SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 78 Barcode 822450
Amendment No. 1
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
.
.
1 .
.
2 .
.
3 .
.
4 ______________________________________________________________
5
6
7
8
9
10 ______________________________________________________________
11 The Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care recommended
12 the following amendment:
13
14 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
15 On page 3, line 25, through page 4, line 4, delete
16 those lines
17
18 and insert:
19 Section 2. The Florida Board of Regents, the
20 University of South Florida, and the USF Health Sciences
21 Center Insurance Company, collectively, are authorized and
22 directed to appropriate the sum of $3,260,563 to compensate
23 Towanna Denise Hopkins, incompetent, by and through her father
24 and legally appointed guardian, Willie Lee Hopkins, for past
25 and future damages arising out of injuries she sustained as a
26 result of the negligence of agents of the Florida Board of
27 Regents by and through the University of South Florida College
28 of Medicine.
29 Section 3. The Florida Board of Regents, the
30 University of South Florida, and the USF Health Sciences
31 Center Insurance Company, collectively, are authorized and
1
3:32 PM 02/21/01 s0078.hc.01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 78 Barcode 822450
Amendment No. 1
1 directed to appropriate the sum of $333,333 to compensate
2 Robert Keith Bowman, Jr., son of Towanna Denise Hopkins, for
3 past and future damages arising out of injuries sustained by
4 his mother, Towanna Denise Hopkins.
5 Section 4. The Florida Board of Regents, the
6 University of South Florida, and the USF Health Sciences
7 Center Insurance Company, collectively, are authorized and
8 directed to appropriate the sum of $100,000 to compensate
9 Willie Lee Hopkins, individually, for past and future medical
10 expenses incurred in providing care for his daughter, Towanna
11 Denise Hopkins.
12 Section 5. The Comptroller is directed to draw his
13 warrant in favor of Willie Lee Hopkins, father and legally
14 appointed guardian of Towanna Denise Hopkins, for the benefit
15 of Towanna Denise Hopkins, in the sum of $3,260,563 upon funds
16 of the Florida Board of Regents, the University of South
17 Florida, and the USF Health Sciences Insurance Company,
18 collectively, in the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated
19 and the State Treasurer is directed to pay the same out of
20 such funds in the State Treasury.
21 Section 6. The Comptroller is directed to draw his
22 warrant in favor of Robert Keith Bowman, Jr., in the sum of
23 $333,333 upon funds of the Florida Board of Regents, the
24 University of South Florida, and the USF Health Sciences
25 Insurance Company, collectively, in the State Treasury not
26 otherwise appropriated and the State Treasurer is directed to
27 pay the same out of such funds in the State Treasury.
28 Section 7. The Comptroller is directed to draw his
29 warrant in favor of Willie Lee Hopkins in the sum of $100,000
30 upon funds of the Florida Board of Regents, the University of
31 South Florida, and the USF Health Sciences Insurance Company,
2
3:32 PM 02/21/01 s0078.hc.01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 78 Barcode 822450
Amendment No. 1
1 collectively, in the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated
2 and the State Treasurer is directed to pay the same out of
3 such funds in the State Treasury.
4
5 (Redesignate subsequent sections.)
6
7
8 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ===============
9 And the title is amended as follows:
10 On page 1, line 1, through page 2, line 5, delete those
11 lines
12
13 and insert:
14 A bill to be entitled
15 An act for the relief of Towanna Denise
16 Hopkins, incompetent, by and through Willie Lee
17 Hopkins, her father and legally appointed
18 guardian, Robert Keith Bowman, Jr., son of
19 Towanna Denise Hopkins, and Willie Lee Hopkins,
20 individually; authorizing and directing the
21 Florida Board of Regents, the University of
22 South Florida, and the USF Health Sciences
23 Center Insurance Company to compensate them for
24 injuries and damages sustained as a result of
25 the negligence of agents of the Florida Board
26 of Regents by and through the University of
27 South Florida College of Medicine; providing an
28 effective date.
29
30 WHEREAS, on April 25, 1996, Towanna Denise Hopkins was
31 a 31-year-old single mother raising her 15-year-old son,
3
3:32 PM 02/21/01 s0078.hc.01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 78 Barcode 822450
Amendment No. 1
1 Robert Keith Bowman, Jr., and
2 WHEREAS, Towanna Denise Hopkins, who was otherwise in
3 good health, underwent surgery to remove a benign liver tumor
4 on April 25, 1996, and
5 WHEREAS, physicians, including residents from the
6 University of South Florida, who were agents and employees of
7 the Board of Regents of the State of Florida were charged with
8 the responsibility for the surgery performed on Towanna Denise
9 Hopkins, as well as for her post-surgical care and management,
10 and
11 WHEREAS, the surgical techniques that were employed
12 resulted in substantial abdominal blood loss of approximately
13 21 liters during the course of the surgery, and
14 WHEREAS, immediately following her surgery, Towanna
15 Denise Hopkins continued to experience significant blood loss,
16 which continued through the evening after the surgery, as well
17 as the next morning, and
18 WHEREAS, on the morning of April 26, 1996, immediate or
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
4
3:32 PM 02/21/01 s0078.hc.01