| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to maternal and child health programs; |
| 3 | amending s. 383.011, F.S.; requiring the Department of |
| 4 | Health to implement an electronic benefits transfer system |
| 5 | for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, |
| 6 | Infants, and Children (WIC); revising the method by which |
| 7 | the Bureau of WIC and Nutrition Services calculates the |
| 8 | statewide average retail price of certain items; requiring |
| 9 | the department to petition the United States Department of |
| 10 | Agriculture regarding certain price increases; providing |
| 11 | for the sale, conveyance, or devise of certain |
| 12 | establishments; requiring reauthorization of contracts |
| 13 | with WIC-approved vendors; prohibiting the department from |
| 14 | discontinuing certain generic products under certain |
| 15 | circumstances; providing an effective date. |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Section 1. Subsections (3) and (4) are added to section |
| 20 | 383.011, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 21 | 383.011 Administration of maternal and child health |
| 22 | programs.-- |
| 23 | (3) The Department of Health shall: |
| 24 | (a) Implement an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system |
| 25 | for the WIC program by October 1, 2008. |
| 26 | (b) Require the Bureau of WIC and Nutrition Services to |
| 27 | calculate the statewide average retail price of each WIC- |
| 28 | eligible product by item rather than by WIC check or voucher. |
| 29 | (c) Contact the Division of Food and Nutrition Services of |
| 30 | the United States Department of Agriculture when notified by a |
| 31 | manufacturer of a price increase on any WIC-eligible product and |
| 32 | request authorization from the Division of Food and Nutrition |
| 33 | Services to allow food retailers to increase the price for the |
| 34 | same WIC-eligible product by the same percentage. |
| 35 | (d) Authorize a vendor who owns a WIC-approved retail |
| 36 | store that only sells WIC-eligible products to sell, convey, or |
| 37 | devise the store to any qualifying vendor. |
| 38 | (e) Require annual reauthorization of the contract of an |
| 39 | existing WIC-approved vendor who is in compliance with |
| 40 | department requirements. |
| 41 | (4) The Department of Health may not discontinue a WIC- |
| 42 | eligible generic product unless the product no longer meets the |
| 43 | nutritional guidelines of the WIC program. |
| 44 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |