Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 404
       
       
        
       By Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       19-00434A-21                                           2021404__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Office of Minority Health and
    3         Health Equity; creating s. 381.735, F.S.; requiring
    4         the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity to
    5         develop and promote the statewide implementation of
    6         certain policies, programs, and practices; requiring
    7         one representative from each county health department
    8         to serve as a minority health liaison for a specified
    9         purpose; requiring the office to use all available
   10         resources and pursue funding opportunities to achieve
   11         this purpose; specifying duties for the office;
   12         requiring the office to maintain on its website
   13         specified information; requiring the office to serve
   14         as a liaison to and assist certain federal offices;
   15         authorizing the Department of Health to adopt rules;
   16         providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 381.735, Florida Statutes, is created to
   21  read:
   22         381.735 Office of Minority Health and Health Equity.—
   23         (1) The Office of Minority Health and Health Equity
   24  established under s. 20.43(9) shall develop and promote the
   25  statewide implementation of policies, programs, and practices
   26  that increase health equity in this state, including, but not
   27  limited to, increased access to and quality of health care
   28  services for racial and ethnic minority populations. One
   29  representative from each county health department shall serve as
   30  a minority health liaison to assist the office in implementing
   31  this section. The office shall use all available resources and
   32  pursue opportunities for increased funding to achieve the
   33  purpose of this section.
   34         (2) The office shall coordinate with agencies,
   35  organizations, and providers across this state to do all of the
   36  following:
   37         (a) Gather and analyze data regarding disparities in health
   38  status, quality of health care, and access to health care
   39  services for racial and ethnic minority populations in this
   40  state.
   41         (b) Develop mechanisms that support better information
   42  dissemination and education about health disparities and improve
   43  access to and delivery of health care services to racial and
   44  ethnic minority populations in this state.
   45         (c) Support minority health liaisons by facilitating access
   46  to and the exchange of information related to health promotion,
   47  preventive health services, and education in the appropriate use
   48  of care.
   49         (d) Conduct demonstration projects and evaluations to
   50  ensure the success and sustainability of policies, programs, and
   51  practices that increase health equity in this state.
   52         (e) Promote the use of community health workers to improve
   53  the cultural competency of services and build individual and
   54  community self-sufficiency.
   55         (f) Gather and analyze data regarding the prevalence of
   56  racial and ethnic minority populations at risk of involvement
   57  with the criminal justice system, the juvenile justice system,
   58  and the foster care system or at risk for homelessness, and any
   59  disparities in such involvement or access to appropriate
   60  behavioral health services by those populations when compared to
   61  other populations in this state.
   62         (g) Promote the creation of or participation in programs
   63  that divert individuals with mental health and substance use
   64  disorders from the criminal justice system and ensure the
   65  availability of quality behavioral health services to the
   66  populations specified in paragraph (f).
   67         (h) Develop and implement programs that improve access to
   68  health care services for individuals with limited proficiency in
   69  the English language by providing access to bilingual providers
   70  or interpretive services.
   71         (3) The office shall maintain all of the following on its
   72  website, updated at least annually:
   73         (a) Current data on health disparities and issues affecting
   74  racial and ethnic minority populations in this state.
   75         (b) Information about and links to resources available to
   76  racial and ethnic minority populations in this state.
   77         (c) Resources for providers who wish to improve cultural
   78  competency, understand health disparities, and increase the
   79  quality of and access to health care services for racial and
   80  ethnic minority populations in this state. These resources must
   81  include, but need not be limited to, minority health literature,
   82  research, and referrals; capacity-building and technical
   83  assistance services; and training materials for implementing
   84  nationally recognized evidence-based practices for culturally
   85  and linguistically appropriate health care services.
   86         (d) Contact information for local minority health liaisons.
   87         (4) The office shall serve as a liaison to and assist the
   88  federal Offices of Minority Health and Regional Health
   89  Operations, as appropriate.
   90         (5) The department may adopt rules to implement this
   91  section.
   92         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.