| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to transitional services for youth and |
| 3 | young adults with disabilities; creating a health care |
| 4 | transition services task force within the Department of |
| 5 | Health; providing legislative intent; providing for |
| 6 | membership, duties, and responsibilities of the task |
| 7 | force; providing for reimbursement of members for |
| 8 | expenses; requiring the task force to assess the need for |
| 9 | health care transition services and provide a report to |
| 10 | the Governor and the Legislature; providing for expiration |
| 11 | of the task force; providing an effective date. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. Health Care Transition Services Task Force for |
| 16 | Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities.-- |
| 17 | (1) The Department of Health shall create a statewide |
| 18 | Health Care Transition Services Task Force for Youth and Young |
| 19 | Adults with Disabilities. It is the intent of the Legislature |
| 20 | that the task force assess the need for health care transition |
| 21 | services for youth and young adults with disabilities, develop |
| 22 | strategies to ensure successful transition from the pediatric to |
| 23 | the adult health care system, and identify existing and |
| 24 | potential funding sources. The task force shall be composed of |
| 25 | 14 members and shall have representatives from at least three |
| 26 | geographic areas in the state, representing rural, suburban, and |
| 27 | urban areas. |
| 28 | (2) The task force shall be composed of the following |
| 29 | persons: |
| 30 | (a) The director of the Division of Children's Medical |
| 31 | Services Network within the Department of Health or his or her |
| 32 | designee who shall be the chairperson of the task force. |
| 33 | (b) A representative from the children's health care |
| 34 | medical community. |
| 35 | (c) A representative from the adult health care medical |
| 36 | community. |
| 37 | (d) The director of the Agency for Persons with |
| 38 | Disabilities or his or her designee. |
| 39 | (e) Two representatives of associations that advocate for |
| 40 | persons who have chronic medical conditions or disabilities, |
| 41 | such as the American Diabetes Association, the Sickle Cell |
| 42 | Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, United Cerebral |
| 43 | Palsy, the Spina Bifida Association, or the Down Syndrome |
| 44 | Association. |
| 45 | (f) Two young adults who have chronic health problems or |
| 46 | developmental disabilities or a family member of such young |
| 47 | adults. |
| 48 | (g) The deputy commissioner of the Division of Vocational |
| 49 | Rehabilitation within the Department of Education or his or her |
| 50 | designee. |
| 51 | (h) The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee. |
| 52 | (i) The Secretary of Health Care Administration or his or |
| 53 | her designee. |
| 54 | (j) The Secretary of Children and Family Services or his |
| 55 | or her designee. |
| 56 | (k) A person appointed by the President of the Senate. |
| 57 | (l) A person appointed by the Speaker of the House of |
| 58 | Representatives. |
| 59 | (3) The Department of Health shall provide staff support |
| 60 | to the task force. Task force members who are not public |
| 61 | officers or employees shall serve without compensation, but are |
| 62 | entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses |
| 63 | incurred as provided in s. 112.061, Florida Statutes, in |
| 64 | carrying out their duties, which shall be paid by the Department |
| 65 | of Health. Members who are public officers or employees shall be |
| 66 | reimbursed by the budget entity through which they are |
| 67 | compensated. |
| 68 | (4) The task force shall: |
| 69 | (a) Convene by August 31, 2008. |
| 70 | (b) Obtain input from key stakeholders, community |
| 71 | stakeholders, public agencies, the medical practice community, |
| 72 | and youth and young adults who have chronic special health care |
| 73 | needs and disabilities and their families to assess the need for |
| 74 | health care transition services and to identify barriers that |
| 75 | impede access to comprehensive medical treatment and health care |
| 76 | for youth and young adults who have chronic special health care |
| 77 | needs and disabilities. |
| 78 | (c) Develop a statewide plan to promote the development of |
| 79 | health care transition services. The plan shall put forth |
| 80 | different models that accommodate the geographic and cultural |
| 81 | diversity in the state and that are adapted to the local needs |
| 82 | of communities and to local health services delivery systems. |
| 83 | Furthermore, the plan shall promote the integration of health |
| 84 | care transition services with transition programs for education, |
| 85 | vocation, and independent living. |
| 86 | (d) Identify common or comparable performance measures for |
| 87 | all entities that serve the needs for health care transition |
| 88 | services of youth and young adults who have chronic special |
| 89 | health care needs and disabilities. |
| 90 | (e) Collect and disseminate information concerning best |
| 91 | practices in health care transition services for youth and young |
| 92 | adults who have chronic special health care needs and |
| 93 | disabilities. |
| 94 | (f) Identify existing and potential funding sources to |
| 95 | create health care transition services within communities. |
| 96 | (5) The task force shall present a final report of its |
| 97 | findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of |
| 98 | the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by |
| 99 | January 1, 2009, and shall expire upon the submission of the |
| 100 | report. |
| 101 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |