| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to adolescent health; creating s. |
| 3 | 381.0058, F.S.; creating the Florida's Future: Adolescent |
| 4 | Health Initiatives Task Force; providing a purpose for the |
| 5 | task force; providing definitions; providing legislative |
| 6 | findings and intent; providing for membership of the task |
| 7 | force; providing guiding principles; providing |
| 8 | responsibilities and scope of activity; providing for |
| 9 | coordination with additional entities; providing an |
| 10 | appropriation; providing for repeal of the task force; |
| 11 | providing an effective date. |
| 12 |
|
| 13 | WHEREAS, adolescence is a critical period in child |
| 14 | development characterized by distinctive physical, emotional, |
| 15 | and intellectual changes and accompanied by changes in social |
| 16 | roles, relationships, and expectations, all of which are |
| 17 | important for the development of the individual youth and to |
| 18 | build the foundation necessary for functioning as an adult, and |
| 19 | WHEREAS, the development of healthy adolescents is a |
| 20 | complex and evolving process that requires the care and support |
| 21 | of families, peers, schools, and communities; access to high- |
| 22 | quality health, educational, social, and other faith-based and |
| 23 | community-based services; and opportunities to engage in and be |
| 24 | successful in the developmental tasks of adolescence, and |
| 25 | WHEREAS, it has also been shown that parents and families, |
| 26 | schools, health care providers, the media, and community-based, |
| 27 | faith-based, and government agencies exert a remarkable |
| 28 | influence on the behavior and health of adolescents, and |
| 29 | WHEREAS, adolescents make up 15 percent of Florida's |