Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1518
       
       
        
       By Senator Avila
       
       
       
       
       
       39-01603-25                                           20251518__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to activities of special districts;
    3         amending s. 189.081, F.S.; authorizing certain special
    4         districts to jointly enter into, participate in,
    5         establish, or control specified joint relationships or
    6         collaborations if a certain determination is made by
    7         such districts; authorizing such districts to exercise
    8         such powers regardless of certain consequences as a
    9         result of exercising such power; providing
   10         construction; providing legislative findings and
   11         declarations; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsection (7) is added to section 189.081,
   16  Florida Statutes, to read:
   17         189.081 Activities of special districts; local government
   18  comprehensive planning.—
   19         (7) To the extent authorized by the State Constitution, two
   20  or more special districts that operate as hospital districts may
   21  jointly enter into, participate in, establish, and control any
   22  venture, partnership, corporation, business entity,
   23  organization, joint operating network, service line, facility,
   24  or any other joint relationship or collaboration, public or
   25  private, for profit or not for profit, anywhere within the
   26  boundaries of either or all such special districts, if the
   27  governing bodies of such districts, in their discretion,
   28  determine that it is consistent with, and in furtherance of, the
   29  purposes and best interests of such districts. Such districts
   30  may exercise such powers, regardless of the competitive
   31  consequences thereof, including any actions that may be deemed
   32  anticompetitive within the meaning of state and federal
   33  antitrust laws. The provisions in this subsection shall control
   34  over and supersede any general or special law that is
   35  inconsistent or in conflict with this subsection.
   36         Section 2. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that
   37  it is a public necessity and serves a public purpose for special
   38  districts that operate as hospital districts to be able to
   39  jointly enter into, participate in, establish, or control any
   40  ventures, partnerships, corporations, business entities,
   41  organizations, joint operating networks, service lines,
   42  facilities, or any other joint relationships or collaborations,
   43  public or private, for profit or not for profit, regardless of
   44  their anticompetitive purpose or effect, to ensure the provision
   45  of quality health care to the residents of such districts, and
   46  the Legislature accordingly finds and declares such
   47  collaborations to be vitally important and necessary for the
   48  preservation of the public health and welfare of such districts
   49  and the residents thereof.
   50         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.