Senate Bill sb0230

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 230

    By Senator Wilson





    33-9A-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to human immunodeficiency

  3         virus; amending s. 381.0046, F.S.; increasing

  4         the number of HIV and AIDS minority

  5         coordinators within the Department of Health;

  6         requiring the department to expand its HIV/AIDS

  7         prevention efforts in the state's minority

  8         communities and establish linkage programs for

  9         HIV-positive inmates prior to their release

10         from jail; deleting obsolete provisions;

11         providing an effective date.

12  

13         WHEREAS, HIV/AIDS is one of the state's most critical

14  public health challenges, with Florida having the third

15  highest number of AIDS cases in the nation and the second

16  highest number of pediatric AIDS cases, and

17         WHEREAS, minorities, primarily blacks and Hispanics,

18  now constitute 63 percent of the more than 99,000 adult and

19  pediatric AIDS cases reported in Florida since the epidemic

20  began in 1981, and

21         WHEREAS, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has disproportionately

22  affected Florida's minority communities, and

23         WHEREAS, the total medical and related lifetime costs

24  for a patient infected with HIV may reach $175,000 or more,

25  and

26         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that sustained,

27  comprehensive prevention efforts can have a substantial impact

28  on slowing the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and

29         WHEREAS, the Legislature intends to decrease the number

30  of deaths of minorities due to HIV/AIDS by increasing public

31  awareness, increasing early detection and treatment of

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 230
    33-9A-05




 1  HIV/AIDS in the state's minority communities, and increasing

 2  the coordination of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts

 3  in the state's minority communities, and

 4         WHEREAS, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the state's

 5  jails exceeds the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the general

 6  population, and

 7         WHEREAS, recent advances in treatment for HIV/AIDS can

 8  potentially reduce the number of opportunistic infections and

 9  associated medical costs and delay the onset of death due to

10  the disease, and

11         WHEREAS, referral to appropriate medical and social

12  services upon the release of an inmate can play a crucial role

13  in treatment, care, and secondary prevention efforts, and

14         WHEREAS, the Legislature authorized the creation of the

15  Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force to provide recommendations on

16  strategies to strengthen HIV/AIDS prevention, early

17  intervention, and treatment efforts in Florida's minority

18  communities, NOW, THEREFORE,

19  

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

21  

22         Section 1.  Section 381.0046, Florida Statutes, is

23  amended to read:

24         381.0046  Statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign.--

25         (1)  The Department of Health shall develop and

26  implement a statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign that is

27  directed towards minorities who are at risk of HIV infection.

28  The campaign shall include television, radio, and outdoor

29  advertising; public service announcements; and peer-to-peer

30  outreach. Each campaign message and concept shall be evaluated

31  with members of the target group to ensure its effectiveness.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 230
    33-9A-05




 1  The campaign shall provide information on the risk of HIV and

 2  AIDS infection and strategies to follow for prevention, early

 3  detection, and treatment. The campaign shall use culturally

 4  sensitive literature and educational materials and promote the

 5  development of individual skills for behavior modification.

 6  The campaign shall be expanded to include prevention

 7  information specifically targeted to the state's Hispanic and

 8  Haitian communities.

 9         (2)  The Department of Health shall establish eight

10  four positions within the department for HIV and AIDS regional

11  minority coordinators and one position for a statewide HIV and

12  AIDS minority coordinator. The coordinators shall facilitate

13  statewide efforts to implement and coordinate HIV and AIDS

14  prevention and treatment programs. The statewide coordinator

15  shall report directly to the chief of the Bureau of HIV and

16  AIDS within the Department of Health.

17         (3)  The Department of Health shall provide HIV/AIDS

18  outreach programs in the state's minority communities to

19  identify persons infected with HIV/AIDS. These programs shall

20  address real and perceived barriers to HIV testing among the

21  state's minority populations. The Department of Health shall,

22  with assistance from the Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force and

23  the statewide coordinator, plan and conduct a statewide Black

24  Leadership Conference on HIV and AIDS by January 2000. The

25  conference shall provide workshops for minority organizations

26  in building skills and improving an organization's capacity to

27  conduct HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment programs.

28         (4)  The department shall provide a program to ensure

29  that HIV-positive persons are linked with prevention, care,

30  and support services. This program shall be provided in a

31  culturally sensitive manner to promote prevention among

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 230
    33-9A-05




 1  persons who are HIV positive and increase the acceptance and

 2  delivery of care and support services in high-risk

 3  communities.

 4         (5)  The department shall expand testing programs for

 5  HIV, sexually transmissible diseases, and hepatitis in local

 6  county jails. The department shall establish programs for

 7  HIV-positive inmates to ensure coordination and linkage to

 8  treatment and secondary prevention messages upon their

 9  release.

10         (6)  To promote HIV testing among minority persons who

11  are at risk of infection, the department shall expand its HIV

12  counseling, testing, and referral services.

13         (7)  These minority programs shall be consistent with

14  the findings and recommendations of the Minority HIV and AIDS

15  Task Force, the HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Prevention Plan, and

16  the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and

17  Prevention.

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

19  law.

20  

21            *****************************************

22                          SENATE SUMMARY

23    Increases from four to eight the number of HIV and AIDS
      regional minority coordinators within the Department of
24    Health. Requires the department to expand its HIV/AIDS
      prevention efforts in Florida's minority communities and
25    establish programs for HIV-positive persons, including
      inmates prior to their release from jail, to link them to
26    treatment, prevention, and support services.

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