| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to human immunodeficiency virus; amending |
| 3 | s. 381.0046, F.S.; increasing the number of HIV and AIDS |
| 4 | minority coordinators within the Department of Health; |
| 5 | requiring the department to expand its HIV/AIDS prevention |
| 6 | efforts in the state's minority communities and establish |
| 7 | linkage programs for HIV-positive persons in minority |
| 8 | communities and for HIV-positive inmates prior to their |
| 9 | release from jail; deleting obsolete provisions; requiring |
| 10 | the department to expand HIV counseling, testing, and |
| 11 | referral services; requiring programs under this section |
| 12 | to be consistent with recommendations of certain state and |
| 13 | federal organizations; providing an effective date. |
| 14 |
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| 15 | WHEREAS, HIV/AIDS is one of the state's most critical |
| 16 | public health challenges, with Florida having the third highest |
| 17 | number of AIDS cases and the second highest number of pediatric |
| 18 | AIDS cases in the nation, and |
| 19 | WHEREAS, minorities, primarily African Americans and |
| 20 | Hispanic Americans, now constitute 63 percent of the more than |
| 21 | 99,000 adult and pediatric AIDS cases reported in Florida since |
| 22 | the epidemic began in 1981, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has disproportionately |
| 24 | affected Florida's minority communities, and |
| 25 | WHEREAS, the total medical and related lifetime costs for a |
| 26 | patient infected with HIV may reach $175,000 or more, and |
| 27 | WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that sustained, |
| 28 | comprehensive prevention efforts can have a substantial impact |
| 29 | on slowing the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and |
| 30 | WHEREAS, the Legislature intends to decrease the number of |
| 31 | deaths of minorities due to HIV/AIDS by increasing public |
| 32 | awareness, increasing early detection and treatment of HIV/AIDS |
| 33 | in the state's minority communities, and increasing the |
| 34 | coordination of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts in the |
| 35 | state's minority communities, and |
| 36 | WHEREAS, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the state's jails |
| 37 | exceeds the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the general population, |
| 38 | and |
| 39 | WHEREAS, recent advances in treatment for HIV/AIDS can |
| 40 | potentially reduce the number of opportunistic infections and |
| 41 | associated medical costs and delay the onset of death due to the |
| 42 | disease, and |
| 43 | WHEREAS, referral to appropriate medical and social |
| 44 | services upon the release of an inmate can play a crucial role |
| 45 | in treatment, care, and secondary prevention efforts, and |
| 46 | WHEREAS, the Legislature authorized the creation of the |
| 47 | Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force to provide recommendations on |
| 48 | strategies to strengthen HIV/AIDS prevention, early |
| 49 | intervention, and treatment efforts in Florida's minority |
| 50 | communities, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 51 |
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| 52 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 53 |
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| 54 | Section 1. Section 381.0046, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 55 | to read: |
| 56 | 381.0046 Statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign.-- |
| 57 | (1) The Department of Health shall develop and implement a |
| 58 | statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign that is directed |
| 59 | towards minorities who are at risk of HIV infection. The |
| 60 | campaign shall include television, radio, and outdoor |
| 61 | advertising; public service announcements; and peer-to-peer |
| 62 | outreach. Each campaign message and concept shall be evaluated |
| 63 | with members of the target group to ensure its effectiveness. |
| 64 | The campaign shall provide information on the risk of HIV and |
| 65 | AIDS infection and strategies to follow for prevention, early |
| 66 | detection, and treatment. The campaign shall use culturally |
| 67 | sensitive literature and educational materials and promote the |
| 68 | development of individual skills for behavior modification. The |
| 69 | campaign shall be expanded to include prevention information |
| 70 | specifically targeted to the state's Hispanic and Haitian |
| 71 | communities. |
| 72 | (2) The Department of Health shall establish eight four |
| 73 | positions within the department for HIV and AIDS regional |
| 74 | minority coordinators and one position for a statewide HIV and |
| 75 | AIDS minority coordinator. The coordinators shall facilitate |
| 76 | statewide efforts to implement and coordinate HIV and AIDS |
| 77 | prevention and treatment programs. The statewide coordinator |
| 78 | shall report directly to the chief of the Bureau of HIV and AIDS |
| 79 | within the Department of Health. |
| 80 | (3) The Department of Health shall provide HIV and AIDS |
| 81 | outreach programs in the state's minority communities to |
| 82 | identify persons infected with HIV and AIDS. These programs |
| 83 | shall address real and perceived barriers to HIV testing among |
| 84 | the state's minority populations, with assistance from the |
| 85 | Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force and the statewide coordinator, |
| 86 | plan and conduct a statewide Black Leadership Conference on HIV |
| 87 | and AIDS by January 2000. The conference shall provide workshops |
| 88 | for minority organizations in building skills and improving an |
| 89 | organization's capacity to conduct HIV and AIDS prevention and |
| 90 | treatment programs. |
| 91 | (4) The Department of Health shall provide a program to |
| 92 | ensure that persons who are HIV positive are linked with |
| 93 | prevention, care, and support services. This program shall be |
| 94 | provided in a culturally sensitive manner to promote prevention |
| 95 | among persons who are HIV positive and increase the acceptance |
| 96 | and delivery of care and support services in high-risk |
| 97 | communities. |
| 98 | (5) The Department of Health shall expand testing programs |
| 99 | for HIV, sexually transmissible diseases, and hepatitis in local |
| 100 | county jails. The department shall establish programs for |
| 101 | inmates who are HIV positive to ensure coordination and linkage |
| 102 | to treatment and secondary prevention messages upon their |
| 103 | release. |
| 104 | (6) To promote HIV testing among minority persons who are |
| 105 | at risk of infection, the department shall expand its HIV |
| 106 | counseling, testing, and referral services. |
| 107 | (7) Minority programs operating pursuant to this section |
| 108 | shall be consistent with the findings and recommendations of the |
| 109 | Minority HIV and AIDS Task Force and the State of Florida |
| 110 | HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Prevention Plan and the recommendations |
| 111 | of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
| 112 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |