HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                     Bill No. CS/HB 1659, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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11  Representative(s) Ogles offered the following:

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13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 86, between lines 2 & 3,

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16  insert:

17         Section 48.  Subsection (2) of section 766.106, Florida

18  Statutes, is amended to read:

19         766.106  Notice before filing action for medical

20  malpractice; presuit screening period; offers for admission of

21  liability and for arbitration; informal discovery; review.--

22         (2)  After completion of presuit investigation pursuant

23  to s. 766.203 and prior to filing a claim for medical

24  malpractice, a claimant shall notify each prospective

25  defendant and, if any prospective defendant is a health care

26  provider licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460,

27  chapter 461, or chapter 466, the Department of Health by

28  certified mail, return receipt requested, of intent to

29  initiate litigation for medical malpractice. Following the

30  initiation of a suit alleging medical malpractice with a court

31  of competent jurisdiction, and service of the complaint upon a

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    File original & 9 copies    05/01/00
    hbd0001                     03:01 pm         01659-0067-314397




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                     Bill No. CS/HB 1659, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  defendant, the claimant shall provide a copy of the complaint

 2  to the Department of Health. Notice to the Department of

 3  Health must include the full name and address of the claimant;

 4  the full names and any known addresses of any health care

 5  providers licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter

 6  460, chapter 461, or chapter 466 who are prospective

 7  defendants identified at the time; the date and a summary of

 8  the occurrence giving rise to the claim; and a description of

 9  the injury to the claimant. The requirement of providing the

10  complaint for notice to the Department of Health does not

11  impair the claimant's legal rights or ability to seek relief

12  for his or her claim, and the fact of providing the complaint

13  notice provided to the department is not discoverable or

14  admissible in any civil or administrative action. The

15  Department of Health shall review each incident and determine

16  whether it involved conduct by a licensee which is potentially

17  subject to disciplinary action, in which case the provisions

18  of s. 455.621 apply.

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

22  And the title is amended as follows:

23         On page 6, line 18, after the semicolon

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25  insert:

26         amending s. 766.106, F.S.; providing that

27         following the initiation of a suit alleging

28         medical malpractice the claimant must provide

29         notice to the Department of Health along with a

30         copy of the service of process;

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    File original & 9 copies    05/01/00
    hbd0001                     03:01 pm         01659-0067-314397