Florida Senate - 2012                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS/CS/CS/HB 711, 1st Eng.
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 408312                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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                Floor: 1/AD/2R         .         Floor: SENA1/C         
             03/07/2012 12:15 PM       .      03/07/2012 05:49 PM       
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       Senator Gaetz moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. 155.40, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
    6         155.40 Sale or lease of county, district, or municipal
    7  hospital; effect of sale.—
    8         (1) In the interest of providing quality health care
    9  services to the order that citizens and residents of this the
   10  state may receive quality health care, and notwithstanding any
   11  other provision of general or special law, a any county,
   12  district, or municipal hospital organized and existing under the
   13  laws of this state, acting by and through its governing board,
   14  may shall have the authority to sell or lease the such hospital
   15  to a for-profit or not-for-profit Florida entity corporation,
   16  and enter into leases or other contracts with a for-profit or
   17  not-for-profit Florida entity corporation for the purpose of
   18  operating the and managing such hospital and any or all of its
   19  facilities of whatsoever kind and nature. The term of any such
   20  lease, contract, or agreement and the conditions, covenants, and
   21  agreements to be contained therein shall be determined by the
   22  governing board of the such county, district, or municipal
   23  hospital. The governing board of the hospital must find that the
   24  sale, lease, or contract is in the best interests of the
   25  affected community public and must state the basis of that such
   26  finding. If the governing board of a county, district, or
   27  municipal hospital decides to lease the hospital, it must give
   28  notice in accordance with paragraph (4)(a) or paragraph (4)(b).
   29         (2) A Any such lease, contract, or agreement made pursuant
   30  hereto shall:
   31         (a) Provide that the articles of incorporation of the such
   32  for-profit or not-for-profit corporation be subject to the
   33  approval of the board of directors or board of trustees of the
   34  such hospital;
   35         (b) Require that any not-for-profit corporation become
   36  qualified under s. 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal
   37  Revenue Code;
   38         (c) Provide for the orderly transition of the operation and
   39  management of the such facilities;
   40         (d) Provide for the return of the such facility to the
   41  county, municipality, or district upon the termination of the
   42  such lease, contract, or agreement; and
   43         (e) Provide for the continued treatment of indigent
   44  patients pursuant to the Florida Health Care Responsibility Act
   45  and pursuant to chapter 87-92, Laws of Florida.
   46         (3) Any sale, lease, or contract entered into pursuant to
   47  this section before prior to the effective date of this act must
   48  have complied with the requirements of subsection (2) in effect
   49  at the time of the sale, lease, or contract. It is the intent of
   50  the Legislature that this section does not impose any further
   51  requirements with respect to the formation of any for-profit or
   52  not-for-profit Florida entity corporation, the composition of
   53  the board of directors of any Florida entity corporation, or the
   54  manner in which control of the hospital is transferred to the
   55  Florida entity corporation.
   56         (4) As used in this section, the term:
   57         (a) “Affected community” means those persons residing
   58  within the geographic boundaries defined by the charter of the
   59  county, district, or municipal hospital or health care system,
   60  or if the boundaries are not specifically defined by charter, by
   61  the geographic area from which 75 percent of the county,
   62  district, or municipal hospital’s or health care system’s
   63  inpatient admissions are derived.
   64         (b) “Fair market value” means the price that a seller or
   65  lessor is willing to accept and a buyer or lessee is willing to
   66  pay on the open market and in an arms-length transaction, or
   67  what an independent expert in hospital valuation determines the
   68  fair market value to be.
   69         (c) “Interested party” includes a person submitting a
   70  proposal for sale or lease of the county, district, or municipal
   71  hospital or health care system, as well as the governing board.
   72         (5)The governing board of a county, district, or municipal
   73  hospital or health care system shall commence an evaluation of
   74  the possible benefits to an affected community from the sale or
   75  lease of hospital facilities owned by the board to a not-for
   76  profit or for-profit entity no later than December 31, 2012. In
   77  the course of evaluating the benefits of the sale or lease, the
   78  board shall:
   79         (a) Conduct a public hearing to provide interested persons
   80  the opportunity to be heard on the matter.
   81         (b) Publish notice of the public hearing in one or more
   82  newspapers of general circulation in the county in which the
   83  majority of the physical assets of the hospital or health care
   84  system are located and in the Florida Administrative Weekly at
   85  least 15 days before the hearing is scheduled to occur.
   86         (c) Contract with a certified public accounting firm or
   87  other firm that has substantial expertise in the valuation of
   88  hospitals to render an independent valuation of the hospital’s
   89  fair market value.
   90         (d) Consider an objective operating comparison between a
   91  hospital or health care system operated by the district, county,
   92  or municipality and other similarly situated hospitals, both
   93  not-for-profit and for-profit, which have a similar service mix,
   94  in order to determine whether there is a difference in the cost
   95  of operation using publicly available data provided by the
   96  Agency for Health Care Administration and the quality metrics
   97  identified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
   98  Core Measures. The comparison must determine whether it is more
   99  beneficial to taxpayers and the affected community for the
  100  hospital to be operated by a governmental entity, or whether the
  101  hospital can be operated by a not-for-profit or for-profit
  102  entity with similar or better cost-efficiencies or measurable
  103  outcomes identified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
  104  Services Core Measures. The comparison must also determine
  105  whether there is a net benefit to the community to operate the
  106  hospital as a not-for-profit or for-profit entity and use the
  107  proceeds of the sale or lease for the purposes described in this
  108  section.
  109         (e) Make publicly available all documents considered by the
  110  board in the course of such evaluation.
  111         1.Within 160 days after the initiation of the process
  112  established in subsection (5), the governing board shall publish
  113  notice of the board’s findings in one or more newspapers of
  114  general circulation in the county in which the majority of the
  115  physical assets of the hospital are located and in the Florida
  116  Administrative Weekly.
  117         2. This evaluation is not required if a district, county,
  118  or municipal hospital has issued a public request for proposals
  119  for the sale or lease of a hospital on or before February 1,
  120  2012, for the purpose of receiving proposals from qualified
  121  purchasers or lessees, either not-for-profit or for-profit.
  122         (6)(4)If, upon completion of the evaluation of the
  123  benefits of the sale or lease, In the event the governing board
  124  of a county, district, or municipal hospital determines that it
  125  is no longer in the best interest of the affected community to
  126  own or operate a hospital or health care system and elects to
  127  consider a sale or lease of the hospital or health care system
  128  to a third party, the governing board must first determine
  129  whether there are any qualified purchasers or lessees. In the
  130  process of evaluating any qualified purchaser or lessee elects
  131  to sell or lease the hospital, the board shall:
  132         (a) Negotiate the terms of the sale or lease with a for
  133  profit or not-for-profit Florida corporation and Publicly
  134  advertise the meeting at which the proposed sale or lease will
  135  be considered by the governing board of the hospital in
  136  accordance with s. 286.0105; or
  137         (b) Publicly advertise the offer to accept proposals in
  138  accordance with s. 255.0525 and receive proposals from all
  139  interested and qualified purchasers and lessees.
  140  
  141  Any sale or lease must be for fair market value, or, if not for
  142  fair market value, the lease must be in the best interest of the
  143  affected community. A and any sale or lease must comply with all
  144  applicable state and federal antitrust laws.
  145         (7)A determination by the governing board to accept a
  146  proposal for sale or lease shall be made after consideration of
  147  all proposals received and negotiations with a qualified
  148  purchaser or lessee. The governing board’s determination must
  149  include, in writing, detailed findings of all reasons for
  150  accepting the proposal.
  151         (a)The governing board’s acceptance of a proposal for sale
  152  or lease must include a description of how the sale or lease
  153  satisfies each of the following requirements:
  154         1.The sale or lease represents fair market value, as
  155  determined by a certified public accounting firm or other
  156  qualified firm pursuant to subsection(5). If leased at less than
  157  fair market value, the governing board shall provide a detailed
  158  explanation of how the best interests of the affected community
  159  are served by the acceptance of less than fair market value for
  160  the lease of the hospital.
  161         2.Acceptance of the proposal will result in a reduction or
  162  elimination of ad valorem or other taxes for taxpayers in the
  163  district, if applicable.
  164         3.The proposal includes an enforceable commitment that
  165  programs and services and quality health care will continue to
  166  be provided to all residents of the affected community,
  167  particularly to the indigent, the uninsured, and the
  168  underinsured.
  169         4. Disclosure has been made of all conflicts of interest,
  170  including, but not limited to, whether the sale or lease of the
  171  hospital or health care system would result in a special private
  172  gain or loss to members of the governing board or key management
  173  employees or members of the medical staff of the county,
  174  district, or municipal hospital, or if governing board members
  175  will be serving on the board of any successor private
  176  corporation. Conflicts of interest, if any, with respect to
  177  experts retained by the governing board shall also be disclosed.
  178         5. Disclosure has been made by the seller or lessor of all
  179  contracts with physicians or other entities providing health
  180  care services through a contract with the seller or lessor,
  181  including all agreements or contracts that would be void or
  182  voidable upon the consummation of the sale or lease.
  183         6. The proposal is in compliance with subsections (8) and
  184  (9).
  185         (b)The findings must be accompanied by all information and
  186  documents relevant to the governing board’s determination,
  187  including, but not limited to:
  188         1.The names and addresses of all parties to the
  189  transaction.
  190         2.The location of the hospital or health care system and
  191  all related facilities.
  192         3.A description of the terms of all proposed agreements.
  193         4.A copy of the proposed sale or lease agreement and any
  194  related agreements, including, but not limited to, leases,
  195  management contracts, service contracts, and memoranda of
  196  understanding.
  197         5.The estimated total value associated with the proposed
  198  agreement and the proposed acquisition price.
  199         6.Any valuations of the hospital’s or health care system’s
  200  assets prepared during the 3 years immediately preceding the
  201  proposed transaction date.
  202         7.The fair market value analysis required by paragraph
  203  (5)(c), or any other valuation prepared at the request of the
  204  board, owner of the hospital or health care system, or managing
  205  entity of the hospital or health care system.
  206         8.Copies of all other proposals and bids that the
  207  governing board may have received or considered in compliance
  208  with subsection (6).
  209         (8)Within 120 days before the anticipated closing date of
  210  the proposed transaction, the governing board shall make
  211  publicly available all findings and documents required under
  212  subsection (7) and publish a notice of the proposed transaction
  213  in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the county
  214  in which the majority of the physical assets of the hospital or
  215  health care system are located. The notice must include the
  216  names of the parties involved and the means by which a person
  217  may submit written comments about the proposed transaction to
  218  the governing board and obtain copies of the findings and
  219  documents required under subsection (7).
  220         (9)Within 20 days after the date of publication of the
  221  public notice, any person may submit to the governing board
  222  written comments regarding the proposed transaction.
  223         (10)The sale or lease of the hospital or health care
  224  system is subject to approval by the Secretary of Health Care
  225  Administration or his or her designee, except, if otherwise
  226  required by law, approval of the sale or lease shall exclusively
  227  be by majority vote of the registered voters in the county,
  228  district, or municipality in which the hospital or health care
  229  system is located.
  230         (a)The governing board shall file a petition with the
  231  Secretary of Health Care Administration seeking approval of the
  232  proposed transaction at least 30 days after publication of the
  233  notice of the proposed transaction.
  234         (b)The petition for approval filed by the governing board
  235  must include all findings and documents required under
  236  subsection (7) and certification by the governing board of
  237  compliance with all requirements of this section. The chair of
  238  the governing board must certify under oath and subject to the
  239  penalty of perjury on a form accompanying the petition that the
  240  contents of the petition and representations therein are true
  241  and correct.
  242         (11) Within 30 days after receiving the petition, the
  243  Secretary of Health Care Administration or his or her designee
  244  shall issue a final order approving or denying the proposed
  245  transaction based solely upon consideration of whether the
  246  procedures contained within this section have been followed by
  247  the governing board of the county, district, or municipal
  248  hospital or health care system. The order shall require the
  249  governing board to accept or reject the proposal for the sale or
  250  lease of the county, district, or municipal hospital or health
  251  care system based upon a determination that:
  252         (a)The proposed transaction is permitted by law.
  253         (b)The proposed transaction does not unreasonably exclude
  254  a potential purchaser or lessee on the basis of being a for
  255  profit or a not-for-profit Florida corporation or other form of
  256  business organization, such as a partnership or limited
  257  liability company.
  258         (c)The governing board of the hospital or health care
  259  system publicly advertised the meeting at which the proposed
  260  transaction was considered by the board in compliance with s.
  261  286.0105.
  262         (d)The governing board of the hospital or health care
  263  system publicly advertised the offer to accept proposals in
  264  compliance with s. 255.0525.
  265         (e)Any conflict of interest was disclosed, including, but
  266  not limited to, how the proposed transaction could result in a
  267  special private gain or loss to members of the governing board
  268  or key management employees of the county, district, or
  269  municipal hospital, or if governing board members will be
  270  serving on the board of any successor private corporation.
  271  Conflicts of interest, if any, with respect to experts retained
  272  by the governing board shall also be disclosed.
  273         (f)The seller or lessor documented that it will receive
  274  fair market value for the sale or lease of the assets as
  275  indicated in paragraph (5)(c) or, if leased at less than fair
  276  market value, the governing board provided a detailed
  277  explanation of how the best interests of the affected community
  278  are served by the acceptance of less than fair market value for
  279  the lease of the hospital or health care system.
  280         (g)The acquiring entity has made an enforceable commitment
  281  that programs and services and quality health care will continue
  282  to be provided to all residents of the affected community,
  283  particularly to the indigent, the uninsured, and the
  284  underinsured.
  285         (h)The governing board disclosed whether the sale or lease
  286  will result in a reduction or elimination of ad valorem or other
  287  taxes used to support the hospital.
  288         (12)Any interested party to the action has the right to
  289  seek judicial review of the decision in the appellate district
  290  where the hospital is located or in the First District Court of
  291  Appeal pursuant to s. 120.68.
  292         (a)All proceedings shall be instituted by filing a notice
  293  of appeal in accordance with the Florida Rules of Appellate
  294  Procedure within 30 days after the date of the final order.
  295         (b)In such judicial review, the appellate court shall
  296  affirm the decision of the Secretary of Health Care
  297  Administration, unless the decision by the Secretary of Health
  298  Care Administration is shown to be clearly erroneous.
  299         (13)All costs shall be paid by the governing board, unless
  300  an interested party contests the action, in which case the court
  301  may assign costs equitably to the parties.
  302         (14) If any provision of subsection (5), subsection (6), or
  303  subsection (7) is not followed, the contract for sale or lease
  304  is voidable by any party to the contract. If any member of the
  305  governing board negligently or willfully violates subsection
  306  (5), subsection (6), or subsection (7), as determined by the
  307  Commission on Ethics after receipt of a sworn complaint pursuant
  308  to s. 112.322, the member is subject to a penalty, as determined
  309  by the Commission on Ethics pursuant to s. 112.317.
  310         (15)If a county, district, or municipal hospital is sold,
  311  any and all special district tax authority associated with the
  312  hospital subject to the sale shall cease on the effective date
  313  of the closing date of the sale. Any special law inconsistent
  314  with this subsection is superseded by this act.
  315         (16) If a county, district, or municipal hospital is sold
  316  or leased, the governing board shall:
  317         (a) Deposit 50 percent of the net proceeds of the sale or
  318  lease into a health care economic development trust fund, which
  319  shall be under the control of the county commission of the
  320  county in which the property is located, if the hospital is a
  321  county hospital or district hospital whose geographic boundaries
  322  extend beyond a single municipality, or, if the hospital is a
  323  municipal hospital or district hospital whose geographic
  324  boundaries lie entirely within a single municipality, under the
  325  control of the city or municipal government in which the
  326  hospital is located. The use and distribution of the funds shall
  327  be at the discretion of a majority of the county commission if
  328  the hospital is a county hospital or district hospital whose
  329  geographic boundaries extend beyond a single municipality, or,
  330  if the hospital is a municipal hospital or district hospital
  331  whose geographic boundaries lie entirely within a single
  332  municipality, at the discretion of a majority of the members of
  333  the municipal government. The members of the county commission
  334  or the municipal government, depending on the type of hospital
  335  being sold, shall serve as trustees of the trust fund. The net
  336  proceeds in the health care economic development trust fund
  337  shall be distributed, in consultation with the Department of
  338  Economic Opportunity, to promote job creation in the health care
  339  sector of the economy through new or expanded health care
  340  business development, new or expanded health care services, or
  341  new or expanded health care education programs or
  342  commercialization of health care research within the affected
  343  community; and
  344         (b) Appropriate 50 percent of the net proceeds of the sale
  345  or lease for funding the delivery of indigent care, including
  346  but not limited to primary care, physician specialty care, out
  347  patient care, in-patient care and behavioral health, to
  348  hospitals within the boundaries of the district with
  349  consideration given to the levels of indigent care provided.
  350  
  351  For the purposes of this subsection, the term “net proceeds”
  352  means the sale price after payment of all district debts and
  353  obligations.
  354         (17) If a county, district, or municipal hospital or health
  355  care system is sold or leased to a for-profit corporation or
  356  other business entity subject to local taxation, the resulting
  357  county and municipal ad valorem tax revenue from the formerly
  358  tax-exempt property shall be distributed by the county
  359  commission of the county in which the property is located, if
  360  the hospital is a county hospital or district hospital whose
  361  geographic boundaries extend beyond a single municipality, or,
  362  if the hospital is a municipal hospital or district hospital
  363  whose geographic boundaries lie entirely within a single
  364  municipality, such ad valorem tax revenues shall be distributed
  365  by the municipal government. The distribution of such ad valorem
  366  tax revenues shall be made in consultation with the Department
  367  of Economic Opportunity, for purposes set forth in subsection
  368  (16).
  369         (18)(5)If In the event a hospital operated by a for-profit
  370  or not-for-profit Florida entity corporation receives annually
  371  more than $100,000 in revenues from the county, district, or
  372  municipality that owns the hospital, the Florida entity
  373  corporation must be accountable to the county, district, or
  374  municipality with respect to the manner in which the funds are
  375  expended by either:
  376         (a) Having the revenues subject to annual appropriations by
  377  the county, district, or municipality; or
  378         (b) Where there is a contract to provide revenues to the
  379  hospital, the term of which is longer than 12 months, the
  380  governing board of the county, district, or municipality must be
  381  able to modify the contract upon 12 months notice to the
  382  hospital.
  383  
  384  A not-for-profit entity corporation that is subject to this
  385  subsection and that does not currently comply with the
  386  accountability requirements in this subsection shall have 12
  387  months after the effective date of this act to modify any
  388  contracts with the county, district, or municipality in a manner
  389  that is consistent with this subsection.
  390         (19)(6) Unless otherwise expressly stated in the lease
  391  documents, the transaction involving the sale or lease of a
  392  hospital may shall not be construed as:
  393         (a) A transfer of a governmental function from the county,
  394  district, or municipality to the private purchaser or lessee;
  395         (b) Constituting a financial interest of the public lessor
  396  in the private lessee; or
  397         (c) Making a private lessee an integral part of the public
  398  lessor’s decisionmaking process.
  399         (20)(7) The lessee of a hospital, under this section or any
  400  special act of the Legislature, operating under a lease may
  401  shall not be construed to be “acting on behalf of” the lessor as
  402  that term is used in statute, unless the lease document
  403  expressly provides to the contrary.
  404         (21)(8)(a) If, whenever the sale of a public hospital by a
  405  public agency to a private corporation or other private entity
  406  pursuant to this section or pursuant to a special act of the
  407  Legislature reflects that:
  408         1. The private corporation or other private entity
  409  purchaser acquires 100 percent ownership in the hospital
  410  enterprise;
  411         2. The private corporation or other private entity
  412  purchases the physical plant of the hospital facility and has
  413  complete responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the
  414  facility, regardless of ownership of the underlying real
  415  property;
  416         3. The public agency seller retains no control over
  417  decisionmaking or policymaking for the hospital;
  418         4. The private corporation or other private entity
  419  purchaser receives no funding from the public agency seller
  420  other than by contract for services rendered to patients for
  421  whom the public agency seller has the responsibility to pay for
  422  hospital or medical care;
  423         5. The public agency seller makes no substantial investment
  424  in or loans to the private entity;
  425         6. The private corporation or other private entity
  426  purchaser was not created by the public entity seller; and
  427         7. The private corporation or other private entity
  428  purchaser operates primarily for its own financial interests and
  429  not primarily for the interests of the public agency,
  430  
  431  such a sale shall be considered a complete sale of the public
  432  agency’s interest in the hospital or health care system.
  433         (b) A complete sale of a hospital or health care system as
  434  described in this subsection may shall not be construed as:
  435         1. A transfer of a governmental function from the county,
  436  district, or municipality to the private corporation or other
  437  private entity purchaser;
  438         2. Constituting a financial interest of the public agency
  439  in the private corporation or other private entity purchaser;
  440         3. Making the private corporation or other private entity
  441  purchaser an “agency” as that term is used in statutes;
  442         4. Making the private corporation or other private entity
  443  purchaser an integral part of the public agency’s decisionmaking
  444  process; or
  445         5. Indicating that the private corporation or other private
  446  entity purchaser is “acting on behalf of a public agency” as
  447  that term is used in statute.
  448         (22)If the governing board elects to sell or lease the
  449  physical property of a county, district, or municipal hospital
  450  or health care system and such property generated less than 20
  451  percent of the hospital’s net revenue within the hospital’s or
  452  health care system’s most recent fiscal year, the sale or lease
  453  of such property is exempt from the requirements under
  454  subsections (6)-(17). However, the governing board shall
  455  publicly advertise the meeting at which the proposed sale or
  456  lease of such property will be considered by the governing board
  457  of the hospital in accordance with s. 286.0105 or publicly
  458  advertise the offer to accept proposals in accordance with s.
  459  255.0525 and receive proposals from all qualified purchasers and
  460  lessees. The sale or lease of the property must be for fair
  461  market value or, if a lease is for less than fair market value,
  462  the lease must be in the best interest of the affected
  463  community.
  464         (23)A county, district, or municipal hospital or health
  465  care system that is under lease as of the effective date of this
  466  act is not subject to subsections (5)-(17) as long as that lease
  467  remains in effect in accordance with the terms of the lease or
  468  such lease is modified, extended, or renewed. However, such
  469  hospital or health care system becomes subject to the provisions
  470  of this act upon:
  471         (a) Termination of the lease, unless the lease termination
  472  is the direct result of a new lease involving a partnership,
  473  transaction, or contract in which both the existing lessor and
  474  lessee agree to the new lease between the lessor and another
  475  mutually agreed upon entity;
  476         (b) Notification provided to the lessee of a planned
  477  termination of the lease in accordance with the lease terms,
  478  unless the notification of lease termination is the direct
  479  result of a new lease involving a partnership, transaction, or
  480  contract in which both the existing lessor and lessee agree to
  481  the new lease between the lessor and another mutually agreed
  482  upon entity;
  483         (c) Notification to the lessee that upon termination of the
  484  lease the lessor plans to seek potential new lessees or buyers;
  485  or
  486         (d) Notification to the lessee that the lessor plans to
  487  resume operation of the hospital or health care system at the
  488  termination of the lease.
  489  
  490  Any such hospital or health care system may not thereafter be
  491  sold, leased to another lessee, or operated by the owner without
  492  first complying with this section.
  493         (24)A county, district, or municipal hospital or health
  494  care system that has executed a letter of intent to sell or
  495  lease the hospital or health care system accepted at a properly
  496  noticed public meeting, and whose governing board has voted to
  497  approve the letter of intent before December 31, 2011, is not
  498  subject to subsections (6)-(17) as long as the final closing of
  499  the sale or lease transaction pursuant to the letter of intent
  500  occurs before December 31, 2012.
  501         (25) Notwithstanding subsection (24), a county, district,
  502  or municipal hospital or health care system that has issued a
  503  request for proposals for the sale or lease of a hospital or
  504  health care system on or before February 1, 2012, in order to
  505  receive proposals from not-for-profit or for-profit qualified
  506  purchasers or lessees, is not subject to subsections (5)-(17)
  507  unless such request for proposals does not directly result in a
  508  sale or lease of the hospital or health care system to a
  509  qualified purchaser or lessee on or before December 31, 2012.
  510         Section 2. Section 155.401, Florida Statutes, is created to
  511  read:
  512         155.401Power of special taxing district to appropriate
  513  proceeds from sale or lease of hospital or health care system to
  514  economic development trust fund.—Notwithstanding any other
  515  general or special law, the purposes for which a special taxing
  516  district may appropriate funds from the sale or lease of a
  517  hospital or health care system to an economic development fund
  518  include the promotion and support of economic growth in such
  519  district and in the county in which such district is located and
  520  the furthering of the purposes of such district, as provided by
  521  law.
  522         Section 3. To the extent that any general or special law is
  523  inconsistent with or otherwise in conflict with this act, such
  524  conflicting provisions are specifically superseded by this act.
  525  A special tax district, public hospital, or municipal hospital
  526  is not exempt from this act.
  527         Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 395.002, Florida
  528  Statutes, is amended to read:
  529         395.002 Definitions.—As used in this chapter:
  530         (1) “Accrediting organizations” means national
  531  accreditation organizations that are approved by the Centers for
  532  Medicare and Medicaid Services and whose standards incorporate
  533  comparable licensure regulations required by the state the Joint
  534  Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the
  535  American Osteopathic Association, the Commission on
  536  Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and the
  537  Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.
  538         Section 5. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
  539  made by this act to section 395.002, Florida Statutes, in a
  540  reference thereto, paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
  541  395.003, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:
  542         395.003 Licensure; denial, suspension, and revocation.—
  543         (2)
  544         (c) Intensive residential treatment programs for children
  545  and adolescents which have received accreditation from an
  546  accrediting organization as defined in s. 395.002(1) and which
  547  meet the minimum standards developed by rule of the agency for
  548  such programs shall be licensed by the agency under this part.
  549         Section 6. Section 395.3036, Florida Statutes, is amended
  550  to read:
  551         395.3036 Confidentiality of records and meetings of
  552  entities corporations that lease public hospitals or other
  553  public health care facilities.—The records of a private entity
  554  corporation that leases a public hospital or other public health
  555  care facility are confidential and exempt from the provisions of
  556  s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, and
  557  the meetings of the governing board of a private entity
  558  corporation are exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of
  559  the State Constitution if when the public lessor complies with
  560  the public finance accountability provisions of s. 155.40(18)
  561  155.40(5) with respect to the transfer of any public funds to
  562  the private lessee and if when the private lessee meets at least
  563  three of the five following criteria:
  564         (1) The public lessor that owns the public hospital or
  565  other public health care facility was not the incorporator or
  566  initial member of the private entity corporation that leases the
  567  public hospital or other health care facility.
  568         (2) The public lessor and the private lessee do not
  569  commingle any of their funds in any account maintained by either
  570  of them, other than the payment of the rent and administrative
  571  fees or the transfer of funds pursuant to subsection (5) (2).
  572         (3) Except as otherwise provided by law, the private lessee
  573  is not allowed to participate, except as a member of the public,
  574  in the decisionmaking process of the public lessor.
  575         (4) The lease agreement does not expressly require the
  576  lessee to comply with the requirements of ss. 119.07(1) and
  577  286.011.
  578         (5) The public lessor is not entitled to receive any
  579  revenues from the lessee, except for rental or administrative
  580  fees due under the lease, and the lessor is not responsible for
  581  the debts or other obligations of the lessee.
  582         Section 7. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
  583  
  584  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  585         And the title is amended as follows:
  586         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  587  and insert:
  588                        A bill to be entitled                      
  589         An act relating to the sale or lease of a county,
  590         district, or municipal hospital; amending s. 155.40,
  591         F.S.; defining terms; requiring that the governing
  592         board of a county, district, or municipal hospital
  593         evaluate the possible benefits to an affected
  594         community from the sale or lease of the hospital
  595         facility to a not-for-profit or for-profit entity
  596         within a specified time period; specifying the actions
  597         the board must take in evaluating whether to sell or
  598         lease the public hospital; requiring the board to
  599         determine whether qualified purchasers or lessees
  600         exist; specifying the factors that must be considered
  601         by the governing board before accepting a proposal to
  602         sell or lease the hospital; requiring the board to
  603         state in writing detailed findings related to its
  604         decision to accept or reject the proposal; requiring
  605         the governing board to make public the required
  606         findings and documents and to publish a notice of the
  607         proposed transaction in one or more newspapers of
  608         general circulation in the county in which the
  609         majority of the physical assets of the hospital are
  610         located; allowing persons to submit written comments
  611         regarding the proposed transaction; providing that the
  612         sale or lease is subject to the approval of the
  613         Secretary of Health Care Administration; requiring the
  614         governing board to file a petition with the Secretary
  615         of Health Care Administration seeking approval of the
  616         proposed transaction within a specified time period;
  617         requiring the Secretary of Health Care Administration
  618         or his or her designee to issue a final order
  619         approving or denying the proposed transaction;
  620         specifying the criteria upon which the Secretary of
  621         Health Care Administration must base his or her
  622         decision; authorizing an interested party to appeal
  623         the decision of the Secretary of Health Care
  624         Administration; requiring that all costs be paid by
  625         the governing board unless an interested party
  626         contests the action, in which case the court may
  627         assign costs equitably to the parties; providing for
  628         the distribution of proceeds from the transaction;
  629         exempting the sale or lease of specified physical
  630         property of a county, district, or municipal hospital
  631         from processes required for the approval of a sale or
  632         lease of county, district, or municipal hospital
  633         property; providing an exemption from complying with
  634         the requirements of the act under certain
  635         circumstances; exempting application of the act to
  636         hospitals or health care systems for which a letter of
  637         intent to sell or lease is executed before a specified
  638         date; exempting application of the act to a county,
  639         district, or municipal hospital or health care system
  640         that has issued a request for proposals for the sale
  641         or lease of a hospital or health care system on or
  642         before a specified date; providing an exception;
  643         creating s. 155.401, F.S.; providing that the purposes
  644         for which a special taxing district may appropriate
  645         funds from the sale or lease of a hospital or health
  646         care system include the promotion and support of
  647         economic growth in the district and county in which
  648         the taxing district is located and the furthering of
  649         the purposes of the taxing district; providing that
  650         any general or special law that is inconsistent with
  651         or otherwise in conflict with the act is specifically
  652         superseded by the act; amending s. 395.002, F.S.;
  653         revising the definition of the term “accrediting
  654         organizations”; reenacting s. 395.003(2)(c), F.S.,
  655         relating to licensure and regulation of hospitals, to
  656         incorporate the amendment made to s. 395.002, F.S., in
  657         a reference thereto; amending s. 395.3036, F.S.;
  658         conforming cross-references; providing an effective
  659         date.