The bill amends several sections of Florida Statutes to enhance health and human services, particularly in dental and cancer care. It allows dental and dental hygiene students to apply for the Dental Student Loan Repayment Program prior to employment, provided they have an offer in a public health program or private practice. The bill also establishes the Cancer Connect Collaborative, which will oversee grant applications for cancer research and treatment, prioritizing those that expand services in underserved areas. Additionally, it introduces the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute VisionGen Initiative and mandates the Department of Health to revoke medical marijuana registrations for patients and caregivers guilty of specific offenses. Nursing home facilities are required to conduct biennial patient safety culture surveys and submit results to the Agency for Health Care Administration, which will publish aggregated data for public comparison.

Further amendments focus on improving nursing home care quality and Medicaid reimbursement structures. The bill sets new requirements for nursing home medical directors, including certification from the American Medical Directors Association by January 1, 2026, and imposes stricter financial reporting requirements with a $10,000 fine for non-compliance starting January 1, 2026. It also establishes minimum and maximum square footage requirements per bed and introduces a supplemental payment for ventilator services. The Training, Education, and Clinicals in Health (TEACH) Funding Program is expanded to include nonprofit organizations serving low-income patients, and a study on nursing home quality incentive programs in other states is mandated, with a report due by December 1, 2025. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 2514 pb: 400.141, 400.191, 408.08, 409.908