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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 health insurance coverage for 2
individuals with developmental disabilities; amending 3
ss. 627.6686 and 641.31098, F.S.; revising the 4
definitions of the terms "autism spectrum disorder" 5
and "eligible individual" ; reenacting ss. 409.906(26) 6
and 943.1727, F.S., relating to optional Medicaid 7
services and continued employment training relating to 8
autism spectrum disorder, respectively, to incorporate 9
the amendment made to s. 627.6686, F.S., in references 10
thereto; providing an effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
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Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (2) of 15
section 627.6686, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 16
627.6686 Coverage for individuals with autism spectrum 17
disorder required; exception. — 18
(2) As used in this section, the term: 19
(b) "Autism spectrum disorder" has the same meaning as 20
means any of the following disorders as defined in the most 21
recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of 22
Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association : 23
1. Autistic disorder. 24
2. Asperger's syndrome. 25
HB 377 2025
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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
3. Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise 26
specified. 27
(c) "Eligible individual" means an individual under 18 28
years of age or an individual 18 years of age or older who is in 29
high school who has been diagnosed as having a developmental 30
disability at 8 years of age or younger . 31
Section 2. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsectio n (2) of 32
section 641.31098, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 33
641.31098 Coverage for individuals with developmental 34
disabilities.— 35
(2) As used in this section, the term: 36
(b) "Autism spectrum disorder" has the same meaning as 37
means any of the fol lowing disorders as defined in the most 38
recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of 39
Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association : 40
1. Autistic disorder. 41
2. Asperger's syndrome. 42
3. Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise 43
specified. 44
(c) "Eligible individual" means an individual under 18 45
years of age or an individual 18 years of age or older who is in 46
high school who has been diagnosed as having a developmental 47
disability at 8 years of age or younger . 48
Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 49
made by this act to section 627.6686, Florida Statutes, in a 50
HB 377 2025
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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
reference thereto, subsection (26) of section 409.906, Florida 51
Statutes, is reenacted to read: 52
409.906 Optional Medicaid services. —Subject to specific 53
appropriations, the agency may make payments for services which 54
are optional to the state under Title XIX of the Social Security 55
Act and are furnished by Medicaid providers to recipients who 56
are determined to be eligible on the dates on which the services 57
were provided. Any optional service that is provided shall be 58
provided only when medically necessary and in accordance with 59
state and federal law. Optional services rendered by providers 60
in mobile units to Medicaid recipients may be restricted or 61
prohibited by the agency. Nothing in this section shall be 62
construed to prevent or limit the agency from adjusting fees, 63
reimbursement rates, lengths of stay, number of visits, or 64
number of services, or making any other adjustments necessary to 65
comply with the availability of moneys and any limitations or 66
directions provided for in the General Appropriations Act or 67
chapter 216. If necessary to safeguard the state's systems of 68
providing services to elderly and disabled persons and subject 69
to the notice and review provisions of s. 216.177, the Governor 70
may direct the Agency for Health Care Administration to amend 71
the Medicaid state plan to delete the optional Medicaid service 72
known as "Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally 73
Disabled." Optional se rvices may include: 74
(26) HOME AND COMMUNITY -BASED SERVICES FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM 75
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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
DISORDER AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. —The agency is 76
authorized to seek federal approval through a Medicaid waiver or 77
a state plan amendment for the provision of occup ational 78
therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, behavior analysis, 79
and behavior assistant services to individuals who are 5 years 80
of age and under and have a diagnosed developmental disability 81
as defined in s. 393.063, autism spectrum disorder as define d in 82
s. 627.6686, or Down syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by the 83
presence of extra chromosomal material on chromosome 21. Causes 84
of the syndrome may include Trisomy 21, Mosaicism, Robertsonian 85
Translocation, and other duplications of a portion of chrom osome 86
21. Coverage for such services shall be limited to $36,000 87
annually and may not exceed $108,000 in total lifetime benefits. 88
The agency shall submit an annual report on January 1 to the 89
President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 90
Representatives, and the relevant committees of the Senate and 91
the House of Representatives regarding progress on obtaining 92
federal approval and recommendations for the implementation of 93
these home and community -based services. The agency may not 94
implement this subsec tion without prior legislative approval. 95
Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 96
made by this act to section 627.6686, Florida Statutes, in a 97
reference thereto, section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is 98
reenacted to read: 99
943.1727 Continued employment training relating to autism 100
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spectrum disorder.—The department shall establish a continued 101
employment training component relating to autism spectrum 102
disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The training component shall 103
include, but need not be l imited to, instruction on the 104
recognition of the symptoms and characteristics of an individual 105
on the autism disorder spectrum and appropriate responses to an 106
individual exhibiting such symptoms and characteristics. 107
Completion of the training component may count toward the 40 108
hours of instruction for continued employment or appointment as 109
a law enforcement officer required under s. 943.135. 110
Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 111