| 1 | Representative Green offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Remove everything after the enacting clause and insert: |
| 5 | Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 20.43, Florida |
| 6 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 7 | 20.43 Department of Health.--There is created a Department |
| 8 | of Health. |
| 9 | (2)(a) The head of the Department of Health is the |
| 10 | Secretary of Health and State Health Officer. The secretary must |
| 11 | be a physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 who has |
| 12 | advanced training or extensive experience in public health |
| 13 | administration. The secretary is appointed by the Governor |
| 14 | subject to confirmation by the Senate. The secretary serves at |
| 15 | the pleasure of the Governor. |
| 16 | (b) The Officer of Women's Health Strategy is established |
| 17 | within the Department of Health and shall report directly to the |
| 18 | secretary. |
| 19 | Section 2. Section 381.04015, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 20 | to read: |
| 21 | 381.04015 Women's Health Strategy; legislative intent; |
| 22 | duties of Officer of Women's Health Strategy; other state agency |
| 23 | duties.-- |
| 24 | (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Legislature recognizes that |
| 25 | the health care needs of women are gender specific and that |
| 26 | public policy must take into account the distinct |
| 27 | characteristics of women's health issues. Priority shall be |
| 28 | given to improve the overall health status of women through |
| 29 | research and education on women's health issues. The Legislature |
| 30 | recognizes the importance of understanding why there are such |
| 31 | large differences between how women and men experience certain |
| 32 | diseases and also recognizes that biomedical research is the key |
| 33 | to finding these answers. Such research has important |
| 34 | implications for both women and men in terms of clinical |
| 35 | practice and disease prevention and manifestation. The |
| 36 | Legislature recognizes that as the state's population continues |
| 37 | to age and life expectancy for women continues to rise, it is of |
| 38 | the utmost importance for the Legislature to encourage effective |
| 39 | medical research on long-term health issues for women and to |
| 40 | educate elder women about the importance of participating in |
| 41 | medical studies. The Legislature finds and declares that the |
| 42 | design and delivery of health care services and the medical |
| 43 | education of health care practitioners shall be directed by the |
| 44 | principle that health care needs are gender specific. |
| 45 | (2) DUTIES.--The Officer of Women's Health Strategy in the |
| 46 | Department of Health shall: |
| 47 | (a) Ensure that the state's policies and programs are |
| 48 | responsive to sex and gender differences and to women's health |
| 49 | needs across the life span. |
| 50 | (b) Organize an interagency Committee for Women's Health |
| 51 | for the purpose of integrating women's health programs in |
| 52 | current operating and service delivery structures and setting |
| 53 | priorities for women's health. Such committee shall be comprised |
| 54 | of the heads or directors of state agencies with programs |
| 55 | affecting women's health, including, but not limited to, the |
| 56 | Department of Health, the Agency for Health Care Administration, |
| 57 | the Department of Education, the Department of Elderly Affairs, |
| 58 | the Department of Corrections, the Office of Insurance |
| 59 | Regulation of the Department of Financial Services, and the |
| 60 | Department of Juvenile Justice. |
| 61 | (c) Assess the health status of women in the state through |
| 62 | the collection and review of health data and trends. |
| 63 | (d) Review the state's insurance code as it relates to |
| 64 | women's health issues. |
| 65 | (e) Work with medical school curriculum committees to |
| 66 | develop course requirements on women's health and promote |
| 67 | clinical practice guidelines specific to women. |
| 68 | (f) Organize statewide Women's Health Month activities. |
| 69 | (g) Coordinate a Governor's statewide conference on |
| 70 | women's health, cosponsored by the agencies participating in the |
| 71 | Committee for Women's Health and other private organizations and |
| 72 | entities impacting women's health in the state. |
| 73 | (h) Promote research, treatment, and collaboration on |
| 74 | women's health issues at universities and medical centers in the |
| 75 | state. |
| 76 | (i) Promote employer incentives for wellness programs |
| 77 | targeting women's health programs. |
| 78 | (j) Serve as the primary state resource for women's health |
| 79 | information. |
| 80 | (k) Develop a statewide women's health plan emphasizing |
| 81 | collaborative approaches to meeting the health needs of women. |
| 82 | The plan shall: |
| 83 | 1. Identify activities designed to reduce the number of |
| 84 | premature deaths in women, including: |
| 85 | a. Providing specific strategies for reducing the |
| 86 | mortality rate of women. |
| 87 | b. Listing conditions that may cause or contribute to |
| 88 | disease in women and the best methods by which to identify, |
| 89 | control, and prevent these conditions from developing. |
| 90 | c. Identifying the best methods for ensuring an increase |
| 91 | in the percentage of women in the state who receive diagnostic |
| 92 | and screening testing. |
| 93 | 2. Provide for increasing research and appropriate funding |
| 94 | at institutions in the state studying disease in women. |
| 95 | 3. Provide recommendations for the development of practice |
| 96 | guidelines for addressing disease in women. |
| 97 | 4. Provide recommendations for reducing health disparities |
| 98 | among women in all races and ethnic groups. |
| 99 | 5. Coordinate with existing program plans that address |
| 100 | women's health issues. |
| 101 | (l) Promote clinical practice guidelines specific to |
| 102 | women. |
| 103 | (m) Serve as the state's liaison with other states and |
| 104 | federal agencies and programs to develop best practices in |
| 105 | women's health. |
| 106 | (n) Develop a statewide, web-based clearinghouse on |
| 107 | women's health issues and resources. |
| 108 | (o) Promote public awareness campaigns and education on |
| 109 | the health needs of women. |
| 110 | (p) By January 15 of each year, provide the Governor, the |
| 111 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 112 | Representatives a report with policy recommendations for |
| 113 | implementing the provisions of this section. |
| 114 | (3) DUTIES OF OTHER STATE AGENCIES.-- |
| 115 | (a) Women's health issues shall be taken into |
| 116 | consideration in the annual budget planning of the Department of |
| 117 | Health, the Agency for Health Care Administration, and the |
| 118 | Department of Elderly Affairs. |
| 119 | (b) The inclusion of gender considerations and |
| 120 | differential impact shall be one of the criteria when assessing |
| 121 | research and demonstration proposals for which state funding is |
| 122 | being sought from the Department of Health, the Agency for |
| 123 | Health Care Administration, and the Department of Elderly |
| 124 | Affairs. |
| 125 | (c) Boards or advisory bodies that fall under the purview |
| 126 | of the Department of Health, the Agency for Health Care |
| 127 | Administration, and the Department of Elderly Affairs shall be |
| 128 | encouraged to seek equal representation of women and men and the |
| 129 | inclusion of persons who are knowledgeable and sensitive to |
| 130 | gender and diversity issues. |
| 131 | (4) RESPONSIBILITY AND COORDINATION.--The officer and the |
| 132 | department shall direct and carry out the Women's Health |
| 133 | Strategy established under this section in accordance with the |
| 134 | requirements of this section and may work with the Executive |
| 135 | Office of the Governor and other state agencies to carry out |
| 136 | their duties and responsibilities under this section. |
| 137 | Section 3. Effective July 1, 2004, there is appropriated |
| 138 | the sum of $150,000 from the General Revenue Fund, and one full- |
| 139 | time equivalent position is authorized, for the Department of |
| 140 | Health to implement the establishment of the Officer of Women's |
| 141 | Health Strategy by this act. |
| 142 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |
| 143 |
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| 144 | ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ============= |
| 145 | Remove the entire title and insert: |
| 146 | A bill to be entitled |
| 147 | An act relating to the Women's Health Strategy; amending |
| 148 | s. 20.43, F.S.; establishing the Officer of Women's Health |
| 149 | Strategy in the Department of Health; creating s. |
| 150 | 381.04015, F.S.; providing legislative intent; providing |
| 151 | the duties of the Officer of Women's Health Strategy; |
| 152 | requiring an annual report to the Governor and Legislature |
| 153 | with policy recommendations for implementing the Women's |
| 154 | Health Strategy; requiring consideration of women's health |
| 155 | issues and gender in state policy, planning, and |
| 156 | budgeting; providing for responsibility and coordination; |
| 157 | providing an appropriation; providing an effective date. |