Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 542
       
       
        
       By Senator Osgood
       
       
       
       
       
       32-01256-25                                            2025542__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to decreasing racial and ethnic
    3         disparities in mental health and substance abuse
    4         services; amending s. 381.7355, F.S.; revising
    5         priority areas for project proposals under the Closing
    6         the Gap grant program to include those addressing
    7         racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity and
    8         mortality rates relating to mental health and
    9         substance use disorders; requiring priority be given
   10         to proposals for areas with the greatest documented
   11         racial and ethnic disparities in the provision of
   12         mental health and substance abuse services; providing
   13         an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Present paragraphs (b) through (i) of subsection
   18  (3) of section 381.7355, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   19  paragraphs (c) through (j), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is
   20  added to that subsection, and paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of
   21  that section is amended, to read:
   22         381.7355 Project requirements; review criteria.—
   23         (2) A proposal must include each of the following elements:
   24         (a) The purpose and objectives of the proposal, including
   25  identification of the particular racial or ethnic disparity the
   26  project will address. The proposal must address one or more of
   27  the following priority areas:
   28         1. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and
   29  infant mortality rates.
   30         2. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in severe
   31  maternal morbidity rates and other maternal health outcomes.
   32         3. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   33  and mortality rates relating to cancer.
   34         4. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   35  and mortality rates relating to HIV/AIDS.
   36         5. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   37  and mortality rates relating to cardiovascular disease.
   38         6. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   39  and mortality rates relating to diabetes.
   40         7. Increasing adult and child immunization rates in certain
   41  racial and ethnic populations.
   42         8. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in oral health
   43  care.
   44         9. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   45  and mortality rates relating to sickle cell disease.
   46         10. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   47  and mortality rates relating to Lupus.
   48         11. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   49  and mortality rates relating to Alzheimer’s disease and
   50  dementia.
   51         12. Decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity
   52  and mortality rates relating to mental health and substance use
   53  disorders.
   54         13. Improving neighborhood social determinants of health,
   55  such as transportation, safety, and food access, as outlined by
   56  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Tools for
   57  Putting Social Determinants of Health into Action.”
   58         (3) Priority shall be given to proposals that:
   59         (b) Represent areas with the greatest documented racial and
   60  ethnic disparities in the provision of mental health and
   61  substance abuse services.
   62         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.