Florida Senate - 2022                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 466
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì521082|Î521082                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  01/13/2022           .                                
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       The Committee on Health Policy (Torres) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 295.126, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         295.126 Military Medics and Corpsmen of Florida (MMACOF)
    8  program.—
    9         (1)DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   10         (a)“Department” means the Department of Health.
   11         (b)“Military-trained health care veteran” means a person
   12  who:
   13         1.Has served within the preceding consecutive 12 months as
   14  a medic in the United States Army, a medical technician in the
   15  United States Air Force, a hospital corpsman in the United
   16  States Navy, or a health services technician in the United
   17  States Coast Guard;
   18         2.Was discharged or separated from military service under
   19  conditions other than dishonorable;
   20         3.Has received MMACOF Health Care Program Qualified Status
   21  from the department under paragraph (3)(a);
   22         4.Is enrolled, on at least a half-time basis, in an
   23  approved and accredited Florida health care education and
   24  training program specific to the health care field for which the
   25  department has issued the MMACOF Health Care Program Qualified
   26  Status; and
   27         5.Has applied for and received approval from the
   28  department for the MMACOF Health Care Certification program.
   29         (c)“Participating health care provider” means:
   30         1.A physician licensed under chapter 458 or an osteopathic
   31  physician licensed under chapter 459;
   32         2.A professional corporation or partnership of physicians
   33  licensed under chapter 458 or osteopathic physicians licensed
   34  under chapter 459;
   35         3.A hospital or ambulatory surgical center licensed under
   36  chapter 395;
   37         4.An office registered under s. 458.328 or s. 459.03198;
   38         5.A commercial enterprise having medical facilities for
   39  its employees, which are supervised by one or more physicians
   40  licensed under chapter 458 or osteopathic physicians licensed
   41  under chapter 459; or
   42         6.A facility that is licensed under chapter 395 which
   43  offers medical services to the public and is supervised by one
   44  or more physicians licensed under chapter 458 or osteopathic
   45  physicians licensed under chapter 459.
   46         (d)“Veteran” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01(14) or
   47  means a former member of the Florida National Guard.
   48         (2)PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES.—The department, in
   49  collaboration with Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., may establish
   50  and administer the Military Medics and Corpsmen of Florida
   51  (MMACOF) program. The purpose of the program is to offer
   52  clinical, leadership, and nonclinical career pathways to
   53  veterans and their spouses seeking careers in health care or
   54  health care-related fields within this state.
   55         (3)PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—The MMACOF program shall consist of
   56  the following components:
   57         (a)MMACOF Health Care Certification program.—
   58         1.Florida Is For Veterans, Inc. shall recruit and review
   59  the military eligibility of veterans according to the military
   60  requirements for acceptance into the MMACOF Health Care
   61  Certification program.
   62         2.Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., shall assist each
   63  individual veteran in completing a department MMACOF Health Care
   64  Certification program application form, which much be developed
   65  by the department and each board, or the department if there is
   66  no board. The department shall waive the application fee,
   67  certificate fee, and unlicensed activity fee for such
   68  applicants.
   69         3.The MMACOF Health Care Certification program application
   70  must include, but is not limited to the following information:
   71         a.The individual’s civilian and military education; health
   72  care education and training; a list of practice skills regularly
   73  performed in the military during service as a medic in the
   74  United States Army, a medical technician in the United States
   75  Air Force, a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy, or a
   76  health services technician in the United States Coast Guard; and
   77  any other health care-related education or experience the
   78  individual has received as a civilian or active duty
   79  servicemember; and
   80         b.(I)A disclosure by the MMACOF Health Care Certification
   81  program applicant stating whether or not he or she is currently
   82  enrolled, on at least a half-time basis, in an approved and
   83  accredited Florida health care education and training program
   84  for a specified health care practice areas listed in
   85  subparagraph 6., and the status of that enrollment; or
   86         (II)If the MMACOF Health Care Certification program
   87  applicant is not currently enrolled in an approved and
   88  accredited Florida health care education and training program,
   89  the applicant’s preference for the health care practice area in
   90  which he or she seeks to pursue future education and training
   91  and, if known, which approved and accredited Florida health care
   92  education and training program he or she plans to enter under
   93  the MMACOF Health Care Certification program.
   94         4.Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., shall recruit, establish,
   95  and maintain a statewide list of MMACOF Health Care
   96  Certification program participating health care providers.
   97  Participating health care providers must agree to employ
   98  unlicensed but military-trained health care veterans who hold an
   99  MMACOF Health Care Certificate in specific health care fields;
  100  who are qualified to perform specific health care skills under
  101  the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider in the
  102  specific field, and who are enrolled on at least a half-time
  103  basis in an approved and accredited Florida health care
  104  education and training program for the health care field
  105  specified on the veteran’s MMACOF Health Care Certificate.
  106         5.Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., shall assist veterans who
  107  hold an MMACOF Health Care Certificate in identifying
  108  participating health care providers for potential employment,
  109  including providing assistance with resume writing, application
  110  completion, and interviewing skills.
  111         6.The Board of Medicine shall review, in consultation with
  112  any other professional board it deems appropriate, each
  113  veteran’s individual MMACOF Health Care Certification program
  114  application and, based on criteria set forth in board rule,
  115  shall determine within 30 days in which of the following health
  116  care practice areas the individual veteran is eligible to
  117  practice under the direct supervision of a health care
  118  practitioner, as defined by the specific profession’s practice
  119  act, while the veteran is enrolled on at least a half-time basis
  120  in an approved and accredited Florida health care education and
  121  training program for such practice areas:
  122         a.Certified nursing assistant;
  123         b.Dental assistant;
  124         c.Dental hygienist;
  125         d.Emergency medical technologist;
  126         e.Licensed practical nurse;
  127         f.Laboratory technologist;
  128         g.Medical assistant;
  129         h.Optician;
  130         i.Physician assistant;
  131         j.Occupational therapy assistant;
  132         k.Radiologic technologist;
  133         l.Registered nurse;
  134         m.Respiratory care or therapy technician;
  135         n.Paramedic;
  136         o.Pharmacy technician;
  137         p.Physical therapist assistant; or
  138         q.Physical therapist.
  139         7.The Board of Medicine shall delineate the practice
  140  skills that the military-trained health care veteran is
  141  permitted to perform under the direct supervision of a licensed
  142  health care practitioner in the field in which the veteran is to
  143  practice.
  144         8.Once the Board of Medicine has determined from the
  145  information submitted by the MMACOF Health Care Certification
  146  program applicant that he or she has sufficient civilian or
  147  military health care education and training in one or more
  148  health care practice areas set out in subparagraph 6., the
  149  veteran’s application shall be given “MMACOF Health Care Program
  150  Qualified” status and the veteran shall be notified of this
  151  status in writing within 14 days. The department must also
  152  provide the veteran with a list of practice skills the Board of
  153  Medicine has determined he or she has experience to perform
  154  under direct supervision when employed by a participating health
  155  care provider after obtaining his or her MMACOF Health Care
  156  Certificate. The notification to the veteran of “MMACOF Health
  157  Care program Qualified” status must include instructions on how
  158  the veteran may obtain an MMACOF Health Care Certificate.
  159         9.The Board of Medicine’s initial determination of the
  160  veteran’s “MMACOF Program Health Care Qualified” status expires
  161  18 months after its first issuance, unless the veteran applies
  162  for an MMACOF Health Care Certificate before the expiration
  163  date.
  164         10.To obtain an MMACOF Health Care Certificate, a veteran
  165  whose MMACOF Health Care Certification application is in “MMACOF
  166  Program Health Care Qualified” status must provide to the
  167  department documentation of his or her enrollment on at least a
  168  half-time basis, signed by the registrar or similar
  169  representative of the approved and accredited Florida health
  170  care education and training program, for his or her approved
  171  health care field on a form or in the manner prescribed by
  172  department rule.
  173         11.Upon receipt by the department of the veteran’s proof
  174  of at least half-time enrollment in an approved and accredited
  175  Florida health care education and training program for the
  176  health care field for which the veteran is “MMACOF Program
  177  Health Care Qualified,” the department may issue to the veteran
  178  an MMACOF Health Care Certificate that qualifies the unlicensed
  179  veteran for employment with a participating health care provider
  180  in a position matching the health care field listed on the
  181  veteran’s MMACOF Health Care Certificate.
  182         12.The veteran’s MMACOF Health Care Certificate is valid
  183  for the length of time the veteran remains actively enrolled on
  184  at least a half-time basis in an approved and accredited Florida
  185  health care education and training program, and he or she may
  186  continue to practice the skills approved by the Board of
  187  Medicine in a participating civilian health care provider
  188  setting while enrolled on at least a one-half time basis in an
  189  accredited and approved Florida health care educational and
  190  training program or accredited nursing program, as provided by
  191  s. 464.019(4)(a).
  192         13.The department shall provide by rule a method for
  193  annual renewal of military-trained health care veterans’ MMACOF
  194  Program Health Care Certifications.
  195         14.A MMACOF Health Care Certificateholder must provide the
  196  department and Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., with the following
  197  information within 10 days after civilian employment under his
  198  or her MMACOF Health Care Certificate with a participating
  199  health care provider:
  200         a.The name, address, and telephone number of the
  201  participating health care provider that employs the military
  202  trained health care veteran; and
  203         b.The name and phone number of a contact health care
  204  provider who is responsible for supervising the military-trained
  205  health care veteran and who shall be in possession of a copy of
  206  the list of practice skills for which the board has determined
  207  the military-trained health care veteran has sufficient
  208  experience to perform under supervision with his or her MMACOF
  209  Health Care Certificate.
  210         15.An MMACOF Health Care Certificateholder must notify the
  211  department and Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., in writing within
  212  10 days after:
  213         a.The military-trained health care veteran’s termination
  214  of employment with his or her participating health care
  215  provider; or
  216         b.The military-trained health care veteran’s failure to
  217  remain in or maintain active enrollment on at least a half-time
  218  basis in an approved and accredited Florida health care
  219  education and training program.
  220         16.A participating health care provider that employs a
  221  military-trained health care veteran in any capacity must notify
  222  the department and Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., in writing
  223  within 10 days after the employment termination of a military
  224  trained health care veteran, including the reasons for the
  225  termination.
  226         17.An approved and accredited Florida health care
  227  education and training program that has enrolled a military
  228  trained health care veteran who holds a MMACOF Health Care
  229  Certificate and who is employed by a participating health care
  230  provider must notify the department and Florida Is For Veterans,
  231  Inc., in writing within 10 days after the:
  232         a.Termination of the military-trained health care
  233  veteran’s enrollment from the approved and accredited Florida
  234  health care education and training program for any reason,
  235  specifying the reasons for termination;
  236         b.Military-trained health care veteran’s enrollment
  237  dropping below a half-time basis; or
  238         c.Military-trained health care veteran’s class absences
  239  being of sufficient number to cause the military-trained health
  240  care veteran to drop or fail classes, dropping his or her
  241  enrollment to less than a half-time basis.
  242         18.The following acts constitute grounds for denial of an
  243  MMACOF Health Care Certificate or disciplinary action, as
  244  specified in s. 456.072(2):
  245         a. Obtaining or attempting to obtain an MMACOF Health Care
  246  Certificate by bribery, fraud, or knowing misrepresentation.
  247         b. Having an MMACOF Health Care Certificate revoked,
  248  suspended, or otherwise acted against, including denial, in
  249  another jurisdiction.
  250         c. Being convicted or found guilty of, or entering a plea
  251  of nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a crime in
  252  any jurisdiction which relates to practicing as a military
  253  trained health care veteran under an MMACOF Health Care
  254  Certificate.
  255         d. Willfully making or filing a false report or record,
  256  willfully failing to file a report or record that directly
  257  relates to practicing as a military-trained health care veteran
  258  under an MMACOF Health Care Certificate, or willfully impeding
  259  or obstructing the filing of a report or record required by
  260  another person.
  261         e. Circulating false, misleading, or deceptive advertising.
  262         f. Engaging in unprofessional conduct, including any
  263  departure from or failure to conform to acceptable standards
  264  related to practicing as a military-trained health care veteran
  265  under an MMACOF Health Care Certificate.
  266         g. Engaging or attempting to engage in the illegal
  267  possession, sale, or distribution of any illegal or controlled
  268  substance.
  269         h. Willfully failing to report any known violation of
  270  chapter 457; chapter 458; chapter 459; chapter 460; chapter 461;
  271  chapter 462; chapter 463; chapter 464; chapter 465; chapter 466;
  272  chapter 467; part I, part II, part III, part V, part X, part
  273  XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468; chapter 478; chapter 480; part
  274  I, part II, or part III of chapter 483; chapter 484; chapter
  275  486; chapter 490; or chapter 491.
  276         i. Engaging in the delivery of military-trained health care
  277  skills without an active MMACOF Health Care Certificate.
  278         j. Failing to perform any statutory or legal obligation
  279  placed upon a military-trained health care veteran.
  280         k. Accepting and performing professional responsibilities
  281  that the certificateholder knows, or has reason to know, he or
  282  she is not competent to perform.
  283         l. Delegating military-trained heath care skills to a
  284  person the certificateholder knows, or has reason to know, is
  285  unqualified by training, experience, or licensure to perform.
  286         m. Being judicially determined mentally incompetent.
  287         n.Being unable to practice as a military-trained health
  288  care veteran with reasonable skill and safety because of a
  289  mental or physical condition or illness or the use of alcohol,
  290  controlled substances, or any other substance that impairs one’s
  291  ability to practice.
  292         o. Disclosing the identity of or information about a
  293  patient without written permission, except for information that
  294  does not identify a patient and is used for training purposes in
  295  an approved training program.
  296         p. Violating any provision of this section or chapter 456,
  297  or any rules adopted pursuant thereto.
  298         q.The department may, upon probable cause, compel a
  299  certificateholder to submit to a mental or physical examination
  300  by physicians designated by the department. The cost of an
  301  examination shall be borne by the certificateholder, and his or
  302  her failure to submit to such an examination shall constitute an
  303  admission of the allegations against him or her, consequent upon
  304  which a default and a final order may be entered without the
  305  taking of testimony or presentation of evidence, unless the
  306  failure was due to circumstances beyond his or her control.
  307         r.A certificateholder who is disciplined under this
  308  paragraph shall, at reasonable intervals, be afforded an
  309  opportunity to demonstrate that he or she can resume the
  310  practice as a military-trained health care veteran with
  311  reasonable skill and safety.
  312         s.In any proceeding under this subparagraph, the record of
  313  proceedings or the orders entered by the board may not be used
  314  against a certificateholder in any other proceeding.
  315         19. The department or Board of Medicine may enter an order
  316  denying certification or imposing any of the penalties in s.
  317  456.072(2) against any applicant for certification who is found
  318  guilty of any of the violations specified in s. 456.072(1).
  319         20.The department or Board of Medicine may not issue or
  320  reinstate a military-trained heath care veteran’s MMACOF Health
  321  Care Certificate to a person it has deemed unqualified until it
  322  is satisfied that such person has complied with the terms and
  323  conditions of the final order and that the certificateholder can
  324  safely practice as a medically-trained health care veteran.
  325         21. The Board of Medicine may, by rule, establish
  326  guidelines for the disposition of disciplinary cases involving
  327  specific violations. The guidelines may include minimum and
  328  maximum fines, periods of supervision on probation, or
  329  conditions upon probation or reissuance of a military-trained
  330  health care veteran’s MMACOF Health Care Certificate.
  331         (b)No Veteran Left Behind.—Veterans who do not meet the
  332  definition of the term “military-trained health care veteran”
  333  but who have served in health care-related fields shall receive
  334  assistance from the MMACOF program in resume writing,
  335  mentorship, and obtaining employment with participating health
  336  care providers.
  337         (c)Health Care Leadership.—The MMACOF program shall assist
  338  veterans and their spouses, in the course of the veterans
  339  military service, who have gained management experience or
  340  completed any advanced degree in finding civilian health care
  341  leadership and management employment in a variety of health care
  342  disciplines.
  343         (4)RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.The department and the Board of
  344  Medicine may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54
  345  to implement this section.
  346         Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 295.21, Florida
  347  Statutes, is amended to read:
  348         295.21 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc.—
  349         (2) PURPOSE.—
  350         (a) The purpose of the corporation is to promote Florida as
  351  a veteran-friendly state that seeks to provide veterans with
  352  employment opportunities and that promotes the hiring of
  353  veterans by the business community. The corporation shall
  354  encourage retired and recently separated military personnel to
  355  remain in the state or to make the state their permanent
  356  residence. The corporation shall promote the value of military
  357  skill sets to businesses in the state, assist in tailoring the
  358  training of veterans to match the needs of the employment
  359  marketplace, and enhance the entrepreneurial skills of veterans.
  360         (b)A subprogram dedicated to health care services
  361  employment may be created under the Veterans Employment and
  362  Training Services Program. The purpose of the health care
  363  service program is to link veterans who have armed service
  364  health care training and who are seeking employment in health
  365  care fields to health care organizations seeking to hire
  366  dedicated, well-trained workers. The program is to meet the
  367  health care workforce demands of this state by facilitating
  368  access to training and education in health fields for veterans
  369  and to promote the health care licensing programs provided by
  370  the state.
  371         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.
  372  
  373  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  374  And the title is amended as follows:
  375         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  376  and insert:
  377                        A bill to be entitled                      
  378         An act relating to the Military Medics and Corpsmen of
  379         Florida program; creating s. 295.126, F.S.; defining
  380         terms; authorizing the Department of Health to
  381         establish the Military Medics and Corpsmen of Florida
  382         (MMACOF) program in collaboration with Florida Is For
  383         Veterans, Inc.; providing the purpose of MMACOF;
  384         providing the components of the program; requiring
  385         Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to recruit and review
  386         the eligibility of certain veterans for the program;
  387         requiring Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to assist
  388         certain veterans with certain applications; requiring
  389         the department to waive certain fees for such
  390         applicants; providing application requirements;
  391         requiring certain disclosures by an applicant;
  392         requiring Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to recruit,
  393         establish, and maintain a statewide list of
  394         participating health care providers; requiring the
  395         participating health care providers to agree to
  396         specified terms; requiring Florida Is For Veterans,
  397         Inc., to assist such veterans with identifying and
  398         applying to a participating health care providers for
  399         employment; requiring the board to determine the areas
  400         in which such veterans are eligible to practice;
  401         requiring the board to specify which skills such
  402         veterans may practice under direct supervision;
  403         requiring the board to place such veterans in a
  404         specified status if certain conditions are met;
  405         requiring the department to provide such veterans with
  406         specified information; providing that a certain status
  407         expires within a certain timeframe if not renewed
  408         before a specified date; requiring certain veterans to
  409         provide specified information to the department;
  410         authorizing the department to issue a certain
  411         certificate to such veterans under specified
  412         conditions; requiring the department to provide by
  413         rule a method to renew such certificate; requiring
  414         such veterans to provide the department specified
  415         information within a certain timeframe after
  416         employment; requiring a certificateholder to provide
  417         Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., with specified
  418         information within a certain timeframe; requiring
  419         participating health care providers to provide certain
  420         information to the department and to Florida Is For
  421         Veterans, Inc., within a certain timeframe; requiring
  422         certain education and training programs to provide the
  423         department and Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., with
  424         specified information within a specified timeframe;
  425         providing acts that are grounds for denial of a
  426         certificate or disciplinary action authorizing the
  427         department or the board to enter certain orders;
  428         prohibiting the department or the board from issuing
  429         or reinstating a certificate until certain conditions
  430         are met by the veteran; requiring the board to adopt
  431         rules relating to disciplinary action; providing that
  432         veterans who do not meet program requirements may
  433         receive certain assistance from the program; requiring
  434         the program to assist veterans and their spouses with
  435         obtaining certain employment; authorizing the
  436         department and the board to adopt rules; amending s.
  437         295.21, F.S.; providing the purpose for a health care
  438         service program for veterans through Florida Is For
  439         Veterans, Inc.; providing an effective date.