Florida Senate - 2019                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1518
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì132100MÎ132100                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/10/2019           .                                
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       Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
       (Wright) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 295.156, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         295.156 Alternative treatment options for veterans.—
    8         (1) As used in this section, the term:
    9         (a) “Posttraumatic stress disorder” means a mental health
   10  disorder that is developed after having experienced or witnessed
   11  a life-threatening event, including but not limited to, military
   12  sexual trauma.
   13         (b) “Traumatic brain injury” means an acquired injury to
   14  the brain. This term does not include brain dysfunction caused
   15  by congenital or degenerative disorders or by birth trauma.
   16         (2) Subject to legislative appropriation, the Department of
   17  Veterans’ Affairs may contract with a state university or
   18  Florida College System institution to furnish alternative
   19  treatment options for veterans who have been certified by the
   20  United States Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of
   21  the United States Armed Forces as having a traumatic brain
   22  injury or posttraumatic stress disorder. The university or
   23  institution shall manage, monitor, and ensure the compliance of
   24  contracted providers who provide any of the following
   25  alternative treatment options:
   26         (a) Accelerated resolution therapy.
   27         (b) Equine therapy.
   28         (c) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which must be provided at a
   29  registered hyperbaric oxygen facility.
   30         (d) Music therapy.
   31         (e) Service animal training therapy.
   32         (3) A veteran qualifies to receive alternative treatment
   33  under this section if he or she:
   34         (a) Has been diagnosed by a health care practitioner with
   35  service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder or a traumatic
   36  brain injury;
   37         (b) Voluntarily agrees to such alternative treatment; and
   38         (c) Can demonstrate that he or she has previously sought
   39  services for a posttraumatic stress disorder or a traumatic
   40  brain injury through the federal Veterans Affairs service
   41  delivery system or through private health insurance, if such
   42  coverage is available to the veteran.
   43         (4)(a) The provision of alternative treatment must be under
   44  the direction and supervision of an individual licensed under
   45  chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter 464, chapter 490,
   46  or chapter 491.
   47         (b) The supervising licensed provider must agree to
   48  cooperate with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide
   49  data sufficient to assess the efficacy of alternative treatment
   50  modalities.
   51         (5) By January 1 of each year, beginning in 2020, the
   52  Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall prepare a report detailing
   53  each alternative treatment provided pursuant to this section,
   54  the provider type, the number of veterans served, and the
   55  treatment outcomes. The department shall submit the report to
   56  the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
   57  the House of Representatives.
   58         (6) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs may adopt rules to
   59  implement this section.
   60         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
   61  
   62  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   63  And the title is amended as follows:
   64         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   65  and insert:
   66                        A bill to be entitled                      
   67         An act relating to alternative treatment options for
   68         veterans; creating s. 295.156, F.S.; providing
   69         definitions; authorizing the Department of Veterans’
   70         Affairs, subject to appropriation, to contract with a
   71         state university or Florida College System institution
   72         to furnish specified alternative treatment options for
   73         certain veterans; providing requirements as to the
   74         provision of alternative treatment options and related
   75         assessment data; specifying eligibility to receive
   76         alternative treatment; requiring direction and
   77         supervision by certain licensed providers; requiring
   78         the department to annually prepare a report for
   79         submission to the Governor and Legislature;
   80         authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing
   81         an effective date.