Florida Senate - 2023                                    SB 1408
       
       
        
       By Senator Davis
       
       
       
       
       
       5-00979-23                                            20231408__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the sickle cell program; providing
    3         a short title; amending s. 381.815, F.S.; requiring
    4         the Department of Health to establish a grant program
    5         for the prevention, care, and treatment of sickle cell
    6         disease and for certain educational programs;
    7         requiring the department to develop application
    8         criteria and standards of eligibility for grants under
    9         the program; requiring the department to ensure that
   10         grant funds are used for specified purposes; requiring
   11         the department to develop and maintain a voluntary
   12         sickle cell disease registry; requiring the department
   13         to conduct a specified study; requiring the department
   14         to adopt rules; providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. This act may be known as the “Sickle Cell
   19  Prevention, Care, and Treatment Act.”
   20         Section 2. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 381.815,
   21  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   22         381.815 Sickle cell Sickle-cell program; voluntary
   23  registry.—The Department of Health shall, to the extent that
   24  resources are available:
   25         (1) Provide education to the citizens of Florida about
   26  sickle cell sickle-cell disease.
   27         (3)(a) Establish a grant program for the prevention, care,
   28  and treatment of sickle cell disease and for community-based
   29  educational programs concerning the disease. The community-based
   30  educational programs shall include an outreach program that
   31  provides for the dissemination of information relating to the
   32  prevention, care, and treatment of sickle cell disease.
   33         (b) Develop application criteria and standards of
   34  eligibility for applicants for funds under the grant program.
   35         1. Groups or organizations that meet the eligibility
   36  standards developed by the department may apply for funds under
   37  the program.
   38         2.a. Priority for grants must be given to established
   39  sickle cell disease community-based applicants throughout this
   40  state.
   41         b. Further priority must be given to ensuring the
   42  establishment of sickle cell disease centers in underserved
   43  areas with a higher population of sickle cell disease patients.
   44         (c) Require that all program grant funds be used for the
   45  purpose of prevention, care, and treatment of sickle cell
   46  disease or for educational programs concerning the disease.
   47         (d) Develop and maintain a voluntary sickle cell disease
   48  registry for persons diagnosed with sickle cell disease.
   49         (e) Conduct a study to determine the prevalence, impact,
   50  and needs of patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease and the
   51  sickle cell trait in the state.
   52         (f) Adopt rules necessary to implement this subsection Make
   53  grants or enter into contracts with not-for-profit centers.
   54         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.