CS/CS/HB 137

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Prostate Cancer Awareness Program;
3	amending s. 381.911, F.S.; deleting the funding
4	qualification for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Program;
5	revising the structure and objectives of the Prostate
6	Cancer Awareness Program; authorizing the University of
7	Florida Prostate Disease Center, in collaboration with
8	other organizations and institutions, to increase
9	community education and public awareness of prostate
10	cancer; requiring the University of Florida Prostate
11	Disease Center to establish a prostate cancer advisory
12	council to replace the existing advisory committee;
13	providing for membership and duties of the advisory
14	council; requiring an annual report to the Governor,
15	Legislature, and State Surgeon General; requiring the
16	University of Florida Prostate Disease Center (UFPDC) and
17	the UFPDC Prostate Cancer Advisory Council to be funded
18	within existing resources of the university; providing an
19	effective date.
20
21	WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that prostate cancer is
22	a major public health problem and that promoting awareness of
23	this disease is in the public interest of this state, and
24	WHEREAS, according to the Department of Health's Florida
25	Cancer Plan 2003-2006, prostate cancer was the most commonly
26	diagnosed cancer in Florida, accounting for one in every four
27	cancer diagnoses, and
28	WHEREAS, the costs for screening, staging, and treating
29	prostate cancer patients in both dollars and morbidity continue
30	to rise and threaten the foundation of this state's health
31	system, and
32	WHEREAS, because African-American men are 2.8 times more
33	likely to succumb to prostate cancer than their Caucasian
34	counterparts, a call for action is mandatory, and
35	WHEREAS, there are currently no organized, active, or
36	effective strategies to improve community education and
37	awareness regarding the rising incidence of and the racial and
38	ethnic disparities related to prostate cancer, and
39	WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that it is in the public
40	interest for state agencies and institutions to work with the
41	University of Florida Prostate Disease Center to establish the
42	prostate cancer advisory council to more effectively serve the
43	needs of the people of Florida, NOW, THEREFORE,
44
45	Be Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
46
47	Section 1.  Section 381.911, Florida Statutes, is amended
48	to read:
49	381.911  Prostate Cancer Awareness Program.-
50	(1)  To the extent that funds are specifically made
51	available for this purpose, the Prostate Cancer Awareness
52	Program is established within the Department of Health. The
53	purpose of this program is to implement the recommendations of
54	January 2000 of the Florida Prostate Cancer Task Force to
55	provide for statewide outreach, promote prostate cancer
56	awareness, communicate the advantages of early detection, report
57	recent progress in prostate cancer research and the availability
58	of clinical trials, minimize health disparities through outreach
59	and education, communicate best practices principles to
60	physicians involved in the care of prostate cancer patients, and
61	establish a communication platform for patients and their
62	advocates and health education activities to ensure that men are
63	aware of and appropriately seek medical counseling for prostate
64	cancer as an early-detection health care measure.
65	(2)  For purposes of implementing the program, the
66	University of Florida Prostate Disease Center may work with
67	other agencies, organizations, and institutions to create a
68	systematic approach to community education and increase public
69	awareness regarding prostate cancer by Department of Health and
70	the Florida Public Health Institute, Inc., may:
71	(a)  Conducting Conduct activities directly or entering
72	enter into a contract with a qualified nonprofit community
73	education entities entity.
74	(b)  Seeking Seek any available gifts, private grants, or
75	funds from the state, the Federal Government, philanthropic
76	foundations, and industry or business groups.
77	(3)  The University of Florida Prostate Disease Center
78	(UFPDC) shall establish the UFPDC Prostate Cancer Advisory
79	Council and lead the advisory council in developing and
80	implementing strategies to improve outreach and education and
81	thereby reduce the number of patients who develop prostate
82	cancer. A prostate cancer advisory committee is created to
83	advise and assist the Department of Health and the Florida
84	Public Health Institute, Inc., in implementing the program.
85	(a)  The executive director of the University of Florida
86	Prostate Disease Center shall appoint, in consultation with the
87	Department of Health's Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and
88	the State Surgeon General, a geographically and institutionally
89	diverse advisory council, which shall appoint the advisory
90	committee members, who shall consist of:
91	1.  Two Three persons from prostate cancer survivor groups
92	or cancer-related advocacy groups.
93	2.  Four Three persons, one of whom is a physician licensed
94	under chapter 458, one of whom is a physician licensed under
95	chapter 459, one of whom is a scientist, and one of whom is the
96	executive director of the University of Florida Prostate Disease
97	Center or a designee who are scientists or clinicians from
98	public universities or research organizations.
99	3.  Three persons who are engaged in the practice of a
100	cancer-related medical specialty from health organizations
101	committed to cancer research and control.
102	(b)  Members shall serve as volunteers without compensation
103	but are entitled to reimbursement, pursuant to s. 112.061, for
104	per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of
105	their official duties.
106	(c)  Each member of the advisory council shall be appointed
107	to a 4-year term; however, for the purpose of providing
108	staggered terms, of the initial appointments, four members shall
109	be appointed to 2-year terms and four members shall be appointed
110	to 4-year terms. The remaining seat shall be filled by the
111	executive director of the University of Florida Prostate Disease
112	Center or a designee.
113	(d)  The advisory council shall meet annually and at other
114	times at the call of the executive director of the University of
115	Florida Prostate Disease Center or by a majority vote of the
116	members of the advisory council.
117	(e)  Five of the members of the advisory council constitute
118	a quorum, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the members
119	present is required for final action.
120	(f)  The advisory council shall:
121	1.  Present prostate-cancer-related policy recommendations
122	to the Department of Health and other appropriate governmental
123	entities.
124	2.  Assess the accuracy of prostate cancer information
125	disseminated to the public.
126	3.  Develop effective communication channels among all
127	private and public entities in the state involved in prostate
128	cancer education, research, treatment, and patient advocacy.
129	4.  Plan, develop, and implement activities designed to
130	heighten awareness and educate residents of the state,
131	especially those in underserved areas, regarding the importance
132	of prostate cancer awareness.
133	5.  Disseminate information about recent progress in
134	prostate cancer research and the availability of clinical
135	trials.
136	6.  Minimize health disparities through outreach and
137	education.
138	7.  Communicate best practices principles to physicians
139	involved in the care of patients with prostate cancer.
140	8.  Establish a communication platform for patients and
141	their advocates.
142	9.  Solicit private grants or philanthropic funding to
143	conduct an annual prostate cancer symposium that brings
144	physicians, researchers, community leaders, prostate cancer
145	survivors, and prostate cancer advocates together to highlight
146	recent advances in prostate cancer research, clinical trials,
147	and best practices used for the prevention of prostate cancer
148	and to promote strategies for successful rural and urban
149	outreach, community education, and increased awareness.
150	10.  Submit and present an annual report to the Governor,
151	the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
152	Representatives, and the State Surgeon General by January 15,
153	2012, and by January 15 of each following year, which contains
154	recommendations for legislative changes necessary to decrease
155	the incidence of prostate cancer, decrease racial and ethnic
156	disparities among persons diagnosed with prostate cancer, and
157	promote increased community education and awareness regarding
158	this disease.
159	(4)  The University of Florida Prostate Disease Center
160	(UFPDC) and the UFPDC Prostate Cancer Advisory Council shall be
161	funded within existing resources of the university. The program
162	shall coordinate its efforts with those of the Florida Public
163	Health Institute, Inc.
164	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

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