Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 256
       
       
        
       By Senator Book
       
       
       
       
       
       35-00337-24                                            2024256__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to pregnancy support and wellness
    3         services; amending s. 381.96, F.S.; revising contract
    4         requirements for the Florida Pregnancy Care Network,
    5         Inc.; requiring the Department of Health to conduct
    6         annual visits to each organization within the network;
    7         providing requirements for the visits; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Present subsections (4) and (5) of section
   13  381.96, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5)
   14  and (6), respectively, a new subsection (4) is added to that
   15  section, and subsection (3) of that section is amended, to read:
   16         381.96 Pregnancy support and wellness services.—
   17         (3) CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS.—The department contract must
   18  shall specify the contract deliverables, including financial
   19  reports and other reports due to the department, timeframes for
   20  achieving contractual obligations, and any other requirements
   21  the department determines are necessary, such as staffing and
   22  location requirements. The contract must shall require the
   23  network to:
   24         (a) Establish, implement, and monitor a comprehensive
   25  system of care through subcontractors to meet the pregnancy and
   26  parenting support and wellness needs of eligible clients.
   27         (b) Establish and manage subcontracts with a sufficient
   28  number of providers to ensure the availability of pregnancy and
   29  parenting support services and wellness services for eligible
   30  clients, and maintain and manage the delivery of such services
   31  throughout the contract period.
   32         (c) Spend at least 85 percent of the contract funds on
   33  pregnancy and parenting support services, excluding services
   34  specified in subparagraph (1)(d)4., and wellness services.
   35         (d) Offer wellness services through vouchers or other
   36  appropriate arrangements that allow the purchase of services
   37  from qualified health care providers.
   38         (e) Require a background screening under s. 943.0542 for
   39  all paid staff and volunteers of a subcontractor if such staff
   40  or volunteers provide direct client services to an eligible
   41  client who is a minor or an elderly person or who has a
   42  disability.
   43         (f) Annually monitor its subcontractors and specify the
   44  sanctions that shall be imposed for noncompliance with the terms
   45  of a subcontract.
   46         (g) Subcontract only with providers that exclusively
   47  promote and support childbirth.
   48         (h) Ensure that informational materials provided to an
   49  eligible client by a provider include only are current,
   50  medically and accurate information and cite the reference source
   51  of any medical statement included in such materials. The
   52  contract must include fines as a penalty for noncompliance with
   53  this paragraph.
   54         (i) Ensure that organizations within the network make
   55  information on local rape crisis centers and sexual assault
   56  treatment centers readily available to clients.
   57         (j) Ensure that the department is provided with all
   58  information necessary for the report required under subsection
   59  (6) (5).
   60         (k) Perform an annual financial audit of each organization
   61  within the network and submit a report of the audit to the
   62  President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
   63  Representatives by February 1 each year.
   64         (4) DEPARTMENT VISITS.—The department shall visit each
   65  organization within the network at least annually to determine
   66  compliance with the terms of the contract. The visit must be an
   67  unannounced visit but must be conducted during the
   68  organization’s regular business hours.
   69         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.