Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 330
By the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services;
and Senators Boyd and Rouson
603-03302-24 2024330c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to behavioral health teaching
3 hospitals; creating part VI of ch. 395, F.S., entitled
4 “Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals”; creating s.
5 395.901, F.S.; defining the terms “agency” and
6 “behavioral health teaching hospital”; providing
7 legislative findings and intent; creating s. 395.902,
8 F.S.; specifying criteria that a hospital must meet to
9 receive designation as a behavioral health teaching
10 hospital; notwithstanding such criteria, designating
11 specified existing partnerships as pilot behavioral
12 health teaching hospitals for a 3-year period;
13 requiring such hospitals to meet the designation
14 criteria by a specified date; requiring the Department
15 of Children and Families, in collaboration with the
16 Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, the
17 pilot hospitals, and other relevant stakeholders, to
18 submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature by
19 a specified date; specifying requirements for the
20 report; amending s. 409.91256, F.S.; revising the
21 purpose and intent of the Training, Education, and
22 Clinicals in Health (TEACH) Funding Program; revising
23 the definition of the term “qualifying facility”;
24 amending s. 1004.44, F.S.; establishing the Florida
25 Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within the
26 Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute for
27 a specified purpose; specifying the primary goals of
28 the center; requiring the center to establish and
29 maintain a database on the supply and demand of
30 behavioral health professionals in this state for a
31 specified purpose; authorizing the center to request
32 from, and requiring certain boards to provide, certain
33 information regarding behavioral health professionals
34 licensed or practicing in this state; requiring the
35 center to submit an annual report of certain
36 information to the Governor and the Legislature;
37 requiring the Board of Governors and the State Board
38 of Education, in consultation with the center, to
39 adopt certain regulations and rules, as applicable;
40 requiring the Department of Children and Families to
41 contract for a study of the bed capacity in the
42 state’s forensic, voluntary and involuntary civil
43 commitment, and statewide inpatient psychiatric
44 programs; requiring that the study be completed by a
45 specified date and include specified information;
46 providing appropriations; providing effective dates.
47
48 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
49
50 Section 1. Part VI of chapter 395, Florida Statutes,
51 consisting of ss. 395.901 and 395.902, Florida Statutes, is
52 created and entitled “Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals.”
53 Section 2. Section 395.901, Florida Statutes, is created to
54 read:
55 395.901 Behavioral health teaching hospitals.—
56 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this part, the term:
57 (a) “Agency” means the Agency for Health Care
58 Administration.
59 (b) “Behavioral health teaching hospital” means a
60 community-based hospital licensed under this chapter which has
61 partnered with a university school of medicine and offers
62 integrated behavioral health education as specified in s.
63 395.902.
64 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—
65 (a) The Legislature finds that there is a critical shortage
66 of behavioral health professionals and recognizes the urgent
67 need to expand the existing behavioral health workforce, prepare
68 for an aging workforce, incentivize entry into behavioral health
69 professions, and train a modernized workforce in innovative
70 integrated care.
71 (b) The Legislature finds there is a specific need to
72 support a behavioral health education system that not only
73 trains the next generation of professionals in innovative and
74 integrated care for those with behavioral health needs, but also
75 works to modernize the state’s overall behavioral health system
76 of care.
77 (c) Therefore, the Legislature intends to identify and
78 designate multiple behavioral health teaching hospitals that
79 work to provide the necessary research, education, and services
80 to not only enhance this state’s behavioral health workforce,
81 but to make that workforce and system of care the national
82 standard. The Legislature intends to establish pilot designated
83 behavioral health teaching hospitals with the intent of
84 developing and implementing a statewide model.
85 (d) The Legislature further intends to create the Florida
86 Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within the Louis de la
87 Parte Florida Mental Health Institute to address issues of
88 workforce supply and demand in behavioral health professions,
89 including issues of recruitment, retention, and workforce
90 resources.
91 (e) The Legislature intends for designated behavioral
92 health teaching hospitals to:
93 1. Focus on state-of-the-art behavioral health research.
94 2. Provide leading-edge education and training for this
95 state’s behavioral health workforce in innovative and integrated
96 care.
97 3. Collaborate with other university colleges and schools
98 of nursing, psychology, social work, pharmacy, public health,
99 and other relevant disciplines to promote and enhance a
100 modernized behavioral health system of care.
101 4. Develop, implement, and promote public-private
102 partnerships throughout this state to support and enhance the
103 intent of this part.
104 5. Partner with the state to provide inpatient and
105 outpatient behavioral health care, address systemwide behavioral
106 health needs, and support the state in providing treatment and
107 care for those whose need and acuity has resulted in the need
108 for long-term voluntary or involuntary civil commitment.
109 Section 3. Section 395.902, Florida Statutes, is created to
110 read:
111 395.902 Designated behavioral health teaching hospitals.—
112 (1) To be designated as a behavioral health teaching
113 hospital, a hospital must meet all of the following criteria:
114 (a) Offer a psychiatric residency program accredited
115 through the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation
116 Council of Graduate Medical Education.
117 (b) Offer an accredited postdoctoral clinical psychology
118 fellowship program.
119 (c) Develop and maintain a consultation agreement with the
120 Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute as established
121 in s. 1004.44, including with the Florida Center for Behavioral
122 Health Workforce.
123 (d) As part of its partnership with a university school of
124 medicine, develop and submit a plan to the Department of
125 Children and Families and the Florida Center for Behavioral
126 Health Workforce which meets all of the following criteria:
127 1. Promotes the development of integrated behavioral health
128 workforce educational programs, including, but not limited to,
129 practicums and internships for clinical and nonclinical
130 behavioral and physical health professions.
131 2. Promotes a coordinated system of care which offers
132 inpatient and outpatient treatment and services for individuals
133 with behavioral health needs, including, but not limited to,
134 prevention, community inpatient care, crisis stabilization,
135 short-term residential treatment, screening, therapeutic and
136 supportive services, and long-term care.
137 3. Coordinates and promotes innovative partnerships that
138 integrate colleges and schools of nursing, psychology, social
139 work, pharmacy, public health, and other relevant disciplines
140 with existing local and regional programs, clinics, and
141 resources.
142 4. Develops processes to identify local gaps in access to
143 inpatient care.
144 5. Partners with the Department of Children and Families
145 and managing entities to build capacity in safety net inpatient
146 and outpatient behavioral health services.
147 6. Provides bed capacity to support state hospital needs,
148 when needed.
149 (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), to accomplish the
150 stated intent of this section to develop and implement a
151 statewide model of a behavioral health teaching hospital, the
152 following partnerships are designated as pilot behavioral health
153 teaching hospitals for a period of 3 years without meeting the
154 required criteria of this section, with the expectation that
155 they meet all criteria and requirements of subsection (1) by
156 July 1, 2027:
157 (a) The University of South Florida Morsani College of
158 Medicine and Tampa General Hospital.
159 (b) The University of Florida School of Medicine and UF
160 Health Shands Hospitals in Gainesville and Jacksonville.
161 (c) The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and
162 Jackson Memorial Hospital.
163 (3)(a) A designated behavioral health teaching hospital
164 must annually report to the Department of Children and Families
165 by December 1, the current status of the designated behavioral
166 health teaching hospital program, including, but not limited to
167 the:
168 1. Number of psychiatric residents.
169 2. Number of postdoctoral clinical psychology fellows.
170 3. Status and details of the consultation agreement with
171 the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute and
172 Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce.
173 4. Status and implementation details of the plan required
174 under paragraph (1)(d).
175 (b) Upon completion of the 3-year pilot period on July 1,
176 2027, the Department of Children and Families, in collaboration
177 with the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, the
178 pilot behavioral health teaching hospitals, and other relevant
179 stakeholders must submit a report to the Governor, the President
180 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
181 by July 1, 2028. This report must, at a minimum:
182 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the behavioral health
183 teaching hospital model.
184 2. Discuss barriers to the implementation and operation of
185 the model.
186 3. Recommend policy changes to enhance the model to better
187 meet the intent of the Legislature.
188 4. Evaluate and recommend whether the state should maintain
189 the original designated pilot behavioral teaching hospital
190 locations or detail the necessity for and recommend the
191 expansion of the model to new partnership sites.
192 Section 4. Subsection (1) and paragraph (d) of subsection
193 (2) of section 409.91256, Florida Statutes, as created by SB
194 7016, Regular Session 2024, are amended to read:
195 409.91256 Training, Education, and Clinicals in Health
196 (TEACH) Funding Program.—
197 (1) PURPOSE AND INTENT.—The Training, Education, and
198 Clinicals in Health (TEACH) Funding Program is created to
199 provide a high-quality educational experience while supporting
200 participating federally qualified health centers, community
201 mental health centers, rural health clinics, behavioral health
202 teaching hospitals, and certified community behavioral health
203 clinics by offsetting administrative costs and loss of revenue
204 associated with training residents and students to become
205 licensed health care practitioners. Further, it is the intent of
206 the Legislature to use the program to support the state Medicaid
207 program and underserved populations by expanding the available
208 health care workforce.
209 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
210 (d) “Qualified facility” means a federally qualified health
211 center, a community mental health center, rural health clinic,
212 behavioral health teaching hospital, or a certified community
213 behavioral health clinic.
214 Section 5. Subsections (6), (7), and (8) are added to
215 section 1004.44, Florida Statutes, to read:
216 1004.44 Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
217 There is established the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health
218 Institute within the University of South Florida.
219 (6)(a) There is established, within the institute, the
220 Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce to address issues
221 of workforce supply and demand in behavioral health professions,
222 including issues of recruitment, retention, and workforce
223 resources.
224 (b) The primary goals for the center are to:
225 1. Design and implement a longitudinal study of the state’s
226 behavioral health workforce that, at a minimum:
227 a. Produces a statistically valid biennial data-driven
228 analysis of the supply and demand of the behavioral health
229 workforce. To achieve such goal, the center must:
230 (I) Identify and define specific professions to be
231 considered behavioral health professions for analysis.
232 (II) Establish and maintain a database on the supply and
233 demand of behavioral health professionals in this state, to
234 include current supply and demand.
235 (III) Analyze the current and future supply and demand in
236 this state.
237 b. Develops recommendations and strategies to increase the
238 state’s behavioral health workforce, behavioral health
239 profession training and education programs, and behavioral
240 health profession faculty development.
241 c. Develops best practices in the academic preparation and
242 continuing education needs of behavioral health professionals.
243 d. Collects data on behavioral health professions,
244 employment, distribution, and retention.
245 2. Develop a strategic statewide plan for the state’s
246 behavioral health workforce that:
247 a. Pilots innovative projects to support the recruitment,
248 development, and retention of qualified behavioral health
249 professionals, to include behavioral health educators, faculty,
250 and clinical preceptors.
251 b. Encourages and coordinates the development of academic
252 practice partnerships that support behavioral health faculty
253 employment and advancement.
254 c. Develops distance learning infrastructure for behavioral
255 health education and the evidence-based use of technology,
256 simulation, and distance learning techniques.
257 d. Enhances and promotes behavioral health professions and
258 professionals in this state by developing and promoting:
259 (I) Behavioral health excellence programs.
260 (II) Reward, recognition, and renewal activities.
261 (III) Media and image-building efforts.
262 3. Convene various groups representative of behavioral
263 health professions, other health care providers, business and
264 industry, consumers, lawmakers, educators, and the Commission on
265 Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder to:
266 a. Review and comment on the center’s behavioral health
267 workforce data analysis.
268 b. Provide an overview of the state’s behavioral health
269 infrastructure and perform a gap analysis to recommend systemic
270 changes, including strategies for implementation of recommended
271 changes.
272 c. Develop a strategic plan to implement the
273 recommendations of the Commission on Mental Health and Substance
274 Use Disorder to:
275 (I) Strengthen community networks and cross-agency
276 collaboration.
277 (II) Enhance the state’s crisis care continuum.
278 (III) Improve data collection and management processes.
279 (IV) Optimize financial management of the behavioral health
280 system of care.
281 d. Evaluate how to best promote, integrate, and incentivize
282 the establishment and growth of the behavioral health teaching
283 hospital model.
284 4. Evaluate and report the results of these efforts to the
285 Legislature and other entities.
286 (c) The center may request from any board as defined in s.
287 456.001, and the board must provide to the center upon its
288 request, any information held by the board regarding a
289 behavioral health professional licensed in this state or holding
290 a multistate license pursuant to a professional multistate
291 licensure compact or information reported to the board by
292 employers of such behavioral health professionals, other than
293 personal identifying information.
294 (d) By January 10 of each year, the center shall submit a
295 report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
296 Speaker of the House of Representatives providing details of its
297 activities during the preceding calendar year in pursuit of its
298 goals and in the execution of its duties under paragraph (b).
299 (7) The Board of Governors and the State Board of
300 Education, in consultation with the center, shall expeditiously
301 adopt any necessary regulations and rules, as applicable, to
302 allow the center to perform its responsibilities as soon as
303 practicable.
304 Section 6. Effective upon this act becoming a law, the
305 Department of Children and Families must contract for a detailed
306 study of bed capacity in this state’s forensic, voluntary and
307 involuntary civil commitment, and statewide inpatient
308 psychiatric programs. The study must be completed by January 31,
309 2025, and must, at a minimum, include all of the following:
310 (1) An analysis of bed capacity in forensic, voluntary and
311 involuntary civil commitment, and statewide inpatient
312 psychiatric programs.
313 (2) Policy recommendations for ensuring sufficient bed
314 capacity in these settings.
315 (3) An evaluation of maintaining civil commitment beds as a
316 requirement for designation as a behavioral health teaching
317 hospital, to include potential costs related to capital outlay,
318 enhanced bed rate, and staffing requirements.
319 (4) Recommendations for promoting coordination between this
320 state’s civil commitment system and behavioral health teaching
321 hospitals.
322 (5) Recommendations to build capacity for safety net
323 inpatient and outpatient services that will mitigate involuntary
324 commitments.
325 Section 7. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of $1
326 million in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
327 appropriated to the Department of Children and Families to
328 contract for a detailed study of bed capacity of this state’s
329 forensic, voluntary and involuntary civil commitment, and state
330 inpatient psychiatric programs as required pursuant to section 6
331 of this act. In order to solicit the expertise of and leverage
332 the partnerships developed between state universities and
333 behavioral health teaching hospitals, the study must include an
334 evaluation of the feasibility of increasing bed capacity for
335 civil commitments within nonstate entities.
336 Section 8. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of $5
337 million in recurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
338 appropriated to the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health
339 Institute for the operation of the Florida Center for Behavioral
340 Health Workforce as created by this act.
341 Section 9. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sums of
342 $2,557,800 in recurring funds from the General Revenue Fund and
343 $3,442,200 in recurring funds from the Medical Care Trust Fund
344 are appropriated to the Agency for Health Care Administration
345 for the Slots for Doctors Program established in s. 409.909,
346 Florida Statutes. Each hospital is eligible to receive funding
347 for up to 10 newly created resident positions within each of the
348 pilot behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under part
349 VI of chapter 395, Florida Statutes, as created by this act.
350 Notwithstanding s. 409.909, Florida Statutes, the agency shall
351 allocate $150,000 for each newly created position.
352 Section 10. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of $100
353 million in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
354 appropriated to the Grants and Donations Trust Fund in the
355 Designated Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals Category for the
356 Department of Children and Families to develop and implement the
357 behavioral health teaching hospital model as created by this
358 act. The funds shall be provided to the pilot behavioral health
359 teaching hospitals designated under part VI of chapter 395,
360 Florida Statutes, as created by this act, to help meet the
361 criteria and requirements necessary for designation and may be
362 used for fixed capital outlay, such as facility upgrades, or
363 operations and expenses. The funds shall be placed in reserve.
364 The department is authorized pursuant to chapter 216, Florida
365 Statutes, to submit budget amendments requesting the release of
366 the funds. The release of the funds is contingent upon the
367 submission of an equitable allocation and detailed spending
368 plan, developed in consultation with the pilot behavioral health
369 teaching hospitals, which details the manner in which the funds
370 requested for release will be expended.
371 Section 11. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of $2
372 million in recurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
373 appropriated to the Agency for Health Care Administration to
374 implement the Training, Education, and Clinicals in Health
375 (TEACH) Funding Program established in s. 409.91256, Florida
376 Statutes, as created by SB 7016, 2024 Regular Session.
377 Notwithstanding s. 409.91256(5)(b), Florida Statutes, as created
378 by SB 7016, 2024 Regular Session, the funds appropriated
379 pursuant to this section shall be equitably distributed to the
380 pilot behavioral health teaching hospitals designated under part
381 VI of chapter 395, Florida Statutes, as created by this act.
382 Section 12. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
383 act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
384 this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
385 2024.