HB 1559

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to respite care; creating s. 400.4071,
3F.S.; creating an intergenerational respite care assisted
4living facility pilot program; providing legislative
5intent; providing duties of the Agency for Health Care
6Administration with respect to the program; providing
7requirements and standards for the program; providing for
8rules; requiring a report to the Legislature; providing an
9effective date.
10
11Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13     Section 1.  Section 400.4071, Florida Statutes, is created
14to read:
15     400.4071  Intergenerational respite care assisted living
16facility pilot program.--
17     (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a
18pilot program to:
19     (a)  Facilitate the receipt of in-home, family-based care
20by minors and adults with disabilities and elderly persons with
21special needs through respite care for up to 14 days.
22     (b)  Prevent caregiver "burnout," in which the caregiver's
23health declines and he or she is unable to continue to provide
24care so that the only option for the person with disabilities or
25special needs is to receive institutional care.
26     (c)  Foster the development of intergenerational respite
27care assisted living facilities to temporarily care for minors
28and adults with disabilities and elderly persons with special
29needs in the same facility and to give caregivers the time they
30need for rejuvenation and healing.
31     (2)  The Agency for Health Care Administration shall
32establish a 5-year pilot program, which shall license an
33intergenerational respite care assisted living facility that
34will provide temporary personal, respite, and custodial care to
35minors and adults with disabilities and elderly persons with
36special needs who do not require 24-hour nursing services. The
37intergenerational respite care assisted living facility must:
38     (a)  Meet all applicable requirements and standards
39contained in part III of chapter 400, except that, for purposes
40of this section, the term "resident" means a person of any age
41temporarily residing in and receiving care from the facility.
42     (b)  Provide respite care services for minors and adults
43with disabilities and elderly persons with special needs for a
44period of at least 24 hours but not for more than 14 consecutive
45days.
46     (c)  Provide a facility or facilities in which minors and
47adults reside in distinct and separate living units.
48     (d)  Provide a facility that has a maximum of 48 beds, is
49located in Miami-Dade County, and is operated by a not-for-
50profit entity.
51     (3)  The agency may establish policies necessary to achieve
52the objectives specific to the pilot program and may adopt rules
53necessary to implement the program.
54     (4)  After 4 years, the agency shall present its report on
55the effectiveness of the pilot program to the President of the
56Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and its
57recommendation as to whether the Legislature should make the
58program permanent.
59     Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


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