House Bill 1413

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1413

        By Representative Bradley






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to community environmental

  3         health; creating s. 381.100, F.S.; creating the

  4         "Florida Community Environmental Health

  5         Protection Act"; creating s. 381.102, F.S.;

  6         providing for Community Environmental Health

  7         Program pilot projects; establishing pilot

  8         projects in designated counties; providing for

  9         additional pilot projects; creating s. 381.103,

10         F.S.; providing duties of the Department of

11         Health; requiring a report; providing

12         appropriations; providing an effective date.

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14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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16         Section 1.  Section 381.100, Florida Statutes, is

17  created to read:

18         381.100  Short title.--Sections 381.100-381.103 may be

19  cited as the "Florida Community Environmental Health

20  Protection Act."

21         Section 2.  Section 381.102, Florida Statutes, is

22  created to read:

23         381.102  Community Environmental Health Program pilot

24  projects.--

25         (1)  The Legislature has determined that:

26         (a)  The state is committed to the economic,

27  environmental, and public health revitalization of its

28  communities;

29         (b)  Measures to address the public health needs of

30  low-income communities that are exposed to contaminated sites

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1413

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  1  must be implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of

  2  these communities;

  3         (c)  The implementation of these measures will enhance

  4  cooperative efforts among the private sector, government, and

  5  nonprofit organizations in this state to ensure the

  6  sustainability of Florida; and

  7         (d)  It would be beneficial to provide resources in

  8  this state to undertake a series of pilot projects that

  9  demonstrate techniques and approaches to ensure health care

10  for disease prevention and health promotion for low-income

11  persons who are living in communities with environmental

12  contamination.

13         (2)  Community Environmental Health Program pilot

14  projects are established to promote disease prevention and

15  health among low-income persons living near environmentally

16  contaminated sites.

17         (3)  The pilot projects shall build upon existing

18  environmental and economic efforts to address contaminated

19  sites through the Brownfields Redevelopment Act, the Eastward

20  Brownfields Showcase Partnership, the federal Superfund

21  program, and other state and federal programs that address

22  public health and the environment.

23         (4)  The pilot projects may form partnerships with

24  existing health care providers and units, contribute to a

25  health care needs assessment, provide research capacity to

26  improve health status, and serve as the basis for health care

27  capacity in underserved areas with contamination.

28         (5)  The following pilot projects are created:

29         (a)  In Pinellas County through the Greenwood Community

30  Health Center in Clearwater, for the low-income communities

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1413

    547-135-99






  1  designated as a pilot project under the Brownfields

  2  Redevelopment Act.

  3         (b)  In Escambia County, for the low-income communities

  4  designated as a brownfields project within the Palafox

  5  Redevelopment Area.

  6         (c)  In Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Manatee

  7  Counties for the Urban League of Pinellas County, to operate

  8  its mobile health screening unit to provide public health care

  9  to persons living in low-income communities with contaminated

10  sites within those counties.

11         (d)  In Palm Beach County, for the low-income

12  communities with contaminated sites within in the City of

13  Riviera Beach.

14         (e)  Three additional pilot projects shall be created

15  in 2000 by the Community Environmental Health Program to serve

16  low-income communities with designated brownfield sites or

17  federal Superfund sites.

18         Section 3.  Section 381.103, Florida Statutes, is

19  created to read:

20         381.103  Community Environmental Health Program; duties

21  of department.--The department shall:

22         (1)  Assist the pilot projects in development and

23  implementation of their community programs.

24         (2)  Facilitate the integration of the pilot projects

25  with ongoing departmental programs, so that duplication of

26  services is avoided and synergy between the programs enhanced.

27         (3)  With input from the pilot projects, develop

28  educational and outreach programs for health care providers

29  and communities that increase awareness of health care needs

30  for low-income persons living in communities with

31  environmental contamination.

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  1         (4)  Develop the capacity of the pilot projects to

  2  participate in research endeavors that promote disease

  3  prevention and health in low-income communities with

  4  environmental contamination.

  5         (5)  Assist the pilot projects in obtaining low-cost

  6  health care services designed to prevent disease and promote

  7  health in communities with environmental contamination.

  8         (6)  Prepare a report to be submitted to the President

  9  of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,

10  and the Governor on the findings, accomplishments, and

11  recommendations of the Community Environmental Health Program

12  and the pilot projects.

13         (7)  Facilitate cooperation between affected

14  communities, appropriate agencies, and ongoing initiatives,

15  such as Front Porch Florida, in order to ensure the health and

16  economic and environmental vitality of communities in this

17  state.

18         Section 4.  (1)  There is hereby appropriated from the

19  General Revenue Fund the sum of $1.825 million per year for

20  fiscal years 1999-2003 for the Community Environmental Health

21  Program pilot projects. Of this amount, for fiscal year

22  1999-2000, $500,000 each is allocated for the Pinellas County,

23  Escambia County, and Palm Beach County pilot projects;

24  $125,000 is allocated for the Urban League of Pinellas County;

25  and $200,000 is allocated to the Community Environmental

26  Health Program of the Department of Health, to assist in the

27  implementation of the pilot projects. For each of fiscal years

28  2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003, the three additional

29  pilot projects shall be allocated $300,000 each; the pilot

30  projects in Pinellas, Escambia, and Palm Beach Counties shall

31  be allocated $200,000 each; the Urban League of Pinellas

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1413

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  1  County shall be allocated $125,000; and the Department of

  2  Health shall be allocated $200,000.

  3         (2)  The funds allocated under subsection (1) must be

  4  used for:

  5         (a)  Identification of health needs for low-income

  6  persons living in communities with contamination;

  7         (b)  Delivery of health services, including screening,

  8  diagnosis of disease, treatment or routing for treatment of

  9  disease; preventive annual physical examinations; monitoring

10  for effects of toxic exposure; and consultation on measures to

11  prevent diseases;

12         (c)  Resources for accessing the delivery of health

13  services through Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party coverage,

14  among other sources, and for ensuring quality assurance and

15  quality control for the implementation of the Community

16  Environmental Health Program pilot projects;

17         (d)  Research on improving disease prevention and

18  promoting health for low-income persons living in communities

19  with contamination; and

20         (e)  Preparation of a report by the Community

21  Environmental Health Program on the results and

22  recommendations of the pilot projects.

23         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1413

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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  3
      Creates the Florida Environmental Health Protection Act.
  4    Establishes Community Environmental Health Program pilot
      projects to promote disease prevention and health among
  5    low-income persons living near environmentally
      contaminated sites. Designates pilot projects in
  6    specified counties, and provides for three additional
      pilot projects beginning in 2000. Provides duties of the
  7    Department of Health to assist the pilot projects and
      requires a report to the Governor and Legislature.
  8    Provides appropriations to implement the pilot projects
      and program for fiscal years 1999-2003. Specifies use of
  9    appropriations.

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