Florida Senate - 2018                              CS for SB 444
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Health Policy; and Senator Bean
       
       
       
       
       
       588-01112-18                                           2018444c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to pregnancy support services;
    3         creating s. 381.96, F.S.; providing definitions;
    4         requiring the Department of Health to contract with a
    5         not-for-profit statewide alliance of organizations to
    6         provide pregnancy support and wellness services
    7         through subcontractors; providing duties of the
    8         department; providing contract requirements; requiring
    9         the contractor to spend a specified percentage of
   10         funds on direct client services; providing for
   11         subcontractor background screenings under certain
   12         circumstances; requiring the contractor to annually
   13         survey subcontractors; specifying the entities
   14         eligible for a subcontract; requiring services to be
   15         provided in a noncoercive manner; forbidding the
   16         inclusion of faith-based content in informational
   17         materials; providing an effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Section 381.96, Florida Statutes, is created to
   22  read:
   23         381.96Pregnancy support services.—
   24         (1)DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   25         (a)“Department” means the Department of Health.
   26         (b)“Eligible client” means a pregnant woman or a woman who
   27  suspects that she is pregnant, and the family of such a woman,
   28  who voluntarily seeks pregnancy support services. The period of
   29  eligibility may continue for, but may not exceed, 12 months
   30  after the birth of the child.
   31         (c)“Florida Pregnancy Care Network, Inc.,” or “network”
   32  means the not-for-profit statewide alliance of pregnancy support
   33  organizations that provide pregnancy support services through a
   34  comprehensive system of care to women and their families.
   35         (d)“Pregnancy support services” means services that
   36  promote and encourage childbirth, including, but not limited to:
   37         1.Direct client services, such as pregnancy testing,
   38  counseling, referral, training, and education for pregnant women
   39  and their families.
   40         2.Program awareness activities, including a promotional
   41  campaign to educate the public about the pregnancy support
   42  services offered by the network and a website that provides
   43  information on the location of providers in the user’s area, as
   44  well as other available community resources.
   45         3.Communication activities, including the operation and
   46  maintenance of a hotline or call center with a single statewide
   47  toll-free telephone number which is available 24 hours a day for
   48  an eligible client to obtain the location and contact
   49  information for a pregnancy center located in his or her area.
   50         (e)“Wellness services” means services or activities
   51  intended to maintain and improve health or prevent illness and
   52  injury, including, but not limited to, high blood pressure
   53  screening, anemia testing, thyroid screening, cholesterol
   54  screening, diabetes screening, and assistance with smoking
   55  cessation.
   56         (2) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall contract with
   57  the network for the management and delivery of pregnancy support
   58  and wellness services to eligible clients.
   59         (3)CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS.—The department contract must
   60  specify the contract deliverables, including financial reports
   61  and other reports due to the department, timeframes for
   62  achieving contractual obligations, and any other requirements
   63  that the department determines are necessary, such as staffing
   64  and location requirements. The contract must require the network
   65  to:
   66         (a)Establish, implement, and monitor a comprehensive
   67  system of care through subcontractors which meets the pregnancy
   68  support and wellness needs of eligible clients.
   69         (b)Establish and manage subcontracts with a sufficient
   70  number of providers to ensure the availability of pregnancy
   71  support and wellness services for eligible clients and maintain
   72  and manage the delivery of such services throughout the contract
   73  period.
   74         (c)Spend at least 90 percent of contract funds on
   75  pregnancy support and wellness services.
   76         (d)Offer wellness services through vouchers or other
   77  appropriate arrangements that allow the purchase of services
   78  from qualified health care providers.
   79         (e)Require a background screening, as provided in s.
   80  943.0542, for all paid staff and volunteers of a subcontractor
   81  if such staff or volunteers provide direct client services to an
   82  eligible client who is a minor or an elderly person or who has a
   83  disability.
   84         (f)Annually survey its subcontractors and specify the
   85  sanctions that will be imposed for noncompliance with the terms
   86  of a subcontract.
   87         (g)Subcontract only with providers that exclusively
   88  promote and support childbirth.
   89         (h)Ensure that informational materials provided to an
   90  eligible client by a provider are current and accurate and cite
   91  the source of any medical statement included in the materials.
   92         (4)SERVICES.—Services provided pursuant to this section
   93  must be provided in a noncoercive manner and instructional
   94  materials may not include any faith-based content.
   95         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.