The bill CS/CS/HB 229 amends Florida Statutes to redefine "health facility" and enhance the authority's powers overseeing these facilities. It expands the definition to include non-profit entities like limited liability companies that provide various health services, such as hospital care and assisted living. The bill also allows the authority to offer secured or unsecured loans to health facilities for project costs and refinancing existing debts, thereby improving financial support for these institutions. Additionally, it introduces new requirements for the closure of not-for-profit hospitals, mandating a 120-day notice period that must be publicly announced, detailing reasons for the closure, and providing alternative emergency care locations.

Moreover, the bill stipulates that hospitals planning to close must notify stakeholders within a 75-mile radius about the anticipated impacts on local health insurance and provider networks, and hold three public meetings prior to closure. It also requires the release of physicians from contractual agreements that would limit their practice at other nearby hospitals. The bill modifies revenue bond provisions to include loan payments in financial agreements and enhances bondholder security through trust agreements. It establishes criteria for property tax exemptions for health facilities, stating that exemptions cannot be granted if a related hospital has closed its emergency department without establishing a new one within a specified timeframe. The amendments are retroactive to January 1, 2025, and the bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, with certain provisions becoming law immediately.

Statutes affected:
H 229 Filed: 154.205, 154.213, 154.225, 154.235, 154.219, 154.221, 154.229, 154.247
H 229 c1: 154.205, 154.213, 154.225, 154.219, 154.221, 154.229, 154.247
H 229 c2: 154.205, 154.213, 154.225, 154.235, 154.219, 154.221, 154.229, 154.247