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2013 Legislation

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Summaries of the enrolled bills from the 2013 legislative session that affect Florida's health care professions. Click on hyperlinks to view a brief summary, effective date and a link to the final enrolled text.
  • SB 50 Public Meetings
SB 50 : Requiring that a member of the public be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard by a board or commission before it takes official action on a proposition; providing that compliance with the requirements of this section is deemed to have occurred under certain circumstances; providing that a circuit court has jurisdiction to issue an injunction under certain circumstances; providing that an action taken by a board or commission which is found in violation of this section is not void, etc.
  • SB 160 Licensure Fee Exemptions for Military Veterans
SB 160 : Ch. 2013-123, Laws of Florida - Section 456.013, Florida Statutes, was amended to authorize the Department to waive the initial licensing fee, the initial application fee, and the initial unlicensed activity fee for military veterans who apply to the Department for a health care practitioner license. The application must be submitted within 24 months after an honorable discharge from any branch of the United States Armed Forces.
  • HB 239 Practice of Optometry
HB 239Authorizes certified optometrist to administer & prescribe ocular pharmaceutical agents; requires certified optometrist to complete board-approved course & examination on general & ocular pharmaceutical agents before administering or prescribing those agents; provides conditions under which holder of optometric faculty certificate may administer & prescribe oral ocular pharmaceutical agents; sets forth several requirements related to co-management of post-operative care; authorizes certified optometrist to perform certain eye examinations; requires reporting of adverse incidents in practice of optometry to DOH according to specified procedures. 
  • SB 248 Treatment Programs for Impaired Licensees and Applicants
SB 248The bill states that the chair or a designee from each board or profession within the Division of Medical Quality Assurance within the Department of Health (DOH) has the authority to ask any licensure applicant to undergo an evaluation for impairment before deciding to certify or not certify the licensure application. If the applicant agrees to undergo such an evaluation, DOH’s deadline for certifying or not certifying the application is tolled until the evaluation can be completed and results reported to the appropriate board. The bill provides guidelines concerning the release and custody of records relating to the impaired practitioner. The bill also subjects radiologic technologists to the impaired practitioner provisions in s. 456.076, F.S.
  • HB 365 Pharmacy
HB365 : Permits class II institutional pharmacy formulary to include include biologics, biosimilars, & biosimilar interchangeables; provides requirements for pharmacist to dispense substitute biological product that is determined to be biosimilar to & interchangeable for prescribed biological product; provides notification requirements for pharmacist in class II or modified class II institutional pharmacy; requires Board of Pharmacy to maintain current list of interchangeable biosimilar products.
  • SB 398 Physician Assistants
SB 398 : Authorizing a supervisory physician to delegate to a licensed physician assistant the authority to order medications for the supervisory physician’s patient in a facility licensed under provisions relating to Hospital Licensing and Regulation; providing that an order is not a prescription; authorizing a licensed physician assistant to order medication under the direction of the supervisory physician, etc.
  • HB 413 Physical Therapy
HB 413Physical Therapy; Authorizes physical therapist to implement physical therapy treatment plans of specified duration which are developed by physical therapist or provided by practitioner of record or ARNP. 
  • SB 520 Emergency Medical Services
SB 520 : Deleting a requirement that emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and 911 public safety telecommunicators complete an educational course on HIV and AIDS; revising requirements for the certification and recertification of emergency medical technicians and paramedics; revising requirements for institutions that conduct approved programs for the education of emergency medical technicians and paramedics, etc.
  • SB 604 Practitioners
SB 604 : Revising requirements for the deposit and use of license fees for certain practitioners; requiring the Department of Financial Services to defend certain claims, suits, actions, or proceedings for injunctive, affirmative, or declaratory relief involving emergency interventions on behalf of impaired practitioners, etc.
  • HB 1071 Health Care Accrediting Organizations
HB 1071 : This law amended section 486.102, Florida Statutes, by altering the accreditation requirements for a physical therapist assistant educational program. Accreditation is opened to regional or national institutional accrediting agencies recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). 
  • HB 1093 Volunteer Health Services
HB 1093Revises criteria required for limited licensure for physicians; revises requirements for patient referral under "Access to Health Care Act"; eliminating requirement that governmental contractor approve all follow up or hospital care; requires DOH to post specified information online concerning volunteer providers; permitting volunteer providers to earn continuing education credit for participation in program up to specified amount; provides that rules adopted by DOH give providers greatest flexibility possible in order to serve eligible patients. 
  • HB 1159 Health Care
HB 1159 : Health Care: Authorizes specialty-licensed children's hospitals to provide obstetrical services under certain circumstances; provides for expedited review of certificate-of-need for licensed skilled nursing facilities in qualifying retirement communities; limits number of beds per retirement community that can be added through expedited review; provides for severability; provides an appropriation for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
  • SB 1302 Temporary Certificates for Visiting Physicians
SB 1302Providing that a physician who has been invited by certain medical or surgical training programs or educational symposiums may be issued a temporary certificate for limited privileges solely to provide educational training; modifying criteria; revising the requirements for proof of medical malpractice insurance, etc. 
  • HB 7005 Massage Establishments
HB 7005Effective October 1, 2013: Prohibits operation of massage establishment between the hours of midnight to 5:00 AM with exceptions; prohibits use of massage establishment as principal domicile unless establishment is zoned for residential use under local ordinance; provides penalties for violations; declares that massage establishment operating in violation of specified statutes is nuisance that may be abated or enjoined. Revises definition of term "board-approved massage school"; provides additional grounds for denial of license or disciplinary action; revises penalties.