HB 137

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Prostate Cancer Awareness Program;
3	amending s. 381.911, F.S.; revising the structure and
4	objectives of the Prostate Cancer Awareness Program;
5	authorizing the University of Florida Prostate Disease
6	Center, in collaboration with other organizations and
7	institutions, to establish a prostate cancer task force to
8	replace the advisory committee; providing for membership
9	and duties of the task force; requiring an annual report
10	to the Governor, Legislature, and State Surgeon General;
11	providing an effective date.
12
13	WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that prostate cancer is
14	a major public health problem and that promoting awareness of
15	this disease is in the public interest of this state, and
16	WHEREAS, according to the Department of Health's Florida
17	Cancer Plan 2003-2006, prostate cancer was the most commonly
18	diagnosed cancer in Florida, accounting for one in every four
19	cancer diagnoses, and
20	WHEREAS, the costs for screening, staging, and treating
21	prostate cancer patients in both dollars and morbidity continue
22	to rise and threaten the foundation of this state's health
23	system, and
24	WHEREAS, because African-American men are 2.8 times more
25	likely to succumb to prostate cancer than their Caucasian
26	counterparts, a call for action is mandatory, and
27	WHEREAS, there are currently no organized, active, or
28	effective strategies to improve community education and
29	awareness regarding the rising incidence of and the racial and
30	ethnic disparities related to prostate cancer, and
31	WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that it in the public
32	interest for state agencies and institutions to work with the
33	University of Florida Prostate Disease Center to establish the
34	prostate cancer task force to more effectively serve the needs
35	of the people of Florida, NOW, THEREFORE,
36
37	Be Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
38
39	Section 1.  Section 381.911, Florida Statutes, is amended
40	to read:
41	381.911  Prostate Cancer Awareness Program.-
42	(1)  To the extent that funds are specifically made
43	available for this purpose, the Prostate Cancer Awareness
44	Program is established within the Department of Health. The
45	purpose of this program is to implement the recommendations of
46	January 2000 of the Florida Prostate Cancer Task Force to
47	provide for statewide outreach, promote prostate cancer
48	awareness, communicate the advantages of early detection, report
49	recent progress in prostate cancer research and the availability
50	of clinical trials, minimize health disparities through outreach
51	and education, communicate best practices principles to
52	physicians involved in the care of prostate cancer patients, and
53	establish a communication platform for patients and their
54	advocates and health education activities to ensure that men are
55	aware of and appropriately seek medical counseling for prostate
56	cancer as an early-detection health care measure.
57	(2)  For purposes of implementing the program, the
58	University of Florida Prostate Disease Center may work with
59	other agencies, organizations, and institutions to create a
60	systematic approach to community education and increase public
61	awareness regarding prostate cancer by Department of Health and
62	the Florida Public Health Institute, Inc., may:
63	(a)  Conducting Conduct activities directly or entering
64	enter into a contract with a qualified nonprofit community
65	education entities entity.
66	(b)  Seeking Seek any available gifts, grants, or funds
67	from the state, the Federal Government, philanthropic
68	foundations, and industry or business groups.
69	(3)  The University of Florida Prostate Disease Center
70	(UFPDC) shall establish the UFPDC Prostate Cancer Task Force and
71	lead the task force in developing and implementing strategies to
72	improve outreach and education and thereby reduce the number of
73	patients who develop prostate cancer. A prostate cancer advisory
74	committee is created to advise and assist the Department of
75	Health and the Florida Public Health Institute, Inc., in
76	implementing the program.
77	(a)  The Executive Director of the University of Florida
78	Prostate Disease Center shall appoint, in consultation with the
79	Department of Health's Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, the
80	Florida Cancer Control Program, and the State Surgeon General, a
81	geographically and institutionally diverse task force, which
82	shall appoint the advisory committee members, who shall consist
83	of:
84	1.  Two Three persons from prostate cancer survivor groups
85	or cancer-related advocacy groups.
86	2.  Four Three persons, one of whom is a physician licensed
87	under chapter 458, one of whom is a physician licensed under
88	chapter 459, one of whom is a scientist, and one of whom is the
89	Executive Director of the University of Florida Prostate Disease
90	Center or a designee who are scientists or clinicians from
91	public universities or research organizations.
92	3.  Three persons who are engaged in the practice of a
93	cancer-related medical specialty from health organizations
94	committed to cancer research and control.
95	(b)  Members shall serve as volunteers without compensation
96	but are entitled to reimbursement, pursuant to s. 112.061, for
97	per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of
98	their official duties.
99	(c)  Each member of the task force shall be appointed to a
100	4-year term; however, for the purpose of providing staggered
101	terms, of the initial appointments, four members shall be
102	appointed to 2-year terms and four members shall be appointed to
103	4-year terms. The remaining seat shall be filled by the
104	Executive Director of the University of Florida Prostate Disease
105	Center or a designee.
106	(d)  The task force shall meet annually and at other times
107	at the call of the Executive Director of the University of
108	Florida Prostate Disease Center or by a majority vote of the
109	members of the task force.
110	(e)  Five of the members of the task force constitute a
111	quorum, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the members
112	present is required for final action.
113	(f)  The task force shall:
114	1.  Present prostate-cancer-related policy recommendations
115	to the Department of Health and other appropriate governmental
116	entities.
117	2.  Verify the accuracy of prostate cancer information
118	disseminated to the public.
119	3.  Develop effective communication channels among all
120	private and public entities in the state involved in prostate
121	cancer education, research, treatment, and patient advocacy.
122	4.  Plan, develop, and implement activities designed to
123	heighten awareness and educate residents of the state,
124	especially those in underserved areas, regarding the importance
125	of prostate cancer awareness.
126	5.  Disseminate information about recent progress in
127	prostate cancer research and the availability of clinical
128	trials.
129	6.  Minimize health disparities through outreach and
130	education.
131	7.  Communicate best practices principles to physicians
132	involved in the care of patients with prostate cancer.
133	8.  Establish a communication platform for patients and
134	their advocates.
135	9.  Work with other institutions and organizations to
136	develop and maintain a prostate cancer registry that is an
137	automated, electronic, and centralized database of persons in
138	the state who are diagnosed with and treated for prostate
139	cancer.
140	10.  Establish a tissue bank to enable research that could
141	result in new therapies and potential cures for persons
142	diagnosed with prostate cancer.
143	11.  Solicit grants or philanthropic funding to conduct an
144	annual prostate cancer symposium that brings physicians,
145	researchers, community leaders, prostate cancer survivors, and
146	prostate cancer advocates together to highlight recent advances
147	in prostate cancer research, clinical trials, and best practices
148	used for the prevention of the prostate cancer and to promote
149	strategies for successful rural and urban outreach, community
150	education, and increased awareness.
151	12.  Submit and present an annual report to the Governor,
152	the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
153	Representatives, and the State Surgeon General by January 15,
154	2012, and by January 15 of each following year, which contains
155	recommendations for legislative changes necessary to decrease
156	the incidence of prostate cancer, decrease racial and ethnic
157	disparities among persons diagnosed with prostate cancer, and
158	promote increased community education and awareness regarding
159	this disease.
160	(4)  The program shall coordinate its efforts with those of
161	the Florida Public Health Institute, Inc.
162	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.