Florida shall provide staff and support services to the task
29 force. Members of the task force shall serve without
30 compensation, but are entitled to receive reimbursement for
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1222
26-938-00
1 travel and per diem as provided in section 112.061, Florida
2 Statutes.
3 (6) The appointments to the task force must be
4 completed within 2 weeks after the effective date of this act,
5 and the task force must hold its initial meeting within 1
6 month after the effective date of this act. The task force
7 shall submit a report containing its recommendations by
8 January 1, 2001, to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
9 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The task
10 force shall expire on March 1, 2001.
11 Section 2. For the 2000-2001 fiscal year, the
12 nonrecurring sum of $250,000 is appropriated from the General
13 Revenue Fund to the University of South Florida for the
14 purposes of implementing this act.
15 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
16 law.
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19 SENATE SUMMARY
20 Creates the Task Force on the Availability and
Affordability of Long-term Care. Provides for the
21 membership, duties, and staffing of the task force.
Provides an appropriation.
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