Bill Text: FL S1438 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Eye and Vision Care
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-03-11 - Died in Health Policy [S1438 Detail]
Download: Florida-2016-S1438-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2016 SB 1438 By Senator Smith 31-01061A-16 20161438__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to eye and vision care; amending s. 3 20.43, F.S.; creating an eye and vision care center 4 for urban and underserved communities; requiring the 5 eye and vision care center to coordinate with certain 6 entities to obtain specified services; amending s. 7 154.01, F.S.; revising the definition of the term 8 “primary care services” to add eye and vision care 9 services; providing an effective date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1. Present paragraph (c) of subsection (7) of 14 section 20.43, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph 15 (d), and a new paragraph (c) is added to that subsection, to 16 read: 17 20.43 Department of Health.—There is created a Department 18 of Health. 19 (7) To protect and improve the public health, the 20 department may use state or federal funds to: 21 (c) Establish in the department an eye and vision care 22 center for urban and underserved communities to improve access 23 to eye and vision care services within county health 24 departments. The eye and vision care center shall coordinate 25 with the Board of Optometry, created under chapter 463, the 26 Board of Opticianry, created under part I of chapter 484, trade 27 and charitable organizations, and local vision care specialists 28 and providers to obtain no-cost or low-cost comprehensive vision 29 care services, including vision screening, eye examinations, 30 eyeglasses and contact lenses prescriptions, and corrective 31 lenses. 32 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 33 154.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 34 154.01 County health department delivery system.— 35 (2) A functional system of county health department 36 services shall be established which shall include the following 37 three levels of service and be funded as follows: 38 (c) “Primary care services” are acute care and preventive 39 services that are made available to well and sick persons who 40 are unable to obtain such services due to lack of income or 41 other barriers beyond their control. These services are provided 42 to benefit individuals, improve the collective health of the 43 public, and prevent and control the spread of disease. Primary 44 health care services are provided at home, in group settings, or 45 in clinics. These services shall be supported by available 46 federal, state, and local funds and shall include services 47 mandated on a state or federal level. Examples of primary health 48 care services include, but are not limited to: first contact 49 acute care services; chronic disease detection and treatment; 50 maternal and child health services; family planning; nutrition; 51 school health; supplemental food assistance for women, infants, 52 and children; home health; eye and vision care services; and 53 dental services. 54 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.