F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
CS/HB 1617 2024
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to behavioral health teaching
3 hospitals; creating part VI of ch. 395, F.S., entitled
4 "Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals"; creating s.
5 395.901, F.S.; providing definitions; providing
6 legislative findings and intent; creating s. 395.902,
7 F.S.; specifying the manner in which licensed
8 hospitals may seek designation as a behavioral health
9 teaching hospital; specifying criteria that a hospital
10 must meet to receive and maintain such designation;
11 requiring the Agency for Health Care Administratio n to
12 award a hospital certain funds upon designation,
13 subject to appropriation; requiring a designated
14 behavioral health teaching hospital to submit an
15 annual report containing specified information;
16 providing for terms and a renewal process for a
17 hospital designation; authorizing the agency to deny,
18 revoke, or suspend the designation; establishing a
19 grant program for the purpose of funding designated
20 behavioral health teaching hospitals; providing an
21 administrative process to receive, evaluate, and rank
22 applications that request grant funds; authorizing the
23 agency to submit a budget amendment to the Legislature
24 requesting the release of grant funds to make awards;
25 providing a carry forward term of years for obligated
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26 funds not disbursed in the same year in which the
27 funds were appropriated; authorizing the agency to
28 adopt rules; amending s. 1004.44, F.S.; establishing
29 the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce
30 within the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health
31 Institute within the University of South Florida for a
32 specified purpose; specifying the goals and
33 requirements for the center; authorizing the center to
34 request, and requiring certain boards to provide,
35 certain information regarding behavioral health
36 professionals licensed or practicing in this state;
37 requiring the center to submit an annual report to the
38 Governor and the Legislature; requiring the Board of
39 Governors and the State Board of Education to adopt
40 any necessary regulations and rules in an expeditious
41 manner; requiring the Department of Children and
42 Families to contract for a study of the current and
43 projected future demand for inpatient treatment
44 services, the state's current and projected future
45 ability to meet that demand, and to make certain
46 recommendations; specifying requirements for the
47 study; providing effective dates.
48
49 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
50
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51 Section 1. Part VI of chapter 395, Florida Statutes,
52 consisting of ss. 395.901 and 395.902, Florida Statutes, is
53 created and entitled "Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals."
54 Section 2. Section 395.901, Florida Statutes, is created
55 to read:
56 395.901 Definitions; findings and intent.—
57 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this part, the term:
58 (a) "Agency" means the Agency for Health Care
59 Administration.
60 (b) "Behavioral health" means the prevention, treatment
61 of, and recovery from any or all substance use disorders, mental
62 health disorders, or co-occurring disorders.
63 (c) "Behavioral health professions" means licensed or
64 certified professionals serving the needs of patients with
65 behavioral health disorders, including, but not limited to,
66 psychiatrists licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459,
67 psychologists licensed under chapter 490, psychiatric nurses
68 licensed under chapter 464, and social workers, marriage and
69 family therapists, or mental health counselors licensed under
70 chapter 491.
71 (d) "Behavioral health teaching hospital" means a hospital
72 licensed under this chapter and designated as a behavioral
73 health teaching hospital by the agency under s. 395.902.
74 (e) "Department" means the Department of Children and
75 Families.
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76 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—
77 (a) The Legislature finds that there is a critical
78 shortage of behavioral health professionals and recognizes the
79 urgent need to expand the existing behavioral health workforce,
80 prepare for an aging workforce, incentivize entry into
81 behavioral health professions, and train a modernized workforce
82 in innovative integrated care.
83 (b) The Legislature finds there is a specific need to
84 support a behavioral health education system that not only
85 trains the next generation of professionals in innovative and
86 integrated care for those with behavioral health needs, but also
87 works to modernize the state's overall behavioral health system
88 of care.
89 (c) The Legislature intends to identify and designate
90 multiple behavioral health teaching hospitals that work to
91 provide the necessary research, education, and services to
92 enhance the state's behavioral health workforce and make that
93 workforce and system of care the national standard.
94 (d) The Legislature intends to create the Florida Center
95 for Behavioral Health Workforce within the Louis de la Parte
96 Florida Mental Health Institute to address issues of workforce
97 supply and demand in behavioral health professions, including
98 issues of recruitment, retention, and workforce resources.
99 (e) The Legislature intends for designated behavioral
100 health teaching hospitals to:
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101 1. Conduct state-of-the-art behavioral health research.
102 2. Provide leading-edge education and training in
103 innovative and integrated care for the state's behavioral health
104 workforce.
105 3. Collaborate with other university colleges and schools
106 of medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, public health,
107 and other relevant disciplines to promote and enhance a
108 modernized behavioral health system of care.
109 4. Develop, implement, and promote public-private
110 partnerships throughout this state to support and enhance the
111 intent of this part.
112 5. Partner with the state to provide behavioral health
113 care, address regional and system-wide behavioral health needs,
114 and support the state in providing treatment and care for those
115 whose need and acuity has resulted in the need for long -term
116 voluntary services or involuntary civil commitment.
117 Section 3. Section 395.902, Florida Statutes, is created
118 to read:
119 395.902 Behavioral health teaching hospitals.—
120 (1) A licensed hospital may apply to the agency for
121 designation as a behavioral health teaching hospital by
122 submitting an application and documentation establishing
123 eligibility in a manner determined by the agency.
124 (2) To be designated as a behavioral health teaching
125 hospital, a hospital must:
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126 (a) Operate as a teaching hospital as defined in s.
127 408.07.
128 (b) Offer a psychiatric residency program accredited
129 through the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation
130 Council of Graduate Medical Education, and an accredited
131 postdoctoral clinical psychology fellowship program.
132 (c) Provide behavioral health services.
133 (d) Affiliate with a university in this state to create
134 and maintain integrated workforce development programs for
135 students of the university's colleges or schools of medicine,
136 nursing, psychology, social work, and public health related to
137 the entire continuum of behavioral health care, including, a t a
138 minimum, screening, therapeutic and supportive services,
139 community outpatient care, crisis stabilization, short-term
140 residential treatment, and long-term care.
141 (e) Develop a plan to create and maintain integrated
142 workforce development programs with the affiliated university's
143 colleges or schools and to supervise clinical care provided by
144 students participating in such programs.
145 (3) A designated behavioral health teaching hospital must:
146 (a) Within 90 days after designation, develop and maintain
147 a consultation agreement with the Florida Center for Behavioral
148 Health Workforce within the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental
149 Health Institute to establish best practices related to
150 integrated workforce development programs for the behavioral
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151 health professions.
152 (b) Collaborate with the department and managing entities
153 as defined in s. 394.9082(2) to identify gaps in the regional
154 continuum of behavioral health care that are appropriate for the
155 behavioral health teaching hospital to address, either
156 independently or in collaboration with other organizations
157 providing behavioral health services, and which will facilitate
158 implementation of the plan developed under paragraph (2)(e).
159 (c) Within 90 days after designation, enter into an
160 agreement with the department to provide state treatment
161 facility beds, when determined necessary by the department.
162 (d) Provide data related to the hospital's integrated
163 workforce development programs and the services provided by the
164 hospital to the agency, the department, or the Office of
165 Reimagining Education and Career Help, as determined by the
166 agency, department, or the Office of Reimagining Education and
167 Career Help.
168 (4) Upon designating a behavioral health teaching hospital
169 pursuant to this section, the agency shall, subject to
170 legislative appropriation, award the hospital funds:
171 (a) For up to 10 newly created resident positions through
172 the Slots for Doctors Program established in s. 409.909.
173 (b) Through the Training, Education, and Clinicals in
174 Health (TEACH) Funding Program established in s. 409.91256 to
175 offset the costs of maintaining integrated workforce development
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176 programs.
177 (5) A designated behavioral health teaching hospital must
178 annually report to the agency and the department by December 1
179 the current status of the designated behavioral health teaching
180 hospital program, including, but not limited to, the:
181 (a) Number of psychiatric residents.
182 (b) Number of postdoctoral clinical psychology fellows.
183 (c) Status and details of the consultation agreement with
184 and Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within the
185 Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
186 (d) Implementation status of the plan required by
187 paragraph (2)(e).
188 (e) Activities, agreements, and accomplishments of the
189 collaboration required by paragraph (3)(b).
190 (f) Number of facility beds and patients served under
191 paragraph (3)(c).
192 (6) A behavioral health teaching hospital designation is
193 valid for 2 years. To renew the designation, a hospital must
194 submit an application for renewal to the agency on a form
195 established by the agency at least 90 days before the expiration
196 of the designation. The renewal process is subject to the time
197 periods and tolling provisions of s. 120.60. The agency may
198 deny, revoke, or suspend a designation at any time if a
199 behavioral health teaching hospital is not in compliance with
200 the requirements of this section.
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201 (7) There is established within the agency a grant program
202 for the purpose of funding designated behavioral health teaching
203 hospitals, subject to legislative appropriation. Grant funding
204 may be used for operations and expenses and fixed capital
205 outlay, including, but not limited to, facility renovation and
206 upgrades.
207 (a) Beginning October 1, 2024, and subject to the
208 availability of funds, the agency shall hold an annual open
209 application period to accept applications from designated
210 behavioral health teaching hospitals on a form established by
211 the agency. Applicants must include a detailed spending plan
212 with the application.
213 (b) The agency, in consultation with the department, shall
214 evaluate and rank grant applications based on the quality of the
215 plan submitted under paragraph (2)(e), or the quality of plan
216 implementation, as applicable