Florida Senate - 2009                                    SB 2296
       
       
       
       By Senator Constantine
       
       
       
       
       22-01717A-09                                          20092296__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the influenza vaccine; amending ss.
    3         402.305, 402.313, and 402.3131, F.S.; requiring
    4         children receiving care at child care facilities,
    5         family day care homes, and large family child care
    6         homes to be vaccinated for the influenza virus;
    7         requiring the Department of Health to adopt rules to
    8         add the vaccine to its list of required vaccines;
    9         requiring child care facilities, family day care
   10         homes, and large family child care homes to furnish
   11         proof of compliance to the department by a specified
   12         date; providing an effective date.
   13  
   14         WHEREAS, the state of Florida recognizes the importance of
   15  the influenza vaccine for children enrolled or enrolling in
   16  child care programs, and
   17         WHEREAS, the Bureau of Immunization within the Department
   18  of Health acknowledges that vaccines, including the influenza
   19  vaccine, focus on disease prevention and are the most cost
   20  effective medical intervention, and
   21         WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
   22  through the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,
   23  recommends that annual vaccination of all children aged 6 months
   24  through 4 years continue to be a primary focus of vaccination
   25  efforts because these children are at higher risk for influenza
   26  complications compared with older children, and
   27         WHEREAS, vaccination against influenza each fall remains
   28  the primary mechanism to prevent disease, NOW, THEREFORE,
   29  
   30  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   31  
   32         Section 1. Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (9)
   33  of section 402.305, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   34  paragraphs (c) and (d), respectively, and a new paragraph (b) is
   35  added to that subsection, to read:
   36         402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.—
   37         (9) ADMISSIONS AND RECORDKEEPING.—
   38         (b) Beginning September 1, 2010, and subject to the
   39  availability of an adequate supply of the influenza vaccine, as
   40  recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
   41  of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the influenza
   42  vaccine shall be administered each influenza season between
   43  September 1 and February 28 to each child who is enrolled or
   44  enrolling in a child care facility. The department shall adopt
   45  rules to add the influenza vaccine to its current list of
   46  required vaccines. A child care facility must furnish proof to
   47  the department of compliance with this paragraph for each child
   48  receiving care at the facility by March 31, 2010.
   49         Section 2. Subsection (14) is added to section 402.313,
   50  Florida Statutes, to read:
   51         402.313 Family day care homes.—
   52         (14) Beginning September 1, 2010, and subject to the
   53  availability of an adequate supply of the influenza vaccine, as
   54  recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
   55  of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the influenza
   56  vaccine shall be administered each influenza season between
   57  September 1 and February 28 to each child who is enrolled or
   58  enrolling in a family day care home. The department shall adopt
   59  rules to add the influenza vaccine to its current list of
   60  required vaccines. A family day care home must furnish proof to
   61  the department of compliance with this subsection for each child
   62  receiving care at the home by March 31, 2010.
   63         Section 3. Subsection (9) is added to section 402.3131,
   64  Florida Statutes, to read:
   65         402.3131 Large family child care homes.—
   66         (9) Beginning September 1, 2010, and subject to the
   67  availability of an adequate supply of the influenza vaccine, as
   68  recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
   69  of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the influenza
   70  vaccine shall be administered each influenza season between
   71  September 1 and February 28 to each child who is enrolled or
   72  enrolling in a large family child care home. The department
   73  shall adopt rules to add influenza vaccine to its current list
   74  of required vaccines. A large family child care home must
   75  furnish proof to the department of compliance with this
   76  subsection for each child receiving care at the home by March
   77  31, 2010.
   78         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.