House Bill 1299 seeks to amend various sections of Florida law concerning health care and medical marijuana regulations. The bill reenacts provisions that prohibit discrimination based on health care choices and bans mask and vaccination mandates in educational institutions, while preserving the definition of "messenger ribonucleic acid vaccine." It also repeals a previous law that scheduled the repeal of this definition. Significant changes are made to the regulations governing medical marijuana treatment centers, including the removal of the requirement for all officers and board members to pass a background screening, and the introduction of new definitions related to background screening. Treatment centers are now required to notify the Department of Health of any theft or loss of marijuana and report attempted thefts to law enforcement.

Additionally, the bill consolidates regulatory authority by transferring oversight of various health-related boards and councils to the Department of Health, including those for athletic training, orthotics and prosthetics, opticianry, and hearing aid specialists. It modifies the eligibility criteria for licensure under the MOBILE Act, reducing the required years of practice from three to two, and establishes the Physical Therapy Compact Commission to facilitate interstate regulation of physical therapy licensure. The bill also introduces provisions for the regulation of opticians and hearing aid specialists, including the removal of certain restrictions and the establishment of consumer protections in the sale of prescription hearing aids. Overall, HB 1299 aims to streamline regulatory processes while enhancing public health and safety across various health care sectors.

Statutes affected:
H 1299 Filed: 381.988, 383.141, 385.203, 391.221, 397.333, 409.818, 486.112, 468.705, 468.707, 468.709, 468.711, 468.713, 468.719, 468.723, 468.802, 468.806, 468.808, 468.809, 484.005, 484.006, 484.008, 484.009, 484.011, 484.012, 484.013, 484.017, 484.041, 484.044, 484.0445, 484.0447, 484.047, 484.0501, 20.43, 943.031, 943.042, 1004.6495