Florida Senate - 2020                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1206
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì455434)Î455434                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       The Committee on Health Policy (Harrell) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 393.17, Florida Statutes, is amended to
    6  read:
    7         393.17 Behavioral programs; certification of behavior
    8  analysts and registered behavior technicians.—
    9         (1) The agency may establish a certification process for
   10  behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians in order
   11  to ensure that only qualified employees and service providers
   12  provide behavioral analysis services to clients. The procedures
   13  must be established by rule and, for behavior analysts, must
   14  include criteria for scope of practice, qualifications for
   15  certification, including training and testing requirements,
   16  continuing education requirements for ongoing certification, and
   17  standards of performance. The procedures must also include
   18  decertification procedures that may be used to determine whether
   19  an individual continues to meet the qualifications for
   20  certification or the professional performance standards and, if
   21  not, the procedures necessary to decertify an employee or
   22  service provider.
   23         (2) The agency shall recognize the certification of
   24  behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians awarded by
   25  a nonprofit corporation that adheres to the national standards
   26  of boards that determine professional credentials and whose
   27  mission is to meet professional credentialing needs identified
   28  by behavior analysts, state governments, and consumers of
   29  behavior analysis services. The certification procedure
   30  recognized by the agency must undergo regular psychometric
   31  review and validation, pursuant to a job analysis survey of the
   32  profession and standards established by content experts in the
   33  field.
   34         Section 2. Paragraph (o) is added to subsection (4) of
   35  section 400.9905, Florida Statutes, to read:
   36         400.9905 Definitions.—
   37         (4) “Clinic” means an entity where health care services are
   38  provided to individuals and which tenders charges for
   39  reimbursement for such services, including a mobile clinic and a
   40  portable equipment provider. As used in this part, the term does
   41  not include and the licensure requirements of this part do not
   42  apply to:
   43         (o)A group of individuals certified as behavior analysts
   44  under s. 393.17, or licensed under chapter 490 or chapter 491,
   45  and who are employed by or under contract with a group practice,
   46  a billing provider, or an agency that provides applied behavior
   47  analysis services as defined in ss. 627.6686 and 641.31098.
   48  
   49  Notwithstanding this subsection, an entity shall be deemed a
   50  clinic and must be licensed under this part in order to receive
   51  reimbursement under the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, ss.
   52  627.730-627.7405, unless exempted under s. 627.736(5)(h).
   53         Section 3. Present paragraphs (b) through (f) of subsection
   54  (1) of section 1003.572, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   55  paragraphs (c) through (g), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is
   56  added to that subsection, and paragraph (a) of that subsection
   57  is republished, to read:
   58         1003.572 Collaboration of public and private instructional
   59  personnel.—
   60         (1) As used in this section, the term “private
   61  instructional personnel” means:
   62         (a) Individuals certified under s. 393.17 or licensed under
   63  chapter 490 or chapter 491 for applied behavior analysis
   64  services as defined in ss. 627.6686 and 641.31098.
   65         (b)Registered behavior technicians certified under s.
   66  393.17 who practice under the supervision of a professional
   67  authorized under paragraph (a) and who assist and support such
   68  professional in providing applied behavior analysis services.
   69         Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
   70  456.47, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   71         456.47 Use of telehealth to provide services.—
   72         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   73         (b) “Telehealth provider” means any individual who provides
   74  health care and related services using telehealth and who is
   75  licensed or certified under s. 393.17 as a behavior analyst;
   76  part III of chapter 401; chapter 457; chapter 458; chapter 459;
   77  chapter 460; chapter 461; chapter 463; chapter 464; chapter 465;
   78  chapter 466; chapter 467; part I, part III, part IV, part V,
   79  part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468; chapter 478;
   80  chapter 480; part II or part III of chapter 483; chapter 484;
   81  chapter 486; chapter 490; or chapter 491; who is licensed under
   82  a multistate health care licensure compact of which Florida is a
   83  member state; or who is registered under and complies with
   84  subsection (4).
   85         Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
   86  627.6686, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   87         627.6686 Coverage for individuals with autism spectrum
   88  disorder required; exception.—
   89         (3) A health insurance plan issued or renewed on or after
   90  April 1, 2009, shall provide coverage to an eligible individual
   91  for:
   92         (b) Treatment of autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome
   93  through speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy,
   94  and applied behavior analysis. Applied behavior analysis
   95  services shall be provided by an individual certified as a
   96  behavior analyst pursuant to s. 393.17 or an individual licensed
   97  under chapter 490 or chapter 491.
   98         Section 6. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
   99  641.31098, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  100         641.31098 Coverage for individuals with developmental
  101  disabilities.—
  102         (3) A health maintenance contract issued or renewed on or
  103  after April 1, 2009, shall provide coverage to an eligible
  104  individual for:
  105         (b) Treatment of autism spectrum disorder and Down
  106  syndrome, through speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical
  107  therapy, and applied behavior analysis services. Applied
  108  behavior analysis services shall be provided by an individual
  109  certified as a behavior analyst pursuant to s. 393.17 or an
  110  individual licensed under chapter 490 or chapter 491.
  111         Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.
  112  
  113  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  114  And the title is amended as follows:
  115         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  116  and insert:
  117                        A bill to be entitled                      
  118         An act relating to applied behavior analysis services;
  119         amending s. 393.17, F.S.; authorizing the Agency for
  120         Persons with Disabilities to establish a certification
  121         process for registered behavior technicians; requiring
  122         the agency to recognize the certification of
  123         registered behavior technicians awarded by a nonprofit
  124         corporation that meets specified requirements;
  125         amending s. 400.9905, F.S.; providing an exemption
  126         from licensure requirements for certain individuals
  127         who are employed or under contract with certain
  128         entities providing applied behavior analysis services;
  129         amending s. 1003.572, F.S.; revising the definition of
  130         the term “private instructional personnel” to include
  131         certain registered behavior technicians; amending ss.
  132         456.47, 627.6686, and 641.31098, F.S.; conforming
  133         provisions to changes made by the act; providing an
  134         effective date.