HB 453

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
3	creating the "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
4	Prevention and Education Act"; providing purposes;
5	requiring the Department of Health to establish a COPD
6	prevention, education, screening, and diagnosis program;
7	requiring the department to coordinate a statewide summit
8	on COPD; providing for the department to employ public
9	awareness strategies regarding COPD; providing powers and
10	duties of the State Surgeon General with respect to
11	securing funding to implement the act; providing an
12	effective date.
13
14	WHEREAS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is
15	currently the fourth leading cause of death in the United States
16	and is projected to be the third leading cause of death by 2020,
17	and
18	WHEREAS, the annual cost to the nation for COPD in 2007 was
19	estimated to be approximately $42.6 billion, including $26.7
20	billion for direct health care expenditures, $8 billion for
21	indirect morbidity costs, and $7.9 billion for indirect
22	mortality costs, and
23	WHEREAS, in 2008 COPD affected over 1.5 million individuals
24	in Florida and, according to the United States Centers for
25	Disease Control and Prevention, Florida had 4,436 deaths
26	attributable to COPD in 2005, and
27	WHEREAS, tobacco use is a major risk factor for COPD and
28	was the cause of 89 percent of COPD deaths in 2005, and
29	WHEREAS, since 1992, the highest rate of increase was for
30	individuals between 40 to 49 years of age, and
31	WHEREAS, this disease has a significant impact on the
32	quality of life of the individual who experiences symptoms and
33	the resulting disability and the person's family members and
34	caregivers, and
35	WHEREAS, in 2007, more than 63,000 individuals were
36	hospitalized for treatment of COPD and asthma, resulting in
37	hospital charges totaling more than $1.3 billion in Florida, and
38	WHEREAS, health care providers are challenged to deliver
39	effective interventions for the prevention and reduction of
40	COPD-related disabilities, and
41	WHEREAS, although public information about COPD and
42	programs that can assist in the early diagnosis and treatment of
43	COPD is available, that information is not widely disseminated
44	to diverse populations, and
45	WHEREAS, the COPD Foundation and the Centers for Disease
46	Control and Prevention are leaders in the development of state
47	and national public health strategies to respond to this
48	challenge, and
49	WHEREAS, educating the public and the health care community
50	throughout the state about this devastating disease is of
51	paramount importance, in the public interest, and for the
52	benefit of all residents of the state, and
53	WHEREAS, on August 12, 2009, the Governor and Cabinet of
54	the State of Florida urged academic, governmental, and advocacy
55	organizations to promote education, increase awareness, improve
56	data surveillance systems, and promote early detection of COPD
57	throughout the state, NOW, THEREFORE,
58
59	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
60
61	Section 1.  Short title.-This act may be cited as the
62	"Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Prevention and
63	Education Act."
64	Section 2.  Purposes.-The purposes of this act are to:
65	(1)  Create and foster a statewide program that promotes
66	public awareness and increases knowledge concerning the causes
67	of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the importance
68	of early diagnosis, effective prevention strategies, and disease
69	management.
70	(2)  Promote the education of health care professionals
71	regarding COPD.
72	(3)  Develop knowledge and enhance understanding of COPD by
73	disseminating educational materials and information on research
74	results, services provided, and strategies of prevention and
75	education to patients, health care professionals, and the
76	public.
77	(4)  Establish a solid scientific base of knowledge
78	concerning the prevention of COPD through surveillance,
79	epidemiology, prevention, and research.
80	(5)  Use educational and training resources and services
81	developed by organizations with appropriate expertise and
82	knowledge of COPD.
83	(6)  Evaluate the need for improving the quality and
84	accessibility of existing community-based COPD services.
85	(7)  Address the under-diagnosis of and promote better data
86	surveillance regarding incidences of COPD in the state.
87	(8)  Implement and coordinate statewide and local COPD
88	screening and detection programs.
89	(9)  Promote programs on smoking cessation.
90	(10)  Provide lasting improvement in the quality of life
91	while containing health care costs.
92	Section 3.  COPD prevention, education, screening, and
93	diagnosis program.-
94	(1)  To the extent that funds are made available
95	specifically for this purpose, the Department of Health shall
96	establish, promote, and maintain a COPD prevention, education,
97	screening, and detection program to raise public awareness,
98	educate consumers, and educate and train health care
99	professionals, teachers, and human services providers as
100	provided in this section.
101	(2)  The department shall conduct a needs assessment to
102	identify:
103	(a)  National and state epidemiological and other research
104	conducted on COPD.
105	(b)  The level of public and professional awareness
106	regarding COPD.
107	(c)  The needs of people with COPD and the needs of their
108	families and caregivers.
109	(d)  The educational support needed by health care
110	providers, including physicians, nurses, managed care
111	organizations, and other health care providers.
112	(e)  The services required by persons with COPD.
113	(f)  The existence of COPD screening and detection
114	programs, treatment, and disease management programs.
115	Section 4.  Annual statewide summit on COPD.-The department
116	shall coordinate an annual statewide summit on COPD to
117	collaborate on and address COPD issues within the state.
118	Membership shall include, but is not limited to, persons with
119	COPD, public health educators, medical experts on COPD,
120	providers of COPD care, persons knowledgeable in health
121	promotion and education, and representatives of state and
122	national COPD organizations.
123	Section 5.  Public awareness strategies.-The department
124	shall use, but is not limited to using, strategies consistent
125	with the state and national COPD action plans and existing state
126	planning efforts to raise public awareness and knowledge on the
127	causes and nature of COPD, personal risk factors, the value of
128	prevention, screening, detection, and early intervention, and
129	options for treating the disease.
130	Section 6.  Funding.-
131	(1)  The State Surgeon General may accept grants, services,
132	and property from the Federal Government, foundations,
133	organizations, medical schools, and other entities as may be
134	available to implement this act.
135	(2)  The State Surgeon General shall seek any federal
136	waiver or waivers that may be necessary to maximize funds from
137	the Federal Government to implement this act.
138	Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

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