Florida Senate - 2022 SB 466
By Senator Torres
15-00723-22 2022466__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Military Medics and Corpsmen of
3 Florida program; creating s. 295.126, F.S.; defining
4 terms; requiring the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
5 and the Department of Health to establish and
6 administer the program; providing program purposes;
7 providing for eligibility; providing program
8 components; authorizing medically trained veterans
9 participating in the program to perform certain
10 medical activities under specified supervision;
11 providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Section 295.126, Florida Statutes, is created to
16 read:
17 295.126 Military Medics and Corpsmen of Florida (MMACOF)
18 program.—
19 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
20 (a) “Medically trained veteran” means a person who has
21 served within the preceding 12 months as a medic in the United
22 States Army, a medical technician in the United States Air
23 Force, or a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy or the
24 United States Coast Guard, who was discharged or separated from
25 service under conditions other than dishonorable, and who has
26 performed more than 50 percent of the required scope of specific
27 health care practice skills established pursuant to subsection
28 (3).
29 (b) “Participating health care provider” means:
30 1. A physician licensed under chapter 458;
31 2. An osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 459;
32 3. A professional corporation or partnership of a licensed
33 physician or osteopathic physician;
34 4. A hospital;
35 5. A commercial enterprise having medical facilities for
36 its employees which are supervised by one or more licensed
37 physicians or osteopathic physicians; or
38 6. A facility that offers medical services to the public
39 and that is supervised by one or more licensed physicians or
40 osteopathic physicians.
41 (c) “Veteran” means a veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14) or
42 a former member of the Florida National Guard.
43 (2) PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES.—The Department of
44 Veterans’ Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of
45 Health, shall establish and administer the Military Medics and
46 Corpsmen of Florida (MMACOF) program. The purpose of the program
47 is to offer clinical, leadership, and nonclinical career
48 pathways to veterans seeking health care careers within this
49 state. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall recruit and
50 review the eligibility of veterans according to the requirements
51 established pursuant to subsection (3). In collaboration with
52 local, state, and federal government nonprofit health care
53 associations and state health care systems, the Department of
54 Veterans’ Affairs shall refer eligible veterans to participating
55 health care providers throughout this state in order to gain
56 employment, maintain medical skills, address the shortage of
57 health care professionals in this state, and work toward
58 obtaining appropriate health care registration, certification,
59 or licensure.
60 (3) ELIGIBILITY.—The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in
61 collaboration with the Department of Health, shall establish
62 general eligibility requirements for veterans to participate in
63 the MMACOF program. Eligibility requirements for medically
64 trained veterans shall include a required scope of specific
65 health care practice skills.
66 (4) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—The MMACOF program shall consist of
67 the following components:
68 (a) MMACOF Qualified.—Through the MMACOF program, medically
69 trained veterans who have performed more than 50 percent of the
70 required scope of specific health care practice skills
71 established pursuant to subsection (3) within the preceding 12
72 months may continue practicing those skills in a civilian health
73 care setting as provided in subsection (5), while obtaining the
74 appropriate health care registration, certification, or
75 licensure.
76 (b) No Veteran Left Behind.—Veterans who do not meet the
77 definition of the term “medically trained veteran” but who have
78 served in health care-related specialties shall receive
79 assistance by the MMACOF program in resume writing, mentorship,
80 and obtaining employment with participating health care
81 providers.
82 (c) Health Care Leadership.—The MMACOF program shall assist
83 veterans who, in the course of their military service, gained
84 management experience or completed advanced degrees in finding
85 civilian health care leadership and management employment in a
86 variety of health care disciplines.
87 (5) ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY MEDICALLY TRAINED VETERANS.—
88 (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a
89 medically trained veteran participating in the MMACOF program
90 may:
91 1. Perform activities that constitute the practice of
92 medicine under the direct supervision of a physician licensed
93 under chapter 458, an osteopathic physician licensed under
94 chapter 459, or the chief medical officer of a participating
95 health care provider.
96 2. Perform activities that constitute the practice of
97 nursing under the direct supervision of a physician licensed
98 under chapter 458, an osteopathic physician licensed under
99 chapter 459, or the chief medical officer of a participating
100 health care provider, except that the chief medical officer of a
101 participating health care provider may, in consultation with the
102 chief nursing officer of such participating health care
103 provider, designate a registered nurse licensed under chapter
104 464 or practicing with a multistate license to supervise
105 medically trained veterans in the practice of nursing.
106 (b) The activities performed by the medically trained
107 veteran shall reflect his or her level of training and
108 experience. The supervising physician or registered nurse, as
109 applicable, shall retain responsibility for the care of the
110 patient.
111 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.