Senate Bill 0792

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


    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 792

    By Senator Saunders





    25-340-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to nursing home facilities;

  3         amending s. 400.022, F.S.; requiring that

  4         reports of complaints made on behalf of a

  5         resident and summaries of meetings of

  6         residents' families be provided to the Agency

  7         for Health Care Administration; requiring a

  8         nursing home facility to provide for regularly

  9         scheduled meetings of resident groups and

10         families of residents; providing an effective

11         date.

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

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15         Section 1.  Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection (1) of

16  section 400.022, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

17         400.022  Residents' rights.--

18         (1)  All licensees of nursing home facilities shall

19  adopt and make public a statement of the rights and

20  responsibilities of the residents of such facilities and shall

21  treat such residents in accordance with the provisions of that

22  statement.  The statement shall assure each resident the

23  following:

24         (d)  The right to present grievances on behalf of

25  himself or herself or others to the staff or administrator of

26  the facility, to governmental officials, or to any other

27  person; to recommend changes in policies and services to

28  facility personnel; and to join with other residents or

29  individuals within or outside the facility to work for

30  improvements in resident care, free from restraint,

31  interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal. This

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






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 792
    25-340-00




  1  right includes access to ombudsmen and advocates and the right

  2  to be a member of, to be active in, and to associate with

  3  advocacy or special interest groups.  The right also includes

  4  the right to prompt efforts by the facility to resolve

  5  resident grievances, including grievances with respect to the

  6  behavior of other residents. A summary of any allegations or

  7  complaints made on behalf of a resident shall be transmitted

  8  to the Agency for Health Care Administration and a summary

  9  transcript of any meeting of residents' families shall be made

10  available to the agency.

11         (e)  The right to organize and participate in resident

12  groups in the facility and the right to have the resident's

13  family meet in the facility with the families of other

14  residents. The facility shall provide for regularly scheduled

15  meetings of resident groups and regularly scheduled meetings

16  between families of residents of the facility.

17         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

18  law.

19

20            *****************************************

21                          SENATE SUMMARY

22    Provides for reports of allegations or complaints made on
      behalf of nursing home residents and summaries of
23    meetings of residents' families to be provided to the
      Agency for Health Care Administration. Requires that a
24    nursing home provide for regularly scheduled meetings of
      resident groups and families of residents.
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