House Bill 0797
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 797
By Representative Hill
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the prevention of HIV and
3 AIDS; creating the Minority HIV and AIDS Task
4 Force within the Department of Health;
5 requiring the task force to develop
6 recommendations on ways to strengthen HIV and
7 AIDS prevention and treatment programs in
8 minority communities; requiring the Secretary
9 of Health to appoint the members of the task
10 force; requiring that the task force include
11 representatives of certain groups and
12 organizations; providing for the members to
13 serve without compensation; requiring a report
14 to the Legislature; providing for the task
15 force to be abolished on a specified date;
16 requiring that the Department of Health develop
17 and implement a statewide HIV and AIDS
18 prevention campaign that is directed to
19 minorities; providing requirements for the
20 campaign; requiring the department to establish
21 positions within the department for regional
22 and statewide coordinators; requiring that the
23 department conduct a Black Leadership
24 Conference on HIV and AIDS by a specified date;
25 providing an appropriation; providing an
26 effective date.
27
28 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that HIV and AIDS
29 infections are one of the state's most critical public health
30 challenges, with Florida having the third highest number of
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 797
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1 AIDS cases in the nation and the second highest number of
2 pediatric AIDS cases, and
3 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the epidemic is
4 reaching alarming proportions in the state's minority
5 communities, with approximately 59 percent of reported AIDS
6 cases and 75 percent of reported HIV cases occurring among
7 blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities, and
8 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that HIV and AIDS
9 infections are the leading cause of death for black males and
10 black females between the ages of 25 and 44, and
11 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that members of the
12 black community tend to develop AIDS within 1 month after
13 being diagnosed with HIV and to die within 1 month after being
14 diagnosed with AIDS, which indicates that members of this
15 community, more than any other, fail to avail themselves to
16 early testing and treatment, and
17 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that black women who are
18 heterosexually infected with HIV are the fastest growing group
19 of infected persons, and
20 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the total medical
21 and related lifetime costs for a patient infected with HIV may
22 reach $175,000 or more, and
23 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that sustained,
24 comprehensive prevention efforts can have a substantial impact
25 on slowing the course of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, and
26 WHEREAS, the Legislature intends to decrease the number
27 of deaths of minorities due to HIV and AIDS by increasing
28 public awareness, increasing early detection and treatment of
29 HIV and AIDS in the state's minority communities, and by
30 increasing the coordination of HIV and AIDS prevention and
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 797
504-155-99
1 treatment efforts in the state's minority communities, NOW,
2 THEREFORE,
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4 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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6 Section 1. The Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force.--
7 (1) There is created within the Department of Health
8 the Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force to develop and provide
9 specific recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and
10 the Department of Health on ways to strengthen HIV and AIDS
11 prevention programs and early intervention and treatment
12 efforts in the state's black, Hispanic, and other minority
13 communities, as well as ways to address the many needs of the
14 state's minorities infected with AIDS and their families.
15 (2) The Secretary of Health shall appoint at least 15
16 members to the task force. The members must include, but need
17 not be limited to, representatives from:
18 (a) Persons infected with the human immunodeficiency
19 virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
20 (b) Minority community-based support organizations.
21 (c) Minority treatment providers.
22 (d) The religious community within groups of persons
23 infected with HIV or AIDS.
24 (e) The Department of Health.
25 (3) The task force shall meet as often as necessary to
26 carry out its duties and responsibilities. Within existing
27 resources, the Department of Health shall provide support
28 services to the task force.
29 (4) The members of the task force shall serve without
30 compensation.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 797
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1 (5) The task force shall prepare and submit a report
2 of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the
3 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
4 Representatives by February 1, 2001. The report must include:
5 (a) Specific strategies for reducing the risk of HIV
6 and AIDS in the state's minority communities.
7 (b) A plan for establishing mentor programs and
8 exchanging information and ideas among minority
9 community-based organizations that provide HIV and AIDS
10 prevention services.
11 (c) The needs of prevention and treatment programs
12 within communities and the resources that are available within
13 minority communities.
14 (d) Specific strategies for ensuring that minority
15 persons who are at risk of HIV and AIDS infection seek
16 testing.
17 (e) Specific strategies for ensuring that persons who
18 test positive for HIV or AIDS are provided with access to
19 treatment and secondary prevention services.
20 (f) Specific strategies to help reduce or eliminate
21 high-risk behaviors in persons who test negative but continue
22 to practice high-risk behaviors.
23 (g) A plan to evaluate the implementation of the
24 recommendations of the task force.
25 (6) The task force is abolished on July 1, 2001.
26 Section 2. Statewide HIV and AIDS prevention
27 campaign.--
28 (1) The Department of Health shall develop and
29 implement a statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign that is
30 directed towards minorities who are at risk of HIV infection.
31 The campaign shall include television, radio, and outdoor
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 797
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1 advertising; public service announcements; and peer-to-peer
2 outreach. Each campaign message and concept shall be evaluated
3 with members of the target group to ensure its effectiveness.
4 The campaign shall provide information on the risk of HIV and
5 AIDS infection and strategies to follow for prevention, early
6 detection, and treatment. The campaign shall use culturally
7 sensitive literature and educational materials and promote the
8 development of individual skills for behavior modification.
9 (2) The Department of Health shall establish four
10 positions within the department for HIV and AIDS regional
11 minority coordinators and one position for a statewide HIV and
12 AIDS minority coordinator. The coordinators shall facilitate
13 statewide efforts to implement and coordinate HIV and AIDS
14 prevention and treatment programs. The statewide coordinator
15 shall report directly to the chief of the Bureau of HIV and
16 AIDS within the Department of Health.
17 (3) The Department of Health shall, with assistance
18 from the Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force and the statewide
19 coordinator, plan and conduct a statewide Black Leadership
20 Conference on HIV and AIDS by January 2000. The conference
21 shall provide workshops for minority organizations in building
22 skills and improving an organization's capacity to conduct HIV
23 and AIDS prevention and treatment programs.
24 Section 3. The sum of $500,000 is appropriated from
25 the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Health for the
26 purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act during the
27 1999-2000 fiscal year.
28 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 797
504-155-99
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Establishes the Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force within
the Department of Health for the purpose of developing
4 recommendations on ways to strengthen HIV and AIDS
prevention and treatment programs in minority
5 communities. Requires that the Secretary of Health
appoint the members of the task force. Requires that the
6 task force report to the Legislature by February 1, 2001.
Provides for the task force to be abolished on July 1,
7 2001. Requires the Department of Health to develop and
implement a statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign
8 that is directed to minorities. Provides requirements for
the campaign. Provides for additional positions within
9 the department for regional and statewide coordinators
for HIV and AIDS prevention efforts. Requires that the
10 department conduct a Black Leadership Conference on HIV
and AIDS by January, 2000. Provides an appropriation.
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