Bill Text: FL S0404 | 2021 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

---

Bill Title: Office of Minority Health and Health Equity

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-26 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 183 (Ch. 2021-117) [S0404 Detail]

Download: Florida-2021-S0404-Comm_Sub.html

---

       Florida Senate - 2021                              CS for SB 404
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Health Policy; and Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       588-02374-21                                           2021404c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Office of Minority Health and
    3         Health Equity; creating s. 381.735, F.S.; requiring
    4         the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity to
    5         develop and promote the statewide implementation of
    6         certain policies, programs, and practices; requiring
    7         one representative from each county health department
    8         to serve as a minority health liaison for a specified
    9         purpose; requiring the office to use all available
   10         resources and pursue funding opportunities to achieve
   11         this purpose; specifying duties for the office;
   12         requiring the Department of Health to maintain
   13         specified information on its website; requiring the
   14         office to serve as a liaison to and assist certain
   15         federal offices; authorizing the department to adopt
   16         rules; providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 381.735, Florida Statutes, is created to
   21  read:
   22         381.735 Office of Minority Health and Health Equity.—
   23         (1) The Office of Minority Health and Health Equity
   24  established under s. 20.43(9) shall develop and promote the
   25  statewide implementation of policies, programs, and practices
   26  that increase health equity in this state, including, but not
   27  limited to, increased access to and quality of health care
   28  services for racial and ethnic minority populations. One
   29  representative from each county health department shall serve as
   30  a minority health liaison to assist the office in implementing
   31  this section. The office shall use all available resources and
   32  pursue opportunities for increased funding to achieve the
   33  purpose of this section.
   34         (2) The office shall coordinate with agencies,
   35  organizations, and providers across this state to do all of the
   36  following:
   37         (a) Gather and analyze data regarding disparities in health
   38  status, health outcomes, quality of health care, and access to
   39  health care services for racial and ethnic minority populations
   40  in this state.
   41         (b) Develop mechanisms that support better information
   42  dissemination and education about health disparities which lead
   43  to improved access to and delivery of health care services for
   44  racial and ethnic minority populations in this state.
   45         (c) Support minority health liaisons by facilitating access
   46  to and the exchange of information related to health promotion,
   47  preventive health services, and education in the appropriate use
   48  of care.
   49         (d) Develop and promote synergistic initiatives between
   50  programs, including, but not limited to, programs related to
   51  maternal and child health and human immunodeficiency virus and
   52  acquired immune deficiency syndrome, to mitigate health
   53  disparities for racial and ethnic minority populations in this
   54  state.
   55         (e) Promote evaluations of demonstration projects and
   56  disseminate the evaluation findings to enhance the success and
   57  sustainability of policies, programs, and practices that
   58  increase health equity in this state.
   59         (f) Promote the use of community health workers to improve
   60  the cultural competency of services and build individual and
   61  community self-sufficiency.
   62         (g) Promote the development of programs that improve access
   63  to health care services for individuals with limited proficiency
   64  in the English language, including persons with disabilities.
   65         (3) The department shall maintain all of the following on
   66  its website, updated at least annually:
   67         (a) Current data on health disparities and issues affecting
   68  racial and ethnic minority populations in this state.
   69         (b) Information about and links to resources available to
   70  racial and ethnic minority populations in this state.
   71         (c) Resources for providers who wish to improve cultural
   72  competency, understand health disparities, and increase the
   73  quality of and access to health care services for racial and
   74  ethnic minority populations in this state. These resources must
   75  include, but need not be limited to, minority health literature,
   76  research, and referrals; capacity-building and technical
   77  assistance services; and training materials for implementing
   78  nationally recognized evidence-based practices for culturally
   79  and linguistically appropriate health care services.
   80         (d) Contact information for local minority health liaisons.
   81         (4) The office shall serve as a liaison to and assist the
   82  federal Offices of Minority Health and Regional Health
   83  Operations, as appropriate.
   84         (5) The department may adopt rules to implement this
   85  section.
   86         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.