Senate Bill sb1748

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1748

    By the Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care





    317-1448-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to long-term care; providing

  3         legislative findings with respect to the needs

  4         of the state's elderly population; requesting

  5         that the Governor establish an interagency

  6         panel to make recommendations for coordinating

  7         the services provided by state agencies and

  8         increasing the quality of care provided to the

  9         elderly; requiring the Agency for Health Care

10         Administration and the Department of Elderly

11         Affairs to improve enforcement of regulatory

12         standards and adopt rules governing nursing

13         homes and assisted living facilities; providing

14         legislative findings and intent with respect to

15         lawsuits and the liability of nursing homes and

16         assisted living facilities; providing an

17         effective date.

18

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

20

21         Section 1.  The Legislature finds that Florida does not

22  have a comprehensive strategy for economically and efficiently

23  meeting the needs of an increasingly elderly population. The

24  Legislature therefore requests the Governor to establish an

25  interagency panel consisting of representatives from the

26  Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of

27  Elderly Affairs, and the Department of Children and Family

28  Services, which shall analyze the state's long-term-care

29  system and make recommendations for ensuring coordination

30  among the agencies responsible for the long-term-care

31  continuum and make recommendations to executive agencies and

                                  1

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






    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1748
    317-1448-01




  1  the Legislature which are designed to increase the quality of

  2  care and the use of noninstitutional settings to provide care

  3  to the elderly.

  4         Section 2.  It is the intent of the Legislature to

  5  improve the quality of long-term-care services provided in

  6  this state. The Legislature directs the Agency for Health Care

  7  Administration and the Department of Elderly Affairs to

  8  improve enforcement of regulatory standards and adopt rules to

  9  increase the quality of care in nursing homes and assisted

10  living facilities licensed under part II or part III of

11  chapter 400, Florida Statutes.

12         Section 3.  The Legislature finds that lawsuits against

13  nursing homes are rising. The Legislature finds that nursing

14  homes and assisted living facilities are experiencing

15  increases in liability insurance premiums and insurance

16  companies are refusing to write liability insurance coverage

17  for long-term-care facilities. It is the intent of the

18  Legislature to examine the frequency of lawsuits and the

19  amounts of awards against nursing homes and assisted living

20  facilities in this state.

21         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

22  law.

23

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Provides for the Governor to establish an interagency
      panel to make recommendations for coordinating services
27    provided by state agencies to the elderly and for
      increasing the quality of care provided to the elderly.
28    Requires that the Agency for Health Care Administration
      and the Department of Elderly Affairs improve enforcement
29    of standards and adopt rules governing nursing homes and
      assisted living facilities. Provides that the Legislature
30    intends to examine the lawsuits and liability awards
      against nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
31

                                  2

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