TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed nine (9) bills into law cosponsored by Representative Daisy Morales.
HOUSE BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW, INCLUDING COMPANION SENATE BILLS:
Children with Developmental Delays – Cosponsored House Bill15 | Companion Senate Bill 236 signed by the Governor
The bill revises definition of term “exceptional student” to include additional students with developmental delays.
Telehealth – Cosponsored House Bill 17 | Companion Senate Bill 312 signed by the Governor
The bill revises prohibition on prescribing controlled substances through use of telehealth to include only specified controlled substances.
Private Instructional Personnel Providing Applied Behavior Analysis Services – Cosponsored House Bill 255
The bill revises definition of “private instructional personnel” to include certain registered behavior technicians; requires such technicians to meet specified requirements.
Step-therapy Protocols – Cosponsored House Bill 459
The bill revises circumstances under which step-therapy protocols may not be required; requires health insurers & HMOs to publish on their websites & provide to their insureds & subscribers specified information; provides requirements for procedures for requests & appeals of denials of protocol exemptions; provides requirements for authorizations & denials of protocol exemption requests; authorizes health insurers & HMOs to request specified documentation.
Managed Care Plan Performance – Rep. Morales cosponsored House Bill 855
The bill requires managed care plans to collect & report specified measures beginning with certain data reporting period; requires plans to stratify reported measures by specified categories beginning with certain data reporting period; requires plan’s performance to be published on its website in specified manner; requires AHCA to use measures to monitor plan performance.
Child Welfare Placements – Cosponsored House Bill 893
The bill authorizes DCF to place children in its custody in therapeutic group homes for residential mental health treatment without prior court approval; defines “therapeutic group home”; provides that DCF, rather than AHCA, shall appoint qualified evaluators to conduct suitability assessments of certain children in department’s custody; specifies qualifications for evaluators conducting suitability assessments for placement in therapeutic group home; revises requirements for suitability assessments; specifies when DCF must provide copy of assessment to guardian ad litem & court; removes department’s & agency’s rulemaking authority; revises definition of term “special needs child”.
In-person Visitation: – Rep. Morales cosponsored House Bill 987 | Companion Senate Bill 988 signed by the Governor
The bill requires providers to establish visitation policies & procedures within specified timeframe; provides requirements for policies & procedures; authorizes resident, client, or patient to designate essential caregiver; authorizes providers to suspend in-person visits under certain circumstances; requires providers to provide policies & procedures to AHCA; requires providers to make policies & procedures accessible from homepage of their websites.
Veteran Suicide Prevention Training – Rep. Morales cosponsored House Bill 1315 | Companion Senate Bill signed by the Governor
The bill requires DVA to establish Veteran Suicide Prevention Training Pilot Program; provides purpose; requires participants to receive training; requires DVA to contract to develop training curriculum; requires DVA to oversee process for administering training & certifying participants; requires report to Legislature; provides appropriation.
Donor Human Milk Bank Services – Rep. Morales cosponsored House Bill 1333 | Companion Senate Bill signed by the Governor
Authorizes AHCA to pay for donor human milk bank services as optional Medicaid service; specifies coverage requirements; adds donor human milk bank services to list of Medicaid services authorized for reimbursement on fee-for-service basis; adds donor human milk bank services to list of minimum benefits required to be covered by Medicaid managed care plans.