CS/HB 247 2023
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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 sickle cell program; amending 2
s. 381.815, F.S.; requiring the Department of Health 3
to establish a grant program for the prevention, care, 4
and treatment of sickle cell disease and sickle cell 5
trait or sickle cell trait carriers and for 6
educational programs and develop application criteria 7
and standards of eligibility for such program; 8
providing applicability; requiring the department to 9
develop and maintain a voluntary registry and to 10
conduct a specified study; requiring the department to 11
adopt rules; providing an effective date. 12
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. This act may be known as the "Sickle Cell 16
Disease and Sickle Cell Trait Prevention, Care, and Treatment 17
Act." 18
Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 381.815, Florida 19
Statutes, is amended, to read: 20
381.815 Sickle cell Sickle-cell program; voluntary 21
registry.—The Department of Health shall , to the extent that 22
resources are available: 23
(3)(a)1. Establish a grant program for the prevention, 24
care, and treatment of sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait 25
CS/HB 247 2023
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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
or sickle cell trait carriers and for community -based 26
educational programs concerning th e disease. 27
2. The community-based educational programs shall include 28
an outreach program that provides for the dissemination of 29
information relating to the prevention, care, and treatment of 30
sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait or sickle cell trait 31
carriers. 32
(b) Develop application criteria and standards of 33
eligibility for applicants for funds under the grant program. 34
1. Groups or organizations that meet the eligibility 35
standards developed by the department may apply for funds under 36
the program. 37
2.a. Priority for grants shall be given to established 38
sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait or sickle cell trait 39
carrier community-based applicants throughout the state. 40
b. Further priority shall be given to ensuring the 41
establishment of sickle ce ll disease and sickle cell trait or 42
sickle cell trait carrier centers in underserved areas with a 43
higher population of sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait 44
or sickle cell trait carrier patients. 45
(c) Require that all program grant funds must be used for 46
the purpose of prevention, care, and treatment of sickle cell 47
disease or sickle cell trait or sickle cell trait carriers or 48
for educational programs concerning the disease. 49
(d) Conduct a study to determine the prevalence, impact, 50
CS/HB 247 2023
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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
and needs of patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease or 51
sickle cell trait or sickle cell trait carriers in the state. 52
(e) Adopt rules necessary to implement this subsection. 53
(3) Make grants or enter into contracts with not -for-profit 54
centers. 55
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 56