HB 131 2022
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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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Military Medics and Corpsmen of 2
Florida program; creating s. 295.126, F.S.; providing 3
definitions; requiring the Department of Veterans' 4
Affairs and the Department of Health to establish and 5
administer the program; providing program purposes; 6
providing for eligibility; providing program 7
components; authorizing medically trained veterans 8
participating in the program to perform certain 9
medical activities under specified supervision; 10
providing an effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
14
Section 1. Section 295.126, Florida Statutes, is created 15
to read: 16
295.126 Military Medics and Corpsmen of Florida ( MMACOF) 17
program.— 18
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 19
(a) "Medically trained veteran" means a person who has 20
served within the preceding 12 months as a medic in the United 21
States Army, a medical technician in the United States Air 22
Force, or a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy or the 23
United States Coast Guard who was discharged or separated from 24
service under conditions other than dishonorable and who has 25
HB 131 2022
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performed more than 50 percent of the required scope of specific 26
health care practice skills established pursuant to subsection 27
(3). 28
(b) "Participating health care provider" means: 29
1. A physician licensed under chapter 458; 30
2. An osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 459; 31
3. A professional corporation or partnersh ip of a licensed 32
physician or osteopathic physician; 33
4. A hospital; 34
5. A commercial enterprise having medical facilities for 35
its employees which are supervised by one or more licensed 36
physicians or osteopathic physicians; or 37
6. A facility that offers medical services to the public 38
and that is supervised by one or more licensed physicians or 39
osteopathic physicians. 40
(c) "Veteran" means a veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14) or 41
a former member of the Florida National Guard. 42
(2) PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES. —The Department of 43
Veterans' Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of 44
Health, shall establish and administer the Military Medics and 45
Corpsmen of Florida (MMACOF) program. The purpose of the program 46
is to offer clinical, leadership, and nonclinical career 47
pathways to veterans seeking health care careers within this 48
state. The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall recruit and 49
review the eligibility of veterans according to the requirements 50
HB 131 2022
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established pursuant t o subsection (3). In collaboration with 51
local, state, and federal government nonprofit health care 52
associations and state health care systems, the Department of 53
Veterans' Affairs shall refer eligible veterans to participating 54
health care providers througho ut this state in order to gain 55
employment, maintain medical skills, address the shortage of 56
health care professionals in this state, and work toward 57
obtaining appropriate health care registration, certification, 58
or licensure. 59
(3) ELIGIBILITY.—The Department of Veterans' Affairs, in 60
collaboration with the Department of Health, shall establish 61
general eligibility requirements for veterans to participate in 62
the MMACOF program. Eligibility requirements for medically 63
trained veterans shall include a required s cope of specific 64
health care practice skills. 65
(4) PROGRAM COMPONENTS. —The MMACOF program shall consist 66
of the following components: 67
(a) MMACOF Qualified. —Through the MMACOF program, 68
medically trained veterans who have performed more than 50 69
percent of the required scope of specific health care practice 70
skills established pursuant to subsection (3) within the 71
preceding 12 months may continue practicing those skills in a 72
civilian health care setting while obtaining appropriate health 73
care registration, ce rtification, or licensure as provided in 74
subsection (5). 75
HB 131 2022
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(b) No Veteran Left Behind. —Veterans who do not meet the 76
definition of the term "medially trained veteran" but who have 77
served in health care -related specialties shall receive 78
assistance by the MMA COF program in resume writing, mentorship, 79
and obtaining employment with participating health care 80
providers. 81
(c) Health Care Leadership. —The MMACOF program shall 82
assist veterans who, in the course of their military service, 83
gained management experience or completed advanced degrees in 84
finding civilian health care leadership and management 85
employment in a variety of health care disciplines. 86
(5) ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY MEDICALLY TRAINED VETERANS. — 87
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrar y, 88
a medically trained veteran participating in the MMACOF program 89
may: 90
1. Perform activities that constitute the practice of 91
medicine under the direct supervision of a physician licensed 92
under chapter 458, an osteopathic physician licensed under 93
chapter 459, or the chief medical officer of a participating 94
health care provider . 95
2. Perform activities that constitute the practice of 96
nursing under the direct supervision of a physician licensed 97
under chapter 458, an osteopathic physician licensed under 98
chapter 459, or the chief medical officer of a participating 99
health care provider, except that the chief medical officer of a 100
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participating health care provider may, in consultation with the 101
chief nursing officer of such participating health care 102
provider, designate a registered nurse licensed under chapter 103
464 or practicing with a multistate license to supervise 104
medically trained veterans in the practice of nursing. 105
(b) The activities performed by the medically trained 106
veteran shall reflect his or her leve l of training and 107
experience. The supervising physician or registered nurse, as 108
applicable, shall retain responsibility for the care of the 109
patient. 110
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 111