| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Department of Health; amending s. |
| 3 | 20.43, F.S.; designating the State Surgeon General as the |
| 4 | head of the Department of Health; providing requirements |
| 5 | of the position; providing duties for the State Surgeon |
| 6 | General; amending s. 381.0605, F.S.; conforming |
| 7 | references; directing the Division of Statutory Revision |
| 8 | to make conforming changes to the Florida Statutes; |
| 9 | providing an effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Section 1. Subsections (2), (5), and (6) of section 20.43, |
| 14 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 15 | 20.43 Department of Health.--There is created a Department |
| 16 | of Health. |
| 17 | (2)(a) The head of the Department of Health is the State |
| 18 | Surgeon General Secretary of Health and State Health Officer. |
| 19 | The State Surgeon General secretary must be a physician licensed |
| 20 | under chapter 458 or chapter 459 who has advanced training or |
| 21 | extensive experience in public health administration. The State |
| 22 | Surgeon General secretary is appointed by the Governor subject |
| 23 | to confirmation by the Senate. The State Surgeon General |
| 24 | secretary serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The State |
| 25 | Surgeon General shall serve as the leading voice on wellness and |
| 26 | disease-prevention efforts, including the promotion of healthy |
| 27 | lifestyles, immunization practices, health literacy, and the |
| 28 | assessment and promotion of the physician and health care |
| 29 | workforce in order to meet the health care needs of the state. |
| 30 | The State Surgeon General shall focus on advocating healthy |
| 31 | lifestyles, developing public health policy, and building |
| 32 | collaborative partnerships with schools, businesses, health care |
| 33 | practitioners, community-based organizations, and public and |
| 34 | private institutions in order to promote the optimum quality of |
| 35 | life for all Floridians. |
| 36 | (b) The Officer of Women's Health Strategy is established |
| 37 | within the Department of Health and shall report directly to the |
| 38 | State Surgeon General secretary. |
| 39 | (5) The department shall plan and administer its public |
| 40 | health programs through its county health departments and may, |
| 41 | for administrative purposes and efficient service delivery, |
| 42 | establish up to 15 service areas to carry out such duties as may |
| 43 | be prescribed by the State Surgeon General secretary. The |
| 44 | boundaries of the service areas shall be the same as, or |
| 45 | combinations of, the service districts of the Department of |
| 46 | Children and Family Services established in s. 20.19 and, to the |
| 47 | extent practicable, shall take into consideration the boundaries |
| 48 | of the jobs and education regional boards. |
| 49 | (6) The State Surgeon General secretary and division |
| 50 | directors are authorized to appoint ad hoc advisory committees |
| 51 | as necessary. The issue or problem that the ad hoc committee |
| 52 | shall address, and the timeframe within which the committee is |
| 53 | to complete its work, shall be specified at the time the |
| 54 | committee is appointed. Ad hoc advisory committees shall include |
| 55 | representatives of groups or entities affected by the issue or |
| 56 | problem that the committee is asked to examine. Members of ad |
| 57 | hoc advisory committees shall receive no compensation, but may, |
| 58 | within existing departmental resources, receive reimbursement |
| 59 | for travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. |
| 60 | Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 381.0605, Florida |
| 61 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 62 | 381.0605 Survey of state hospital facilities; Agency for |
| 63 | Health Care Administration.-- |
| 64 | (2) The Governor is authorized to provide for carrying out |
| 65 | such purposes in accordance with the standards prescribed by the |
| 66 | Surgeon General of the United States. |
| 67 | Section 3. The Division of Statutory Revision of the |
| 68 | Office of Legislative Services is requested to prepare a |
| 69 | reviser's bill for introduction at a subsequent session of the |
| 70 | Legislature to change "Secretary of Health" or "Secretary of the |
| 71 | Department of Health" to "State Surgeon General" and change |
| 72 | "secretary," with respect to that department, to "surgeon |
| 73 | general" wherever the same appears in Florida Statutes. |
| 74 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |