Florida Senate - 2011 CS for SB 414
By the Committee on Health Regulation; and Senator Oelrich
588-01825-11 2011414c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Prostate Cancer Awareness
3 Program; amending s. 381.911, F.S.; revising the
4 structure and objectives of the Prostate Cancer
5 Awareness Program; authorizing the University of
6 Florida Prostate Disease Center, in collaboration with
7 other organizations and institutions, to increase
8 community education and public awareness of prostate
9 cancer; requiring the University of Florida Prostate
10 Disease Center to establish an advisory council to
11 replace the existing advisory committee; providing for
12 membership and duties of the advisory council;
13 requiring an annual report to the Governor,
14 Legislature, and State Surgeon General; providing an
15 effective date.
16
17 WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that prostate cancer is
18 a major public health problem and that promoting awareness of
19 this disease is in the public interest of this state, and
20 WHEREAS, according to the Department of Health’s Florida
21 Cancer Plan 2003-2006, prostate cancer was the most commonly
22 diagnosed cancer in Florida, accounting for one in every four
23 cancer diagnoses, and
24 WHEREAS, the costs for screening, staging, and treating
25 prostate cancer patients in both dollars and morbidity continue
26 to rise and threaten the foundation of this state’s health
27 system, and
28 WHEREAS, because African-American men are 2.8 times more
29 likely to succumb to prostate cancer than their Caucasian
30 counterparts, a call for action is mandatory, and
31 WHEREAS, there are currently no organized, active, or
32 effective strategies to improve community education and
33 awareness regarding the rising incidence of and the racial and
34 ethnic disparities related to prostate cancer, and
35 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that it is in the public’s
36 interest for state agencies and institutions to work with the
37 University of Florida Prostate Disease Center to establish the
38 prostate cancer task force to more effectively serve the needs
39 of the people of Florida, NOW, THEREFORE,
40
41 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
42
43 Section 1. Section 381.911, Florida Statutes, is amended to
44 read:
45 381.911 Prostate Cancer Awareness Program.—
46 (1) To the extent that funds are specifically made
47 available for this purpose, the Prostate Cancer Awareness
48 Program is established within the Department of Health. The
49 purpose of this program is to implement the recommendations of
50 January 2000 of the Florida Prostate Cancer Task Force to
51 provide for statewide outreach, promote prostate cancer
52 awareness, communicate the advantages of early detection, report
53 recent progress in prostate cancer research and the availability
54 of clinical trials, minimize health disparities through outreach
55 and education, communicate best practices principles to
56 physicians involved in the care of prostate cancer patients, and
57 establish a communication platform for patients and their
58 advocates and health education activities to ensure that men are
59 aware of and appropriately seek medical counseling for prostate
60 cancer as an early-detection health care measure.
61 (2) For purposes of implementing the program, the
62 University of Florida Prostate Disease Center may work with
63 other agencies, organizations, and institutions to create a
64 systematic approach to community education and increase public
65 awareness regarding prostate cancer by Department of Health and
66 the Florida Public Health Institute, Inc., may:
67 (a) Conducting Conduct activities directly or entering
68 enter into a contract with a qualified nonprofit community
69 education entities entity.
70 (b) Seeking Seek any available gifts, grants, or funds from
71 the state, the Federal Government, philanthropic foundations,
72 and industry or business groups.
73 (3) The University of Florida Prostate Disease Center
74 (UFPDC) shall establish the UFPDC Prostate Cancer Advisory
75 Council and lead the advisory council in developing and
76 implementing strategies to improve outreach and education and
77 thereby reduce the number of patients who develop prostate
78 cancer. A prostate cancer advisory committee is created to
79 advise and assist the Department of Health and the Florida
80 Public Health Institute, Inc., in implementing the program.
81 (a) The executive director of the University of Florida
82 Prostate Disease Center shall appoint, in consultation with the
83 Department of Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and
84 the State Surgeon General, a geographically and institutionally
85 diverse advisory council, which shall appoint the advisory
86 committee members, who shall consist of:
87 1. Two Three persons from prostate cancer survivor groups
88 or cancer-related advocacy groups.
89 2. Four Three persons, one of whom is a physician licensed
90 under chapter 458, one of whom is a physician licensed under
91 chapter 459, one of whom is a scientist, and one of whom is the
92 executive director of the University of Florida Prostate Disease
93 Center or a designee who are scientists or clinicians from
94 public universities or research organizations.
95 3. Three persons who are engaged in the practice of a
96 cancer-related medical specialty from health organizations
97 committed to cancer research and control.
98 (b) Members shall serve as volunteers without compensation
99 but are entitled to reimbursement, pursuant to s. 112.061, for
100 per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of
101 their official duties.
102 (c) Each member of the advisory council shall be appointed
103 to a 4-year term; however, for the purpose of providing
104 staggered terms, of the initial appointments, four members shall
105 be appointed to 2-year terms and four members shall be appointed
106 to 4-year terms. The remaining seat shall be filled by the
107 executive director of the University of Florida Prostate Disease
108 Center or a designee.
109 (d) The advisory council shall meet annually and at other
110 times at the call of the executive director of the University of
111 Florida Prostate Disease Center or by a majority vote of the
112 members of the advisory council.
113 (e) Five of the members of the advisory council constitute
114 a quorum, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the members
115 present is required for final action.
116 (f) The advisory council shall:
117 1. Present prostate-cancer-related policy recommendations
118 to the Department of Health and other appropriate governmental
119 entities.
120 2. Verify the accuracy of prostate cancer information
121 disseminated to the public.
122 3. Develop effective communication channels among all
123 private and public entities in the state involved in prostate
124 cancer education, research, treatment, and patient advocacy.
125 4. Plan, develop, and implement activities designed to
126 heighten awareness and educate residents of the state,
127 especially those in underserved areas, regarding the importance
128 of prostate cancer awareness.
129 5. Disseminate information about recent progress in
130 prostate cancer research and the availability of clinical
131 trials.
132 6. Minimize health disparities through outreach and
133 education.
134 7. Communicate best practices principles to physicians
135 involved in the care of patients with prostate cancer.
136 8. Establish a communication platform for patients and
137 their advocates.
138 9. Solicit grants or philanthropic funding to conduct an
139 annual prostate cancer symposium that brings physicians,
140 researchers, community leaders, prostate cancer survivors, and
141 prostate cancer advocates together to highlight recent advances
142 in prostate cancer research, clinical trials, and best practices
143 used for the prevention of the prostate cancer and to promote
144 strategies for successful rural and urban outreach, community
145 education, and increased awareness.
146 10. Submit and present an annual report to the Governor,
147 the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
148 Representatives, and the State Surgeon General by January 15,
149 2012, and by January 15 of each following year, which contains
150 recommendations for legislative changes necessary to decrease
151 the incidence of prostate cancer, decrease racial and ethnic
152 disparities among persons diagnosed with prostate cancer, and
153 promote increased community education and awareness regarding
154 this disease.
155 (4) The program shall coordinate its efforts with those of
156 the Florida Public Health Institute, Inc.
157 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.