F.S. 430.01 Short title.
This chapter may be cited as the “Department of Elderly Affairs Act,” or the “Pepper Act” as a memorial to Congressman Claude Denson Pepper. The department is also known as the Department of Elder Affairs.
ELDER AFFAIRS
F.S. Ch. 430
in effectF.S. 430.02 Legislative intent.
It is the intent of the Legislature to:
(1)
Advise, assist, and protect the state’s elderly citizens to the fullest extent.
(2)
Ensure that programs and services are developed and implemented to be accessible to all elderly citizens to assist them in the achievement or maintenance of maximum independence and quality of life and minimum levels of social dependence.
(3)
Support and promote the efforts of families and other caregivers in assisting elderly persons.
(4)
Promote intergenerational activities that will provide citizens of all ages opportunities to enjoy the enriching benefits of interaction and that will promote unity and support for one another.
(5)
Ensure that state government functions effectively and efficiently in serving the elderly through coordination of policy development, planning, and service delivery by all state agencies relating to the elderly population of the state.
(6)
Ensure that elderly citizens are able to secure prompt, adequate, and accurate information and assistance regarding, but not limited to, health, social welfare, long-term care, protective services, consumer protection, education and training, housing, employment, recreation, transportation, insurance, and retirement.
(7)
Organize the Department of Elderly Affairs as the state agency that has lead responsibility for administering human service programs for the elderly and for developing policy recommendations for long-term care.
F.S. 430.03 Purposes.
The purposes of the Department of Elderly Affairs are to:
(1)
Serve as the primary state agency responsible for administering human services programs for the elderly and for developing policy recommendations for long-term care.
(2)
Combat ageism and create public awareness and understanding of the potentials and needs of elderly persons.
(3)
Study and plan for programs and services to meet identified and projected needs and to provide opportunities for personal development and achievement of persons aged 60 years and older.
(4)
Advocate quality programs and services for the state’s elderly population and on behalf of the individual citizen’s needs.
(5)
Coordinate interdepartmental policy development and program planning for all state agencies that provide services for the elderly population in order to prevent duplicative efforts, to maximize utilization of resources, and to ensure cooperation, communication, and departmental linkages.
(6)
Recommend state and local level organizational models for the planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of programs serving the elderly population.
(7)
Oversee implementation of federally funded and state-funded programs and services for the state’s elderly population.
(8)
Recommend legislative budget requests for programs and services for the state’s elderly population.
(9)
Serve as a state-level information clearinghouse and encourage the development of local-level identifiable points of information and referral regarding all federal, state, and local resources of assistance to elderly citizens.
(10)
Assist elderly persons to secure needed services in accordance with personal choice and in a manner that achieves or maintains autonomy and prevents, reduces, or eliminates dependency.
(11)
Promote the maintenance and improvement of the physical well-being and mental health of elderly persons.
(12)
Promote opportunities for volunteerism among the elderly population.
(13)
Promote the prevention of neglect, abuse, or exploitation of elderly persons unable to protect their own interests.
(14)
Eliminate and prevent inappropriate institutionalization of elderly persons by promoting community-based care, home-based care, or other forms of less intensive care.
(15)
Aid in the support of families and other caregivers of elderly persons.
(16)
Promote intergenerational relationships.
(17)
Oversee aging research conducted or funded by any state agency to ensure that such activities are coordinated and directed to fulfill the intent and purposes of this act.
F.S. 430.04 Duties and responsibilities of the Department of Elderly Affairs.
The Department of Elderly Affairs shall:
(1)
Administer human services and long-term care programs, including programs funded under the federal Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and other programs that are assigned to it by law.
(2)
Be responsible for ensuring that each area agency on aging operates in a manner to ensure that the elderly of this state receive the best services possible. The department shall rescind designation of an area agency on aging or take intermediate measures against the agency, including corrective action, unannounced special monitoring, temporary assumption of operation of one or more programs by the department, placement on probationary status, imposing a moratorium on agency action, imposing financial penalties for nonperformance, or other administrative action pursuant to chapter 120, if the department finds that:
(a)
An intentional or negligent act of the agency has materially affected the health, welfare, or safety of clients, or substantially and negatively affected the operation of an aging services program.
(b)
The agency lacks financial stability sufficient to meet contractual obligations or that contractual funds have been misappropriated.
(c)
The agency has committed multiple or repeated violations of legal and regulatory requirements or department standards.
(d)
The agency has failed to continue the provision or expansion of services after the declaration of a state of emergency.
(e)
The agency has exceeded its authority or otherwise failed to adhere to the terms of its contract with the department or has exceeded its authority or otherwise failed to adhere to the provisions specifically provided by statute or rule adopted by the department.
(f)
The agency has failed to properly determine client eligibility as defined by the department or efficiently manage program budgets.
(g)
The agency has failed to implement and maintain a department-approved client grievance resolution procedure.
(3)
Serve as an information clearinghouse at the state level, and assist local-level information and referral resources as a repository and means for the dissemination of information regarding all federal, state, and local resources for assistance to the elderly in the areas of, but not limited to, health, social welfare, long-term care, protective services, consumer protection, education and training, housing, employment, recreation, transportation, insurance, and retirement.
(4)
Recommend guidelines for the development of roles for state agencies that provide services for the aging, review plans of agencies that provide such services, and relay the plans to the Governor and the Legislature.
(5)
Recommend to the Governor and the Legislature an organizational framework for the planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of programs related to aging, with the purpose of expanding and improving programs and opportunities available to the state’s elderly population and enhancing a continuum of long-term care. This framework must ensure that:
(a)
Performance objectives are established.
(b)
Program reviews are conducted statewide.
(c)
Each major program related to aging is reviewed every 3 years.
(d)
Program decisions reinforce the distinctive roles established for state agencies that provide aging services.
(6)
Advise the Governor and the Legislature regarding the need for and location of programs related to aging.
(7)
Review and coordinate aging research plans of all state agencies to ensure that research objectives address issues and needs of the state’s elderly population. The research activities that must be reviewed and coordinated by the department include, but are not limited to, contracts with academic institutions, development of educational and training curriculums, Alzheimer’s disease and other medical research, studies of long-term care and other personal assistance needs, and design of adaptive or modified living environments.
(8)
Review budget requests for programs related to aging to ensure the most cost-effective use of state funding for the state’s elderly population before submission to the Governor and the Legislature.
(9)
Request other departments that administer programs affecting the state’s elderly population to amend their plans, rules, policies, and research objectives as necessary to ensure that programs and other initiatives are coordinated and maximize the state’s efforts to address the needs of the elderly.
(10)
Hold public meetings regularly throughout the state to receive information and maximize the visibility of important issues relating to aging and the elderly.
(11)
Conduct policy analysis and program evaluation studies assigned by the Legislature.
(12)
Assist the Governor, each Cabinet member, and members of the Legislature in conducting their responsibilities as they consider appropriate.
(13)
Call upon appropriate agencies of state government for such assistance as is needed in the discharge of its duties. All agencies shall cooperate in assisting the department in carrying out its responsibilities as prescribed by this section. However, the law regarding confidentiality of information may not be violated.
(14)
Be designated as a state agency that is eligible to receive federal funds for adults who are eligible for assistance through the portion of the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program for adults, which is referred to as the Adult Care Food Program, and that is responsible for establishing and administering the program. The purpose of the Adult Care Food Program is to provide nutritious and wholesome meals and snacks for adults in nonresidential day care centers or residential treatment facilities. To ensure the quality and integrity of the program, the department shall develop standards and procedures that govern sponsoring organizations and adult day care centers. The department shall follow federal requirements and may adopt rules necessary to administer the program and implement relevant federal regulations, including 7 C.F.R. part 226. The rules may address, at a minimum, the program requirements and procedures identified in this subsection.
F.S. 430.07 Office of Volunteer Community Service.
There is created within the Department of Elderly Affairs the Office of Volunteer Community Service. The office shall:
(1)
Compile an inventory of services needed by elderly persons.
(2)
Compile an inventory of services being provided to elderly persons to meet those needs.
(3)
Determine which services needed by elderly persons are not being provided.
(4)
Determine which services currently not being provided can be provided by older persons acting as volunteers.
(5)
Identify those state rules and policies which restrict volunteer service by or for older persons and propose corrective actions.
(6)
Identify methods of promoting volunteer service by and for older persons.
(7)
Develop a comprehensive volunteer program that includes an intergenerational component and draws on the strengths and skills of the state’s older population and, to the extent possible, implements the volunteer service credit program.
(8)
Encourage contributions and grants through private, state, and federal sources for the purpose of promoting, implementing, or evaluating volunteer programs by or for older persons.
(9)
Encourage volunteerism by elders regardless of socioeconomic status. In order to accomplish this, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the office is authorized to provide to those volunteers whose presence is determined to be necessary to the department direct payment of lodging and transportation expenses to a vendor on behalf of such volunteer, or prepayment, or reimbursement of lodging and transportation expenses directly to such volunteer. The office shall not expend or authorize an expenditure in excess of the amount appropriated in any fiscal year.
F.S. 430.08 Rulemaking.
The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this chapter.
F.S. 430.071 Respite for elders living in everyday families.
(1)
As used in this section, the term:
(a)
“Family unit” means one or more individuals whose primary residence is with a homebound elderly individual specifically for the purpose of providing care for that homebound elderly individual. The family does not necessarily need to be related by blood or marriage to the homebound elderly individual.
(b)
“Respite” means in-home assistance for a homebound elderly individual from someone who is not a member of the family unit, which allows the family unit the ability to leave the homebound elderly individual for a period of time.
(c)
“Stipend” means an allotment of funds to enable a diverse population of volunteers to provide services. The allotment of funds is for a maximum hourly rate that shall not exceed an amount equal to the federal minimum wage.
(d)
“Volunteer service system” means an organized network of volunteers and agencies engaged in supporting volunteers to assist a family unit that requires respite.
(2)
The “Respite for Elders Living in Everyday Families” (RELIEF) program will provide in-home respite that is an expansion of respite that is currently available through other programs, specifically including evening and weekend respite. The purpose of this service is to increase the ability of a family unit to continue to care for a homebound elderly individual by providing in-home respite beyond the basic provisions of current public programs.
(3)
Respite services shall be provided through a multigenerational corps of volunteers, volunteers who receive a stipend, and any other appropriate personnel as determined by the department.
(a)
Volunteers shall be screened, selected, trained, and registered according to standards developed by the Office of Volunteer and Community Services in the Department of Elderly Affairs. These standards must be developed to ensure, at a minimum, the safety of a homebound elderly individual who will receive the respite service.
(b)
Volunteers may be recruited from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, volunteer centers, religious organizations, college campuses, corporations, families, Retired Senior Volunteer Programs, Senior Companion Programs, and AmeriCorps Programs.
(4)
To receive assistance from the RELIEF program, the family unit must be assessed according to the following guidelines developed by the department to determine the need for respite services. This assessment must determine, at a minimum, that:
(a)
The family unit is unable to pay for respite without jeopardizing other basic needs, including, but not limited to, food, shelter, and medications.
(b)
The homebound elderly individual for whom the family unit is caring is 60 years of age or older, requires assistance to remain in the home, and, without this assistance, would need to move to an assisted living facility or a nursing facility.
(5)
A family unit that receives respite services from the RELIEF program is not excluded from receiving assistance from other governmental programs.
(6)
The Office of Volunteer and Community Services shall:
(a)
Systematically develop a volunteer service system in order to provide respite services under the RELIEF program. The office shall also implement, monitor, and evaluate the delivery of respite services under this program.
(b)
Work collaboratively with local, state, and national organizations, including, but not limited to, the Florida Commission on Community Service, to promote the use of volunteers offering respite under this program.
(c)
Encourage contributions and grants through public and private sources to promote the delivery of respite to assist family units providing care for homebound elderly individuals.
F.S. 430.80 Implementation of a teaching nursing home pilot project.
(1)
As used in this section, the term “teaching nursing home” means a nursing home facility licensed under chapter 400 which contains a minimum of 170 licensed nursing home beds; has access to a resident senior population of sufficient size to support education, training, and research relating to geriatric care; and has a contractual relationship with a federally funded accredited geriatric research center in this state or operates in its own right a geriatric research center.
(2)(a)
The Agency for Health Care Administration shall implement a comprehensive multidisciplinary program of geriatric education and research as a pilot project in a nursing home facility designated by the agency as a teaching nursing home. The program shall be established as a pilot project and shall be administered at the nursing home facility and other appropriate settings.
(b)
The agency shall develop criteria for designating teaching nursing homes in consultation with advocates of the elderly, advocates of persons with disabilities, representatives of the nursing home industry, and representatives of the State University System.
(3)
To be designated as a teaching nursing home, a nursing home licensee must, at a minimum:
(a)
Provide a comprehensive program of integrated senior services that include institutional services and community-based services;
(b)
Participate in a nationally recognized accrediting program and hold a valid accreditation, such as the accreditation awarded by the Joint Commission, or, at the time of initial designation, possess a Gold Seal Award as conferred by the state on its licensed nursing home;
(c)
Have been in business in this state for a minimum of 10 consecutive years;
(d)
Demonstrate an active program in multidisciplinary education and research that relates to gerontology;
(e)
Have a formalized contractual relationship with at least one accredited health profession education program located in this state;
(f)
Have senior staff members who hold formal faculty appointments at universities, which must include at least one accredited health profession education program; and
(g)
Maintain insurance coverage pursuant to s. 400.141(1)(q) or proof of financial responsibility in a minimum amount of $750,000. Such proof of financial responsibility may include:
1.
Maintaining an escrow account consisting of cash or assets eligible for deposit in accordance with s. 625.52; or
2.
Obtaining and maintaining pursuant to chapter 675 an unexpired, irrevocable, nontransferable and nonassignable letter of credit issued by any bank or savings association organized and existing under the laws of this state or any bank or savings association organized under the laws of the United States that has its principal place of business in this state or has a branch office which is authorized to receive deposits in this state. The letter of credit shall be used to satisfy the obligation of the facility to the claimant upon presentment of a final judgment indicating liability and awarding damages to be paid by the facility or upon presentment of a settlement agreement signed by all parties to the agreement when such final judgment or settlement is a result of a liability claim against the facility.
(4)
A teaching nursing home may be affiliated with a medical school within the state and a federally funded center of excellence in geriatric research and education. The purpose of such affiliations is to foster the development of methods for improving and expanding the capability of health care facilities to respond to the medical, psychological, and social needs of frail and elderly persons by providing the most effective and appropriate services. A teaching nursing home shall serve as a resource for research and for training health care professionals in providing health care services in institutional settings to frail and older persons.
(5)
The Legislature may provide an annual appropriation to the nursing home facility designated as a teaching nursing home.
(6)
In order for a nursing home to qualify as a teaching nursing home under this section and to be entitled to the benefits provided under this section, the nursing home must:
(a)
Be primarily operated and established to offer, afford, and render a comprehensive multidisciplinary program of geriatric education and research to residents of the state; and
(b)
Certify to the Agency for Health Care Administration each school year the name, address, and educational history of each trainee approved and accepted for enrollment in the institution.
(7)
A teaching nursing home may not expend any of the funds received under this section for any purpose other than operating and maintaining a teaching nursing home and conducting geriatric research. In addition, a teaching nursing home may not expend any funds received under this section for constructing any building of any kind, nature, or description or for maintaining or operating, in any form or manner, a nursing home or health care facility.
F.S. 430.81 Implementation of a teaching agency for home and community-based care.
(1)
As used in this section, the term “teaching agency for home and community-based care” means a home health agency licensed under part III of chapter 400 that has access to a resident population of sufficient size to support education, training, and research relating to geriatric care.
(2)
The Department of Elderly Affairs may designate a home health agency as a teaching agency for home and community-based care if the home health agency:
(a)
Has been a not-for-profit, designated community care for the elderly lead agency for home and community-based services for more than 10 consecutive years.
(b)
Participates in a nationally recognized accreditation program and holds a valid accreditation, such as the accreditation awarded by the Community Health Accreditation Program.
(c)
Has been in business in this state for a minimum of 20 consecutive years.
(d)
Demonstrates an active program in multidisciplinary education and research that relates to gerontology.
(e)
Has a formalized affiliation agreement with at least one established academic research university with a nationally accredited health professions program in this state.
(f)
Has salaried academic faculty from a nationally accredited health professions program.
(g)
Is a Medicare and Medicaid certified home health agency that has participated in the nursing home diversion program for a minimum of 5 consecutive years.
(h)
Maintains insurance coverage pursuant to s. 400.141(1)(q) or proof of financial responsibility in a minimum amount of $750,000. Such proof of financial responsibility may include:
1.
Maintaining an escrow account consisting of cash or assets eligible for deposit in accordance with s. 625.52; or
2.
Obtaining and maintaining, pursuant to chapter 675, an unexpired, irrevocable, nontransferable, and nonassignable letter of credit issued by any bank or savings association authorized to do business in this state. This letter of credit shall be used to satisfy the obligation of the agency to the claimant upon presentation of a final judgment indicating liability and awarding damages to be paid by the facility or upon presentment of a settlement agreement signed by all parties to the agreement when such final judgment or settlement is a result of a liability claim against the agency.
(3)
A teaching agency for home and community-based care may be affiliated with an academic health center in this state. The purpose of such affiliation is to foster the development of methods for improving and expanding the capability of home health agencies to respond to the medical, health care, psychological, and social needs of frail and elderly persons by providing the most effective and appropriate services. A teaching agency for home and community-based care shall serve as a resource for research and for training health care professionals in providing health care services in home and community-based settings to frail and elderly persons.
F.S. 430.84 Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.
(1)
DEFINITIONS.
—
As used in this section, the term:
(a)
“Agency” means the Agency for Health Care Administration.
(b)
“Applicant” means an entity that has filed an application with the agency for consideration as a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization.
(c)
“CMS” means the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
(d)
“Department” means the Department of Elderly Affairs.
(e)
“PACE organization” means an entity under contract with the agency to deliver PACE services.
(f)
“Participant” means an individual receiving services from a PACE organization who has been determined by the department to need the level of care required under the state Medicaid plan for coverage of nursing facility services.
(2)
PROGRAM CREATION.
—
The agency, in consultation with the department, may approve entities that have submitted applications required by the CMS to the agency for review and consideration which contain the data and information required in subsection (3) to provide benefits pursuant to the PACE program as established in 42 U.S.C. s. 1395eee and in accordance with the requirements set forth in this section.
(3)
PACE ORGANIZATION SELECTION.
—
The agency, in consultation with the department, shall, on a continuous basis, review and consider applications required by the CMS for PACE that have been submitted to the agency by entities seeking initial state approval to become PACE organizations. Notice of such applications shall be published in the Florida Administrative Register.
(a)
A prospective PACE organization shall submit application documents to the agency before requesting program funding. Application documents submitted to and reviewed by the agency, in consultation with the department, must include all of the following:
1.
Evidence that the applicant has the ability to meet all of the applicable federal regulations and requirements, established by the CMS, for participation as a PACE organization by the proposed implementation date.
2.
Market studies, including an estimate of the number of potential participants and the geographic service area in which the applicant proposes to serve.
3.
A business plan of operation, including pro forma financial statements and projections, based on the proposed implementation date.
(b)
Each applicant must propose to serve a unique and defined geographic service area. In designating a service area under a contract with a PACE organization, the state administering agency may exclude from designation an area that is already covered under another PACE organization contract in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of services and avoid impairing the financial service viability of an existing PACE organization. However, if a new applicant submits a letter of intent to provide PACE services in an area where an existing PACE organization is under contract and has been operating for at least 10 years, the state shall determine whether there is an unmet need that could be provided by the new PACE organization and the applicant must satisfactorily demonstrate to the state administering agency that there is justification for the proposed PACE organization in such service area. All applicants must demonstrate in the application that the PACE services provided by the proposed PACE organization will be comprehensive and organized to meet all state and CMS requirements.
(c)
Upon agency approval, a PACE organization that is authorized to provide and has received funding for PACE slots in a given geographic area may use such slots and funding to serve the needs of participants in a contiguous geographic area if such PACE organization is authorized to provide PACE services in that area.
(d)
An existing PACE organization seeking authority to serve an additional geographic service area not previously authorized by the agency or Legislature shall meet the requirements set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b).
(e)
Any prospective PACE organization that is granted initial state approval by the agency, in consultation with the department, shall submit its complete federal PACE application, in accordance with the application process and guidelines established by the CMS, to the agency and the CMS within 12 months after the date of initial state approval, or such approval is void.
(4)
ACCOUNTABILITY.
—
All PACE organizations must meet specific quality and performance standards established by the CMS and the state administering agency for the PACE program. The agency shall oversee and monitor the PACE program and organizations based upon data and reports periodically submitted by PACE organizations to the agency and the CMS. A PACE organization is exempt from the requirements of chapter 641.
F.S. 430.101 Administration of federal aging programs.
The Department of Elderly Affairs is designated the state unit on aging under the federal Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and shall exercise all responsibilities under that act. The department is the state agency designated to handle all programs of the Federal Government relating to the aging, by virtue of funds appropriated through the Older Americans Act of 1965 and subsequent amendments, requiring actions within the state which are not the specific responsibility of another state agency under the provisions of federal or state law. Authority is hereby conferred on the department to accept and use any funds in accordance with established state budgetary procedures which might become available pursuant to the purposes set out herein.
F.S. 430.105 Confidentiality of information.
Personal identifying information in a record held by the department that relates to an individual’s health or eligibility for or receipt of health-related, elder care, or long-term care services is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Such information may be disclosed:
(1)
To another governmental entity for the purpose of administering the department’s programs for the elderly; or
(2)
If the affected individual or his or her legal representative provides written consent.
F.S. 430.201 Short title.
Sections 430.201-430.207 may be cited as the “Community Care for the Elderly Act.”
F.S. 430.202 Community care for the elderly; legislative intent.
The purpose of ss. 430.201-430.207 is to assist functionally impaired elderly persons in living dignified and reasonably independent lives in their own homes or in the homes of relatives or caregivers through the development, expansion, reorganization, and coordination of various community-based services. The Legislature intends that a continuum of care be established so that functionally impaired elderly persons age 60 and older may be assured the least restrictive environment suitable to their needs. The development of innovative approaches to program management, staff training, and service delivery which have an impact on cost-avoidance, cost-effectiveness, and program efficiency is encouraged.
F.S. 430.203 Community care for the elderly; definitions.
As used in ss. 430.201-430.207, the term:
(1)
“Area agency on aging” means a public or nonprofit private agency or office designated by the department to coordinate and administer the department’s programs and to provide, through contracting agencies, services within a planning and service area. An area agency on aging serves as both the advocate and the visible focal point in its planning and service area to foster the development of comprehensive and coordinated service systems to serve older individuals.
(2)
“Community care service area” means a service area within a planning and service area.
(3)
“Community care service system” means a service network comprising a variety of home-delivered services, day care services, and other basic services, hereinafter referred to as “core services,” for functionally impaired elderly persons which are provided by or through a single lead agency. Its purpose is to provide a continuum of care encompassing a full range of preventive, maintenance, and restorative services for functionally impaired elderly persons.
(4)
“Contracting agency” means an area agency on aging, a lead agency, or any other agency contracting to provide program administration or to provide services.
(5)
“Core services” means a variety of home-delivered services, day care services, and other basic services that may be provided by several entities. Core services are those services that are most needed to prevent unnecessary institutionalization. The area agency on aging shall not directly provide core services.
(6)
“Department” means the Department of Elderly Affairs.
(7)
“Functionally impaired elderly person” means any person, 60 years of age or older, having physical or mental limitations that restrict individual ability to perform the normal activities of daily living and that impede individual capacity to live independently without the provision of core services. Functional impairment shall be determined through a functional assessment administered to each applicant for community-care-for-the-elderly core services. The functional assessment shall be developed by the department.
(8)
“Health maintenance services” means those routine health services that are necessary to help maintain the health of a functionally impaired elderly person, but that are limited to medical therapeutic services, nonmedical prevention services, personal care services, home health aide services, home nursing services, and emergency response systems.
(9)
“Lead agency” means an agency designated at least once every 6 years by an area agency on aging as the result of a competitive procurement conducted through a request for proposal.
(a)
The request for proposal must be developed by the area agency on aging and include requirements for the assurance of quality and cost-efficiency of services, minimum personnel standards, and employee benefits. The department shall adopt a rule creating a dispute resolution mechanism. The rule, which shall be adopted no later than August 1, 2009, and which all area agencies on aging shall be required to follow, shall create standards for a bid protest and a procedure for resolution. The dispute resolution mechanism established in the rule shall include a provision for a qualified, impartial decisionmaker who shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the area agency’s proposed action is contrary to the area agency’s governing statutes or rules or to the solicitation specifications. The standard of proof for the protestor shall be whether the area agency’s action was clearly erroneous, contrary to competition, arbitrary, or capricious. The dispute resolution mechanism shall also provide a mechanism for review of the decisionmaker’s determination by a qualified and impartial reviewer, if review is requested. The standards for the bid protest shall include:
1.
A provision requiring notice of an area agency’s proposed contract award and a clear point of entry for any substantially affected entity to challenge the proposed award.
2.
A provision for an automatic stay of the contract award process upon the filing of a bid protest that shall not be lifted until the protest is resolved.
3.
Provisions permitting all substantially affected entities to have an opportunity to participate in the hearing, to conduct discovery, to obtain subpoenas compelling the appearance of witnesses, to present evidence and argument on all issues involved, to conduct cross-examination, to submit rebuttal evidence, and to submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.
4.
Provisions for expeditious resolution of the bid protest, including a requirement that once the area agency on aging refers a bid protest petition to the decisionmaker, a hearing shall be conducted within 30 days, unless that timeframe is waived by all parties.
(b)
For any lead agency designation conducted prior to the effective date of this subsection that is the subject matter of litigation on the date on which this subsection becomes law, the litigants shall be entitled to proceed with discovery under the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure immediately upon the date on which this subsection becomes law, and the litigants shall further be entitled to participate in the bid protest procedures enacted by rule pursuant to this subsection.
(c)
In each community care service system the lead agency must be given the authority and responsibility to coordinate some or all of the services, either directly or through subcontracts, for functionally impaired elderly persons. These services must include case management, homemaker and chore services, respite care, adult day care, personal care services, home-delivered meals, counseling, information and referral, and emergency home repair services. The lead agency must compile community care statistics and monitor, when applicable, subcontracts with agencies providing core services.
(10)
“Personal care services” means services to assist with bathing, dressing, ambulation, housekeeping, supervision, emotional security, eating, supervision of self-administered medications, and assistance in securing health care from appropriate sources. Personal care services does not include medical services.
(11)
“Planning and service area” means a geographic service area established by the department, in which the programs of the department are administered and services are delivered.
(12)
“State Plan on Aging” means the service plan developed by the department which evaluates service needs of the elderly, identifies priority services and target client groups, provides for periodic evaluation of activities and services funded under the plan, and provides for administration of funds available through the federal Older Americans Act. The state plan on aging must be based upon area plans on aging developed by the area agencies on aging in order that the priorities and conditions of local communities are taken into consideration.
F.S. 430.204 Community-care-for-the-elderly core services; departmental powers and duties.
(1)(a)
The department shall fund, through each area agency on aging, at least one community care service system the primary purpose of which is the prevention of unnecessary institutionalization of functionally impaired elderly persons through the provision of community-based core services. Whenever feasible, an area agency on aging shall be the contracting agency of preference to engage only in the planning and funding of community-care-for-the-elderly core services for functionally impaired elderly persons.
(b)
The department shall fund, through each area agency on aging in each county as defined in s. 125.011(1), more than one community care service system the primary purpose of which is the prevention of unnecessary institutionalization of functionally impaired elderly persons through the provision of community-based core services.
(2)
All existing community resources available to functionally impaired elderly persons shall be coordinated into a community care service system to provide a continuum of care to such persons as their needs change. Additional services may be provided, but may not be funded from the community-care-for-the-elderly core service funds. Agencies contracting with the department shall ensure that all other funding sources available have been used prior to utilizing community-care-for-the-elderly funds. The department and agencies contracting with the department may accept gifts and grants in order to provide services within a community care service area.
(3)
The use of volunteers shall be maximized to provide a range of services for the functionally impaired elderly person. The department shall provide or arrange for the provision of training and supervision of volunteers to ensure the delivery of quality services. The department or contracting agency may provide appropriate insurance coverage to protect volunteers from personal liability while acting within the scope of their volunteer assignments under a community care service area. The coverage may also include excess automobile liability protection.
(4)
The department or contracting agency shall contract for the provision of the core services required by a community care service area.
(5)
Entities contracting to provide core services under ss. 430.201-430.207 must provide a minimum of 10 percent of the funding necessary for the support of project operations. In-kind contributions, whether materials, commodities, transportation, office space, other types of facilities, or personal services, and contributions of money or services from functionally impaired elderly persons may be evaluated and counted as part or all of the required local funding.
(6)
When possible, services shall be obtained under:
(a)
The Florida Plan for Medical Assistance under Title XIX of the Social Security Act; or
(b)
The State Plan on Aging under the Older Americans Act.
(7)
Funds appropriated for community care for the elderly must be used only for the provision of community-care-for-the-elderly core services, case management, and directly related expenditures. The department may provide advance funding for the community-care-for-the-elderly program.
(8)
Provider agencies are responsible for the collection of fees for services in accordance with rules adopted by the department. Provider agencies shall assess fees for services rendered in accordance with those rules. To help pay for services received from community care for the elderly, a functionally impaired elderly person shall be assessed a fee based on an overall ability to pay. The fee to be assessed shall be fixed according to a schedule established by the department in cooperation with area agencies, lead agencies, and service providers.
(9)
The department shall evaluate the delivery of services within community care service areas. Accurate analysis of the costs and benefits associated with the establishment and operation of the programs as determined through a uniform cost accounting and reporting system shall be maintained to provide an assessment of the ability of these programs to:
(a)
Reduce the rate of inappropriate entry and placement of functionally impaired elderly persons in institutions;
(b)
Reduce the use of institutional services and facilities; and
(c)
Recommend legislative and administrative action.
(10)
An area agency on aging may carry forward documented unexpended state funds from one fiscal year to the next. The cumulative amount carried forward may not exceed 10 percent of the area agency’s planning and service area allocation for the community-care-for-the-elderly program. Funds that are carried forward from one fiscal year to the next are subject to all of the following conditions:
(a)
The funds may not be used in any manner that would create increased recurring future obligations, and such funds may not be used for any type of program or service that is not currently authorized by existing contracts.
(b)
Expenditures of the funds must be separately reported to the department.
(c)
Any unexpended funds that remain at the end of the contract period must be returned to the department.
(d)
The funds may be retained through any contract renewals or any new procurements as long as the same area agency on aging is retained by the department.
F.S. 430.205 Community care service system.
(1)(a)
The department, through the area agency on aging, shall fund in each planning and service area at least one community care service system that provides case management and other in-home and community services as needed to help the older person maintain independence and prevent or delay more costly institutional care.
(b)
The department shall fund, through the area agency on aging in each county as defined in s. 125.011(1), more than one community care service system that provides case management and other in-home and community services as needed to help elderly persons maintain independence and prevent or delay more costly institutional care.
(2)
Core services and other support services may be furnished by public or private agencies or organizations. Each community care service system must be under the direction of a lead agency that coordinates the activities of individual contracting agencies providing community-care-for-the-elderly services. When practicable, the activities of a community care service area may be directed from a multiservice senior center, as defined in s. 430.901, and coordinated with other services offered therein. This subsection does not require programs in existence prior to the effective date of this act to be relocated.
(3)
The department shall define each core service that is to be provided or coordinated within a community care service area and establish rules and minimum standards for the delivery of core services. The department may conduct or contract for demonstration projects to determine the desirability of new concepts of organization, administration, or service delivery designed to prevent the institutionalization of functionally impaired elderly persons. Evaluations shall be made of the cost-avoidance of such demonstration projects, the ability of the projects to reduce the rate of placement of functionally impaired elderly persons in institutions, and the impact of projects on the use of institutional services and facilities.
(4)
A preservice and inservice training program for community-care-for-the-elderly service providers and staff may be designed and implemented to help assure the delivery of quality services. The department shall specify in rules the training standards and requirements for the community-care-for-the-elderly service providers and staff. Training must be sufficient to ensure that quality services are provided to clients and that appropriate skills are developed to conduct the program.
(5)
Any person who has been classified as a functionally impaired elderly person is eligible to receive community-care-for-the-elderly core services.
(a)
Those elderly persons who are determined by protective investigations to be vulnerable adults in need of services, pursuant to s. 415.104(3)(b), or to be victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation who are in need of immediate services to prevent further harm and are referred by the adult protective services program, shall be given primary consideration for receiving community-care-for-the-elderly services. As used in this paragraph, “primary consideration” means that an assessment and services must commence within 72 hours after referral to the department or as established in accordance with department contracts by local protocols developed between department service providers and the adult protective services program. Regardless, a community-care-for-the-elderly services provider may dispute a referral under this paragraph by requesting that adult protective services negotiate the referral placement of, and the services to be provided to, a vulnerable adult or victim of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. If an agreement cannot be reached with adult protective services for modification of the referral decision, the determination by adult protective services shall prevail.
(b)
The department shall determine an order of prioritization for all other functionally impaired elderly persons seeking community-care-for-the-elderly services which is based upon the potential recipient’s frailty level and likelihood of institutional placement without such services. After determining such frailty level and likelihood of institutional placement, should the list of potential recipients require further prioritization, another factor that must be considered is the potential recipient’s ability to pay for such services. Those who are less able to pay for such services must receive higher priority than those who are better able to pay for such services. A potential recipient’s ability to pay may be determined by the department based on the potential recipient’s self-declared statement of income and expenses.
(6)
Notwithstanding other requirements of this chapter, the Department of Elderly Affairs and the Agency for Health Care Administration shall develop an integrated long-term-care delivery system. The duties of the integrated system shall include organizing and administering service delivery for the elderly, obtaining contracts for services with providers in each service area, monitoring the quality of services provided, determining levels of need and disability for payment purposes, and other activities determined by the department and the agency in order to operate an integrated system.
F.S. 430.207 Confidentiality of information.
Information about functionally impaired elderly persons who receive services under ss. 430.201-430.2053 and 430.902 which is received through files, reports, inspections, or otherwise, by the department or by authorized departmental employees, by persons who volunteer services, or by persons who provide services to functionally impaired elderly persons under ss. 430.201-430.2053 and 430.902 through contracts with the department is confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). Such information may not be disclosed publicly in such a manner as to identify a functionally impaired elderly person, unless that person or his or her legal guardian provides written consent.
F.S. 430.0401 Annual report summarizing monitoring activities.
By January 1 of each year, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a summary of the results of the department’s monitoring of the activities of area agencies on aging. The report must include information about each area agency’s compliance with state and federal rules pertaining to all programs administered by the area agency, information about each area agency’s financial management of state and federally funded programs, information about each agency’s compliance with the terms of its contracts with the department, and a summary of corrective action required by the department.
F.S. 430.0402 Screening of direct service providers.
(1)(a)
Except as provided in subsection (2), level 2 background screening pursuant to chapter 435 is required for direct service providers. Background screening includes employment history checks as provided in s. 435.03(1) and local criminal records checks through local law enforcement agencies.
(b)
For purposes of this section, the term “direct service provider” means a person 18 years of age or older who, pursuant to a program to provide services to the elderly, has direct, face-to-face contact with a client while providing services to the client and has access to the client’s living areas, funds, personal property, or personal identification information as defined in s. 817.568. The term also includes, but is not limited to, the administrator or a similarly titled person who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the provider; the financial officer or similarly titled person who is responsible for the financial operations of the provider; coordinators, managers, and supervisors of residential facilities; volunteers; and any other person seeking employment with a provider who is expected to, or whose responsibilities may require him or her to, provide personal care or services directly to clients or have access to client funds, financial matters, legal matters, personal property, or living areas.
(2)
Level 2 background screening pursuant to chapter 435 and this section is not required for the following direct service providers:
(a)
Licensed physicians, nurses, or other professionals licensed by the Department of Health who have been fingerprinted and undergone background screening as part of their licensure if they are providing a service that is within the scope of their licensed practice.
(b)
Relatives. For purposes of this section, the term “relative” means an individual who is the father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandfather, grandson, granddaughter, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister of the client.
(c)
Volunteers who assist on an intermittent basis for less than 20 hours per month and who are not listed on the Department of Law Enforcement Career Offender Search or the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.
1.
The program that provides services to the elderly is responsible for verifying that the volunteer is not listed on either database.
2.
The provider shall forward the volunteer information to the Department of Elderly Affairs if the volunteer is not listed in either database specified in subparagraph 1. The department must then perform a check of the clearinghouse. If a disqualification is identified in the clearinghouse, the volunteer must undergo level 2 background screening pursuant to chapter 435 and this section.
(3)
Refusal on the part of an employer to dismiss a manager, supervisor, or direct service provider who has been found to be in noncompliance with standards of this section shall result in the automatic denial, termination, or revocation of the license or certification, rate agreement, purchase order, or contract, in addition to any other remedies authorized by law.
(4)
An employer of a direct service provider who previously qualified for employment or volunteer work under Level 1 screening standards or an individual who is required to be screened according to the level 2 screening standards contained in chapter 435, pursuant to this section, shall be rescreened every 5 years following the date of his or her last background screening or exemption, unless such individual’s fingerprints are continuously retained and monitored by the Department of Law Enforcement in the federal fingerprint retention program according to the procedures specified in s. 943.05.
(5)
The background screening conducted pursuant to this section must ensure that, in addition to the disqualifying offenses listed in s. 435.04, no person subject to the provisions of this section has an arrest awaiting final disposition for, has been found guilty of, regardless of adjudication, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, or has been adjudicated delinquent and the record has not been sealed or expunged for, any offense prohibited under any of the following provisions of state law or similar law of another jurisdiction:
(a)
Section 409.920, relating to Medicaid provider fraud.
(b)
Section 409.9201, relating to Medicaid fraud.
(c)
Section 817.034, relating to fraudulent acts through mail, wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic, or photooptical systems.
(d)
Section 817.234, relating to false and fraudulent insurance claims.
(e)
Section 817.505, relating to patient brokering.
(f)
Section 817.568, relating to criminal use of personal identification information.
(g)
Section 817.60, relating to obtaining a credit card through fraudulent means.
(h)
Section 817.61, relating to fraudulent use of credit cards, if the offense was a felony.
(i)
Section 831.01, relating to forgery.
(j)
Section 831.02, relating to uttering forged instruments.
(k)
Section 831.07, relating to forging bank bills, checks, drafts, or promissory notes.
(l)
Section 831.09, relating to uttering forged bank bills, checks, drafts, or promissory notes.
F.S. 430.501 Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee; research grants.
(1)
It is the finding of the Legislature that Alzheimer’s disease and similar major memory disorders affect an alarmingly high percentage of citizens, primarily those over 65 years of age, and yet little is known of the cause, prevention, or treatment of this disease.
(2)
There is created an Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee, composed of 15 members, which shall advise the Department of Elderly Affairs in the performance of its duties under this act. All members must be residents of the state. The committee shall advise the department regarding legislative, programmatic, and administrative matters that relate to persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caretakers.
(3)(a)
The committee membership shall include the following:
1.
Eleven members appointed by the Governor.
a.
At least 4 of the 11 members must be licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459 or hold a Ph.D. degree and be currently involved in the research of Alzheimer’s disease.
b.
At least 4 of the 11 members must be persons who have been caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease.
c.
Whenever possible, the members appointed by the Governor shall include one each of the following professionals: a gerontologist, a geriatric psychiatrist, a geriatrician, a neurologist, a social worker, a registered nurse, and a first responder.
2.
Two members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom must be a sitting member of the Senate, and two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom must be a sitting member of the House of Representatives.
(b)1.
The Governor shall appoint members from a broad cross-section of public, private, and volunteer sectors. All nominations shall be forwarded to the Governor by the Secretary of Elderly Affairs in accordance with this subsection.
2.
Members shall be appointed to 4-year staggered terms in accordance with s. 20.052, except for the sitting members of the Senate and House of Representatives, who shall be appointed to a term corresponding to their term of office.
3.
The Secretary of Elderly Affairs shall serve as an ex officio member of the committee.
4.
The committee shall elect one of its members to serve as chair for a term of 1 year.
5.
The committee may establish subcommittees as necessary to carry out the functions of the committee.
6.
The committee shall meet quarterly, or as frequently as needed.
7.
The committee shall submit an annual report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of Elderly Affairs on or before September 1 of each year. The annual report shall include information and recommendations on Alzheimer’s disease policy; all state-funded efforts in Alzheimer’s disease research, clinical care, institutional, home-based and community-based programs and the outcomes of such efforts; and any proposed updates to the Alzheimer’s disease state plan submitted under subparagraph 8.
8.
Beginning in 2020, and every third year thereafter, on or before November 1, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall review the Alzheimer’s disease state plan and submit an updated state plan to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Department of Elderly Affairs shall utilize the annual reports submitted by the committee and collaborate with state Alzheimer’s disease organizations and professionals when considering such updates to the Alzheimer’s disease state plan. The state plan shall:
a.
Assess the current and future impact of Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia on the state.
b.
Examine the existing industries, services, and resources addressing the needs of persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia and their family caregivers.
c.
Examine the needs of persons of all cultural backgrounds having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia and how their lives are affected by the disease from younger-onset, through mid-stage, to late-stage.
d.
Develop a strategy to mobilize a state response to this public health crisis.
e.
Provide information regarding:
(I)
State trends with respect to persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia and their needs, including, but not limited to:
(A)
The role of the state in providing community-based care, long-term care, and family caregiver support, including respite, education, and assistance to persons who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease, or who have a related form of dementia.
(B)
The development of state policy with respect to persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia.
(C)
Surveillance of persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia for the purpose of accurately estimating the number of such persons in the state at present and projected population levels.
(II)
Existing services, resources, and capacity, including, but not limited to:
(A)
The type, cost, and availability of dementia-specific services throughout the state.
(B)
Policy requirements and effectiveness for dementia-specific training for professionals providing care.
(C)
Quality care measures employed by providers of care, including providers of respite, adult day care, assisted living facility, skilled nursing facility, and hospice services.
(D)
The capability of public safety workers and law enforcement officers to respond to persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia, including, but not limited to, responding to their disappearance, search and rescue, abuse, elopement, exploitation, or suicide.
(E)
The availability of home and community-based services and respite care for persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia and education and support services to assist their families and caregivers.
(F)
An inventory of long-term care facilities and community-based services serving persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia.
(G)
The adequacy and appropriateness of geriatric-psychiatric units for persons having behavior disorders associated with Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia.
(H)
Residential assisted living options for persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia.
(I)
The level of preparedness of service providers before, during, and after a catastrophic emergency involving a person having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia and their caregivers and families.
(III)
Needed state policies or responses, including, but not limited to, directions for the provision of clear and coordinated care, services, and support to persons having Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia and their caregivers and families and strategies to address any identified gaps in the provision of services.
9.
All state agencies shall provide assistance to the committee, upon request.
10.
The Department of Elderly Affairs shall provide staff support to assist the committee in the performance of its duties.
11.
Members of the committee and subcommittees shall receive no salary, but are entitled to reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses, as provided in s. 112.061, while performing their duties under this section.
(4)
If funds are made available through gifts, grants, or other sources, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall deposit such funds into its Grants and Donations Trust Fund and shall award research grants to qualified profit or nonprofit associations and institutions or governmental agencies in order to plan, establish, or conduct programs in Alzheimer’s disease control or prevention, education and training, and research. The department may adopt rules necessary to carry out these duties.
F.S. 430.502 Alzheimer’s disease; memory disorder clinics and day care and respite care programs.
(1)
There is established:
(a)
A memory disorder clinic at each of the three medical schools in this state;
(b)
A memory disorder clinic at a major private nonprofit research-oriented teaching hospital, and may fund a memory disorder clinic at any of the other affiliated teaching hospitals;
(c)
A memory disorder clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville;
(d)
A memory disorder clinic at the Medical Center Clinic in Pensacola;
(e)
A memory disorder clinic operated by Health First in Brevard County;
(f)
A memory disorder clinic at the Orlando Regional Healthcare System, Inc.;
(g)
A memory disorder center located in a public hospital that is operated by an independent special hospital taxing district that governs multiple hospitals and is located in a county with a population greater than 800,000 persons;
(h)
A memory disorder clinic at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Palm Beach County;
(i)
A memory disorder clinic at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare;
(j)
A memory disorder clinic at Lee Memorial Hospital created by chapter 63-1552, Laws of Florida, as amended;
(k)
A memory disorder clinic at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota County;
(l)
A memory disorder clinic at Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater, in Pinellas County;
(m)
A memory disorder clinic at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, in Palm Beach County;
(n)
A memory disorder clinic at AdventHealth in Orange County; and
(o)
A memory disorder clinic at Miami Jewish Health System in Miami-Dade County,
for the purpose of conducting research and training in a diagnostic and therapeutic setting for persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related memory disorders. However, memory disorder clinics may not receive decreased funding due solely to subsequent additions of memory disorder clinics in this subsection.
(2)
It is the intent of the Legislature that research conducted by a memory disorder clinic and supported by state funds pursuant to subsection (1) be applied research, be service-related, and be selected in conjunction with the department. Such research may address, but is not limited to, diagnostic technique, therapeutic interventions, and supportive services for persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related memory disorders and their caregivers. A memory disorder clinic shall conduct such research in accordance with a research plan developed by the clinic which establishes research objectives that are in accordance with this legislative intent. A memory disorder clinic shall also complete and submit to the department a report of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of completed research. This subsection does not apply to those memory disorder clinics at the three medical schools in the state or at the major private nonprofit research-oriented teaching hospital or other affiliated teaching hospital.
(3)
The department shall develop minimum performance standards for memory disorder clinics and include those standards in each memory disorder clinic contract as a condition for receiving base-level funding. The performance standards must address, at a minimum, quality of care, comprehensiveness of services, and access to services.
(4)
The department shall develop performance goals that exceed the minimum performance standards developed under subsection (3), which goals must be achieved in order for a memory disorder clinic to be eligible for incentive funding above the base level, subject to legislative appropriation. Incentive funding shall be based on criteria including, but not limited to:
(a)
Significant increase in the volume of clinical services.
(b)
Significant increase in public outreach to low-income and minority populations.
(c)
Significant increase in acceptance of Medicaid and commercial insurance policies.
(d)
Significant institutional financial commitments.
(5)
The department shall measure and score each memory disorder clinic based on minimum performance standards and incentive performance goals.
(6)
The Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee shall evaluate and make recommendations to the department and the Legislature concerning the need for additional memory disorder clinics in the state.
(7)
Pursuant to s. 287.057, the department may contract for the provision of specialized model day care programs in conjunction with the memory disorder clinics. The purpose of each model day care program must be to provide service delivery to persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or a related memory disorder and training for health care and social service personnel in the care of persons having Alzheimer’s disease or related memory disorders.
(8)
Pursuant to s. 287.057, the department shall contract for the provision of respite care. All funds appropriated for the provision of respite care shall be distributed annually by the department to each funded county according to an allocation formula. In developing the formula, the department shall consider the number and proportion of the county population of individuals who are 70 years of age and older. Each respite care program shall be used as a resource for research and statistical data by the memory disorder clinics established in this part. In consultation with the memory disorder clinics, the department shall specify the information to be provided by the respite care programs for research purposes.
(9)
Each contract entered into pursuant to this section must contain a requirement for a research component to be completed and reported on in writing to the department according to specifications and within a timeframe provided by the department.
F.S. 430.503 Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative; fees and administrative expense.
(1)
Sections 430.501-430.504 may be cited as the “Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative.”
(2)
Provider agencies are responsible for the collection of fees for services in accordance with rules adopted by the department. Provider agencies shall assess fees for services rendered in accordance with those rules. To help pay for services received pursuant to the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, a functionally impaired elderly person shall be assessed a fee based on an overall ability to pay. The fee to be assessed shall be fixed according to a schedule to be established by the department. Services of specified value may be accepted in lieu of a fee. The fee schedule shall be developed in cooperation with the Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee, area agencies on aging, and service providers.
F.S. 430.504 Confidentiality of information.
Information about clients of programs created or funded under s. 430.501 or s. 430.503 which is received through files, reports, inspections, or otherwise, by the department or by authorized departmental employees, by persons who volunteer services, or by persons who provide services to clients of programs created or funded under s. 430.501 or s. 430.503 through contracts with the department is confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). Such information may not be disclosed publicly in such a manner as to identify a person who receives services under s. 430.501 or s. 430.503, unless that person or that person’s legal guardian provides written consent.
F.S. 430.601 Home care for the elderly; legislative intent.
It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the provision of care for the elderly in family-type living arrangements in private homes as an alternative to institutional or nursing home care for such persons. The provisions of ss. 430.601-430.606 are intended to be supplemental to the provisions of chapters 400 and 429, relating to the licensing and regulation of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and do not exempt any person who is otherwise subject to regulation under those chapters.
F.S. 430.602 Home care for the elderly; definitions.
As used in ss. 430.601-430.606:
(1)
“Department” means the Department of Elderly Affairs.
(2)
“Elderly person” means any person 60 years of age or over who is currently a resident of this state and has an intent to remain in this state.
(3)
“Home care for the elderly” means a full-time family-type living arrangement, in a private home, under which a person or group of persons provides, on a nonprofit basis, basic services of maintenance and supervision, and any necessary specialized services as may be needed, for three or fewer elderly persons.
F.S. 430.603 Home care for the elderly; rules.
The department shall by rule establish minimum standards and procedures for the provision of home care for the elderly and for the approval of persons seeking to provide such care. Any person who is approved to provide care, goods, or services for an elderly person shall be eligible for the subsidy payments described in s. 430.605. However, the home care for the elderly program must be operated within the funds appropriated by the Legislature.
F.S. 430.604 Department determination of inability to provide home care.
If a person who plans to provide home care under ss. 430.601-430.606 is found by the department, or its designee, to be unable to provide this care, the department must notify the person seeking to provide home care of this determination, and the person is not eligible for subsidy payments under ss. 430.601-430.606.
F.S. 430.605 Subsidy payments.
The department shall develop a schedule of subsidy payments to be made to persons providing home care, and to providers of goods and services, for certain eligible elderly persons. Payments must be based on the financial status of the person receiving care. Payments must include, but need not be limited to:
(1)
A support and maintenance element, including costs of housing, food, clothing, and incidentals.
(2)
Payments for medical, pharmaceutical, and dental services essential to maintain the health of the elderly person and not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or any form of insurance.
(3)
When necessary, special supplements to provide for any goods and services and specialized care required to maintain the health and well-being of the elderly person. Extraordinary medical, dental, or pharmaceutical expenses may be paid as a special supplement.
F.S. 430.606 Eligibility for services.
The criteria for determining eligibility for this program shall be substantially similar to the criteria used to determine eligibility for nursing home care under the Medicaid program.
F.S. 430.608 Confidentiality of information.
(1)
Identifying information about elderly persons who receive services under ss. 430.601-430.606, which is received through files, reports, inspection, or otherwise by the department or by authorized departmental employees, by persons who volunteer services, or by persons who provide services to elderly persons under ss. 430.601-430.606 through contracts with the department, is confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Such information may not be disclosed publicly in such a manner as to identify an elderly person, unless that person or the person’s legal guardian provides written consent.
(2)
This section does not, however, limit the subpoena authority of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Department of Legal Affairs pursuant to s. 409.920(10)(b).
F.S. 430.901 Multiservice senior center; definition; purpose.
A “multiservice senior center” is:
(1)
A community facility that is a focal point for the organization and provision of a broad spectrum of services suited to the diverse needs and interests of independent older persons, which may include nutritional meals; health, mental health, social, wellness, respite care, and education services; and recreational activities.
(2)
An entity that may partner with an aging resource center to provide for easier access to long-term care services by seniors and their families who reside within the local community.
(3)
A setting that provides opportunities that enable participants to stay connected to their communities and their support networks.
(4)
Designed to offer preventive screenings, activities, and services that may divert seniors from more extensive in-home services and help reduce, delay, or prevent premature institutionalization.
F.S. 430.902 Multiservice senior center.
(1)
If practicable, multiservice senior center services shall be available to functionally impaired elderly persons.
(2)
If feasible, a multiservice senior center should be centrally located and easily accessible to public transportation. Provision may be made for transporting persons to the center. A center shall be designed to provide ease of access and use by seniors with varying levels of physical abilities.
(3)(a)
Each multiservice senior center is encouraged to have on the premises at all times a functioning automated external defibrillator.
(b)
Multiservice senior centers that provide automated external defibrillators shall ensure that personnel are properly trained in accordance with s. 401.2915.
(c)
The location of each automated external defibrillator shall be registered with a local emergency medical services medical director.
(d)
The use of automated external defibrillators by employees and volunteers shall be covered under the provisions of ss. 768.13 and 768.1325.
(4)
Multiservice senior centers are encouraged to seek national accreditation by the National Institute of Senior Centers.
F.S. 430.2053 Aging resource centers.
(1)
The department, in consultation with the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Children and Families, shall develop pilot projects for aging resource centers.
(2)
The purposes of an aging resource center shall be:
(a)
To provide Florida’s elders and their families with a locally focused, coordinated approach to integrating information and referral for all available services for elders with the eligibility determination entities for state and federally funded long-term-care services.
(b)
To provide for easier access to long-term-care services by Florida’s elders and their families by creating multiple access points to the long-term-care network that flow through one established entity with wide community recognition.
(3)
The duties of an aging resource center are to:
(a)
Develop referral agreements with local community service organizations, such as senior centers, existing elder service providers, volunteer associations, and other similar organizations, to better assist clients who do not need or do not wish to enroll in programs funded by the department or the agency. The referral agreements must also include a protocol, developed and approved by the department, which provides specific actions that an aging resource center and local community service organizations must take when an elder or an elder’s representative seeking information on long-term-care services contacts a local community service organization prior to contacting the aging resource center. The protocol shall be designed to ensure that elders and their families are able to access information and services in the most efficient and least cumbersome manner possible.
(b)
Provide an initial screening of all clients who request long-term-care services to determine whether the person would be most appropriately served through any combination of federally funded programs, state-funded programs, locally funded or community volunteer programs, or private funding for services.
(c)
Determine eligibility for the programs and services listed in subsection (9) for persons residing within the geographic area served by the aging resource center and determine a priority ranking for services which is based upon the potential recipient’s frailty level and likelihood of institutional placement without such services.
(d)
Manage the availability of financial resources for the programs and services listed in subsection (9) for persons residing within the geographic area served by the aging resource center.
(e)
When financial resources become available, refer a client to the most appropriate entity to begin receiving services. The aging resource center shall make referrals to lead agencies for service provision that ensure that individuals who are vulnerable adults in need of services pursuant to s. 415.104(3)(b), or who are victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation in need of immediate services to prevent further harm and are referred by the adult protective services program, are given primary consideration for receiving community-care-for-the-elderly services in compliance with the requirements of s. 430.205(5)(a) and that other referrals for services are in compliance with s. 430.205(5)(b).
(f)
Convene a work group to advise in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the aging resource center. The work group shall be comprised of representatives of local service providers, Alzheimer’s Association chapters, housing authorities, social service organizations, advocacy groups, representatives of clients receiving services through the aging resource center, and any other persons or groups as determined by the department. The aging resource center, in consultation with the work group, must develop annual program improvement plans that shall be submitted to the department for consideration. The department shall review each annual improvement plan and make recommendations on how to implement the components of the plan.
(g)
Enhance the existing area agency on aging in each planning and service area by integrating, either physically or virtually, the staff and services of the area agency on aging with the staff of the department’s local CARES Medicaid preadmission screening unit and a sufficient number of staff from the Department of Children and Families’ Economic Self-Sufficiency Unit necessary to determine the financial eligibility for all persons age 60 and older residing within the area served by the aging resource center that are seeking Medicaid services, Supplemental Security Income, and food assistance.
(h)
Assist clients who request long-term care services in being evaluated for eligibility for enrollment in the Medicaid long-term care managed care program as eligible plans become available in each of the regions pursuant to s. 409.981(2).
(i)
Provide enrollment and coverage information to Medicaid managed long-term care enrollees as qualified plans become available in each of the regions pursuant to s. 409.981(2).
(j)
Assist Medicaid recipients enrolled in the Medicaid long-term care managed care program with informally resolving grievances with a managed care network and assist Medicaid recipients in accessing the managed care network’s formal grievance process as eligible plans become available in each of the regions defined in s. 409.981(2).
(4)
The department shall select the entities to become aging resource centers based on each entity’s readiness and ability to perform the duties listed in subsection (3) and the entity’s:
(a)
Expertise in the needs of each target population the center proposes to serve and a thorough knowledge of the providers that serve these populations.
(b)
Strong connections to service providers, volunteer agencies, and community institutions.
(c)
Expertise in information and referral activities.
(d)
Knowledge of long-term-care resources, including resources designed to provide services in the least restrictive setting.
(e)
Financial solvency and stability.
(f)
Ability to collect, monitor, and analyze data in a timely and accurate manner, along with systems that meet the department’s standards.
(g)
Commitment to adequate staffing by qualified personnel to effectively perform all functions.
(h)
Ability to meet all performance standards established by the department.
(5)
The aging resource center shall have a governing body which shall be the same entity described in s. 20.41(7), and an executive director who may be the same person as described in s. 20.41(7). The governing body shall annually evaluate the performance of the executive director.
(6)
The aging resource center may not be a provider of direct services other than information and referral services, and screening.
(7)
The aging resource center must agree to allow the department to review any financial information the department determines is necessary for monitoring or reporting purposes, including financial relationships.
(8)
The duties and responsibilities of the community care for the elderly lead agencies within each area served by an aging resource center shall be to:
(a)
Develop strong community partnerships to maximize the use of community resources for the purpose of assisting elders to remain in their community settings for as long as it is safely possible.
(b)
Conduct comprehensive assessments of clients that have been determined eligible and develop a care plan consistent with established protocols that ensures that the unique needs of each client are met.
(9)
The services to be administered through the aging resource center shall include those funded by the following programs:
(a)
Community care for the elderly.
(b)
Home care for the elderly.
(c)
Contracted services.
(d)
Alzheimer’s disease initiative.
(e)
Older Americans Act.
(10)
The department shall, prior to designation of an aging resource center, develop by rule operational and quality assurance standards and outcome measures to ensure that clients receiving services through all long-term-care programs administered through an aging resource center are receiving the appropriate care they require and that contractors and subcontractors are adhering to the terms of their contracts and are acting in the best interests of the clients they are serving, consistent with the intent of the Legislature to reduce the use of and cost of nursing home care. The department shall by rule provide operating procedures for aging resource centers, which shall include:
(a)
Minimum standards for financial operation, including audit procedures.
(b)
Procedures for monitoring and sanctioning of service providers.
(c)
Minimum standards for technology utilized by the aging resource center.
(d)
Minimum staff requirements which shall ensure that the aging resource center employs sufficient quality and quantity of staff to adequately meet the needs of the elders residing within the area served by the aging resource center.
(e)
Minimum accessibility standards, including hours of operation.
(f)
Minimum oversight standards for the governing body of the aging resource center to ensure its continuous involvement in, and accountability for, all matters related to the development, implementation, staffing, administration, and operations of the aging resource center.
(g)
Minimum education and experience requirements for executive directors and other executive staff positions of aging resource centers.
(h)
Minimum requirements regarding any executive staff positions that the aging resource center must employ and minimum requirements that a candidate must meet in order to be eligible for appointment to such positions.
(11)
In an area in which the department has designated an area agency on aging as an aging resource center, the department and the agency shall not make payments for the services listed in subsection (9) and the Long-Term Care Community Diversion Project for such persons who were not screened and enrolled through the aging resource center. The department shall cease making payments for recipients in eligible plans as eligible plans become available in each of the regions defined in s. 409.981(2).
(12)
Each aging resource center shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the department for collaboration with the CARES unit staff. The memorandum of understanding shall outline the staff person responsible for each function and shall provide the staffing levels necessary to carry out the functions of the aging resource center.
(13)
Each aging resource center shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Children and Families for collaboration with the Economic Self-Sufficiency Unit staff. The memorandum of understanding shall outline which staff persons are responsible for which functions and shall provide the staffing levels necessary to carry out the functions of the aging resource center.
(14)
If any of the state activities described in this section are outsourced, either in part or in whole, the contract executing the outsourcing shall mandate that the contractor or its subcontractors shall, either physically or virtually, execute the provisions of the memorandum of understanding instead of the state entity whose function the contractor or subcontractor now performs.
(15)
In order to be eligible to begin transitioning to an aging resource center, an area agency on aging board must ensure that the area agency on aging which it oversees meets all of the minimum requirements set by law and in rule.
(16)(a)
Once an aging resource center is operational, the department, in consultation with the agency, may develop capitation rates for any of the programs administered through the aging resource center. Capitation rates for programs shall be based on the historical cost experience of the state in providing those same services to the population age 60 or older residing within each area served by an aging resource center. Each capitated rate may vary by geographic area as determined by the department.
(b)
The department and the agency may determine for each area served by an aging resource center whether it is appropriate, consistent with federal and state laws and regulations, to develop and pay separate capitated rates for each program administered through the aging resource center or to develop and pay capitated rates for service packages which include more than one program or service administered through the aging resource center.
(c)
Once capitation rates have been developed and certified as actuarially sound, the department and the agency may pay service providers the capitated rates for services when appropriate.
(d)
The department, in consultation with the agency, shall annually reevaluate and recertify the capitation rates, adjusting forward to account for inflation, programmatic changes.
(17)
This section shall not be construed to allow an aging resource center to restrict, manage, or impede the local fundraising activities of service providers.
F.S. 430.5015 Dementia Director.
(1)
The position of Dementia Director is created within the Department of Elderly Affairs. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs shall appoint the director who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary.
(2)
The director may call upon appropriate agencies of state government for assistance as is needed pursuant to s. 430.04(13).
(3)
The director shall:
(a)
Facilitate coordination and support of policies and programs in the Legislature and the executive branch, including agencies of the executive branch, which relate to Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.
(b)
Facilitate coordination and support for the Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee and the implementation of and updates to the Alzheimer’s disease state plan pursuant to s. 430.501(3)(b)8.
(c)
Provide support to memory disorder clinics to help the clinics meet or exceed the minimum performance standards under s. 430.502(3).
(d)
Facilitate and support coordination of outreach programs and services between agencies, memory disorder clinics, area agencies on aging, and other interested groups for the purpose of fostering public awareness and education regarding Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.
(e)
Facilitate coordination of services and activities between groups interested in dementia research, programs, and services, including, but not limited to, area agencies on aging, service providers, advocacy groups, legal services, emergency personnel, law enforcement, and state colleges and universities.
(f)
Collect and monitor data related to the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in the state.
F.S. 430.5025 Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia; education and training.
(1)
This section may be cited as the “Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Forms of Dementia Education and Training Act.”
(2)
As used in this section, the term:
(a)
“Covered provider” means a nursing home, a home health agency, a nurse registry, a companion or homemaker service provider, a health care services pool, an assisted living facility, an adult family-care home, or an adult day care center licensed or registered under chapter 400 or chapter 429.
(b)
“Department” means the Department of Elderly Affairs.
(c)
“Personal care” means providing, through in-person contact, assistance with activities of daily living, assistance with self-administration of medication, homemaker or companion services, nursing services, or other services that promote the physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of participants, patients, and residents of covered providers. The term does not include duties involving administrative functions or maintaining the physical environment of a licensed facility, including grounds maintenance, building maintenance, housekeeping, laundry, or food preparation.
(d)
“Employee” means a person, contracted staff, or an independent contractor employed or referred by a covered provider who is required to undergo a level 2 background screening under s. 408.809 and chapter 435.
(e)
“Regular contact” means the performance of duties other than personal care that may require employees to interact in person on a daily basis with participants, patients, or residents.
(3)
The department shall offer to the general public education about Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia. Such education must provide basic information about the most common forms of dementia, how to identify the signs and symptoms of dementia, coping skills, how to respond to changes, planning for the future, and how to access additional resources about dementia.
(4)
Employees of covered providers must complete the following training for Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia:
(a)
Upon beginning employment, each employee must receive basic written information about interacting with persons who have Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia.
(b)
Within 30 days after beginning employment, each employee who provides personal care to or has regular contact with participants, patients, or residents must complete a 1-hour training program provided by the department.
1.
The department shall provide training that is available online at no cost. The 1-hour training program shall contain information on understanding the basics about the most common forms of dementia, how to identify the signs and symptoms of dementia, and skills for communicating and interacting with persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia. A record of the completion of the training program must be made available to the covered provider which identifies the training curricula, the name of the employee, and the date of completion.
2.
A covered provider must maintain a record of the employee’s completion of the training program and, upon written request of the employee, provide the employee with a copy of the record of completion consistent with the employer’s written policies.
3.
An employee who has completed the training required in this subsection is not required to repeat the program upon changing employment to a different covered provider.
(c)
Within 7 months after beginning employment for a home health agency, nurse registry, or companion or homemaker service provider, each employee who provides personal care must complete 2 hours of training in addition to the training required in paragraphs (a) and (b). The additional training must include, but is not limited to, behavior management, promoting the person’s independence in activities of daily living, and skills in working with families and caregivers.
(d)
Within 7 months after beginning employment for a nursing home, an assisted living facility, an adult family-care home, or an adult day care center, each employee who provides personal care must complete 3 hours of training in addition to the training required in paragraphs (a) and (b). The additional training must include, but is not limited to, behavior management, promoting the person’s independence in activities of daily living, skills in working with families and caregivers, group and individual activities, maintaining an appropriate environment, and ethical issues.
(e)
For an assisted living facility, adult family-care home, or adult day care center that advertises and provides, or is designated to provide, specialized care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia, in addition to the training specified in paragraphs (a) and (b), employees must receive the following training:
1.
Within 3 months after beginning employment, each employee who provides personal care to or has regular contact with the residents or participants must complete the additional 3 hours of training as provided in paragraph (d).
2.
Within 6 months after beginning employment, each employee who provides personal care must complete an additional 4 hours of dementia-specific training. Such training must include, but is not limited to, understanding Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia, the stages of Alzheimer’s disease, communication strategies, medical information, and stress management.
3.
Thereafter, each employee who provides personal care must participate in at least 4 hours of continuing education each calendar year through contact hours, on-the-job training, or electronic learning technology. For this subparagraph, the term “on-the-job training” means a form of direct coaching in which a facility administrator or his or her designee instructs an employee who provides personal care with guidance, support, or hands-on experience to help develop and refine the employee’s skills for caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia. The continuing education must cover at least one of the topics included in the dementia-specific training in which the employee has not received previous training in the previous calendar year. The continuing education may be fulfilled and documented in a minimum of one quarter-hour increments through on-the-job training of the employee by a facility administrator or his or her designee or by an electronic learning technology chosen by the facility administrator. On-the-job training may not account for more than 2 hours of continuing education each calendar year.
(f)1.
An employee provided, assigned, or referred by a health care services pool must complete the training required in paragraph (c), paragraph (d), or paragraph (e) that is applicable to the covered provider and the position in which the employee will be working. The documentation verifying the completed training and continuing education of the employee, if applicable, must be provided to the covered provider upon request.
2.
A health care services pool must verify and maintain documentation as required under s. 400.980(5) before providing, assigning, or referring an employee to a covered provider.
(5)
The department may establish training curricula guidelines for the training required in paragraphs (4)(c), (d), and (e). The department may approve training providers and training curricula and maintain a list of approved providers. Approved training may be offered in a variety of formats, including, but not limited to, in person, electronically, or on-the-job by a facility administrator or his or her designee. Continuing education under this section does not require the adoption of training curricula guidelines by the department or approval of the training provider and curricula by the department. The department may develop or provide continuing education training or curricula as an option for covered providers and employees.
(a)
A training provider meeting one of the following qualifications may offer training in compliance with the training curricula guidelines without prior approval of the department:
1.
A person approved by an applicable board or the Department of Health to provide training who is registered with the electronic continuing education tracking system under s. 456.025; or
2.
A training provider approved by the department or its designee before July 1, 2023.
(b)
Training providers qualified under subparagraph (a)1. must also have:
1.
At least 1 year of teaching experience as an educator for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia;
2.
At least 1 year of practical experience in a program providing care to persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia; or
3.
Completed a specialized training program in the subject matter of Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia from an accredited health care, human services, or gerontology education provider.
(c)
Upon an employee’s completion of the training specified in paragraphs (4)(c), (d), and (e), the training provider must provide a record of the completion of the training that includes the name of the employee, the name of the training provider, the topics covered, and the date of completion. The training record is evidence of completion of training in the identified topic, and the employee is not required to repeat training in that topic if the employee changes employment to a different covered provider.
(d)
Any Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia training curriculum approved by the department or its designee before July 1, 2023, shall remain in effect until the curriculum’s expiration date.
(6)
The department may adopt rules to create training curricula guidelines and establish requirements for the approval of other qualified training providers and a process for conducting a sampling of training or training curriculum as necessary to monitor for compliance with curricula guidelines.
(7)
For a certified nursing assistant as defined in s. 464.201, training hours completed as required under this section may count toward the total hours of training required to maintain certification as a nursing assistant.
(8)
For a health care practitioner as defined in s. 456.001, training hours completed as required under this section may count toward the total hours of continuing education required by that practitioner’s licensing board.
(9)
Each person employed, contracted, or referred to provide services before July 1, 2023, must complete the training required in this section before July 1, 2026. Proof of completion of equivalent training completed before July 1, 2023, shall substitute for the training required in subsection (4). Each person employed, contracted, or referred to provide services on or after July 1, 2023, may complete training using approved curriculum under paragraph (5)(d) until the effective date of the rules adopted by the department under subsection (6).
F.S. 430.6001 Comprehensive day treatment services; demonstration projects.
The Department of Elderly Affairs is authorized to initiate projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of comprehensive day treatment services to seniors as a diversion from nursing home care, thereby allowing seniors to remain in their homes.
Source: FL Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter430/AllFetched: 7/8/2026