HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 1 of 9
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 Agency for Health Care 2
Administration; amending s. 408.05, F.S.; removing the 3
State Consumer Health Information and Policy Advisory 4
Council; amending s. 429.177, F.S.; defining the term 5
"memory care services"; requiring memory care 6
providers to follow specified standards of operation 7
in providing memory care services; providing 8
requirements for resident contracts; providing 9
requirements for memory care facilities; prohibiting 10
certain facilities from advertising, representing, or 11
holding themselves out as memory care providers unless 12
such facilities meet specified criteria; repealing s. 13
429.178, F.S., relating to special care for persons 14
with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other memory 15
disorders; amending s. 627.4236, F.S.; removing 16
rulemaking authority; providing effective dates. 17
18
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19
20
Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 4 08.05, Florida 21
Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (6), and paragraph (g) of 22
subsection (3) and present subsection (6) are amended, to read: 23
408.05 Florida Center for Health Information and 24
Transparency.— 25
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 2 of 9
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) HEALTH INFORMATION TRANSPARENCY. —In order to 26
disseminate and facilitate the availability of comparable and 27
uniform health information, the agency shall perform the 28
following functions: 29
(g) Consult with contracted vendors , the State Consumer 30
Health Information and Policy Advisory Council, and other public 31
and private users regarding the types of data that should be 32
collected and the use of such data. 33
(6) STATE CONSUMER HEALTH INFORMATION AND POLICY ADVISORY 34
COUNCIL.— 35
(a) There is established in the agency the State Consumer 36
Health Information and Policy Advisory Council to assist the 37
center. The council consists of the following members: 38
1. An employee of the Executive Office of the Governor, to 39
be appointed by the Governor. 40
2. An employee of the Office of Insurance Regulation, to 41
be appointed by the director of the office. 42
3. An employee of the Department of Education, to be 43
appointed by the Commissioner of Education. 44
4. Ten persons, to be appointed by the Secretary of Health 45
Care Administration, representing other state and local 46
agencies, state universities, business and health coalitions, 47
local health councils, professional health -care-related 48
associations, consumers, and purchasers. 49
(b) Each member of the council shall be appointed to serve 50
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 3 of 9
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
for a term of 2 years following the date of appointment. A 51
vacancy shall be filled by appointment for the remainder of the 52
term, and each appointing authority retains the right to 53
reappoint members whose terms of appointment have expired. 54
(c) The council may meet at the call of its chair, at t he 55
request of the agency, or at the request of a majority of its 56
membership, but the council must meet at least quarterly. 57
(d) Members shall elect a chair and vice chair annually. 58
(e) A majority of the members constitutes a quorum, and 59
the affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum is necessary to 60
take action. 61
(f) The council shall maintain minutes of each meeting and 62
shall make such minutes available to any person. 63
(g) Members of the council shall serve without 64
compensation but shall be entitled to receive reimbursement for 65
per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. 66
(h) The council's duties and responsibilities include, but 67
are not limited to, the following: 68
1. To develop a mission statement, goals, and a plan of 69
action for the identification, collection, standardization, 70
sharing, and coordination of health -related data across federal, 71
state, and local government and private sector entities. 72
2. To develop a review process to ensure cooperative 73
planning among agencies that collect o r maintain health-related 74
data. 75
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 4 of 9
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. To create ad hoc issue -oriented technical workgroups on 76
an as-needed basis to make recommendations to the council. 77
Section 2. Effective January 1, 2026, section 429.177, 78
Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 79
429.177 Patients with Alzheimer's disease , dementia, or 80
other memory related disorders; certain disclosures ; minimum 81
standards.— 82
(1) "Memory care services" means specialized or focused 83
care and services designed to address health or behavioral 84
issues resulting from Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other 85
memory disorders. 86
(2)(a) A facility that advertises itself as a memory care 87
provider or otherwise claims that the facility provides memory 88
care services, including, but not limited to, services for 89
residents with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other memory 90
disorders, must meet all of the following standards of operation 91
for such services: 92
1. Develop and implement policies and procedures 93
addressing all of the following: 94
a. Admittance criteria. 95
b. Care and services necessary to address the needs of 96
persons admitted for memory care services. 97
2. Activities specifically designed and offered for 98
persons admitted for memory care services. 99
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 5 of 9
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. Maintenance of a current and accurate log of residents 100
admitted as receiving memory care services. 101
(b) The standards in paragraph (a) apply to any unit 102
designated for the provision of memory care services or to a 103
facility that provides memory care services to any resident 104
admitted and requiring such services. 105
(3) In addition to the requirements of s. 429.24, resident 106
contracts must specify all memory care services to be provided 107
and any related costs should those costs exceed standard room 108
and board. 109
(4) In addition to the requirements of s. 429.26(7), for 110
persons residing in a memory care facility, the facility shall: 111
(a) Notify a licensed physician when a resident has a 112
change of condition specific to increased or more severe 113
dementia, or other memory disorder to ensure that appropriate 114
care is provided to the resident. The notification must occur 115
within 30 days after the acknowledgement of such changes in 116
condition by facility staff. 117
(b) If a change in the resident's condition is determined 118
to exist, notify the resident's representative or designee and 119
assist in making appointments for the necessary care and 120
services for treatment of the change in condition. 121
(d) If the resident does not have a representative or 122
designee, or if the resident's representative or designee cannot 123
be located or is unresponsive, a rrange with the appropriate 124
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 6 of 9
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
health care provider for the necessary care and services for 125
treatment of the change in condition. 126
(5)(a) The memory care facility, or if a memory care 127
provider has a specific unit designated for memory care 128
services, must have at least one staff member present to provide 129
care and services at all times. The staff member shall: 130
1. Stay awake at all times. 131
2. Meet any training required as defined by statute or 132
rule for assisted living facilities, including the training and 133
continuing education requirements of s. 430.5025. 134
3. Be certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary 135
resuscitation. 136
(b) A staff member administering medication or providing 137
assistance with the self -administration of medication may not be 138
considered as the sole staff member toward the staffing 139
requirement while engaged in these tasks. 140
(6) A facility licensed under this part which claims that 141
it provides special care for persons who have Alzheimer's 142
disease, dementia, or other memory related disorders must 143
disclose in its advertisements or in a separate document those 144
services that distinguish the care as being especially 145
applicable to, or suitable for, such persons. The facility must 146
give a copy of all such advertisements or a copy of the document 147
to each person who requests information about programs and 148
services for persons with Alzheimer's disease , dementia, or 149
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 7 of 9
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
other memory related disorders offered by the facility and must 150
maintain a copy of all such advertisements and documents in its 151
records. The agency shall examine all such advertisements and 152
documents in the facility's records as part of the license 153
renewal procedure. 154
Section 3. Effective January 1, 2026, section 429.178, 155
Florida Statutes, is repealed. 156
Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 627.4236, Florida 157
Statutes, is amended to read: 158
627.4236 Coverage for bone marrow transplant procedures. — 159
(3)(a) The Agency for Health Care Administration shall 160
adopt rules specifying the bone marrow transplant procedures 161
that are accepted within the appropriate oncological specialty 162
and are not experimental for purposes of this section. The rules 163
must be based upon recommendations of an advisory panel 164
appointed by the secretary of the agency, composed of: 165
1. One adult oncologist, selected from a lis t of three 166
names recommended by the Florida Medical Association; 167
2. One pediatric oncologist, selected from a list of three 168
names recommended by the Florida Pediatric Society; 169
3. One representative of the J. Hillis Miller Health 170
Center at the Universit y of Florida; 171
4. One representative of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center 172
and Research Institute, Inc.; 173
5. One consumer representative, selected from a list of 174
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 8 of 9
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
three names recommended by the Chief Financial Officer; 175
6. One representative of the Health Insurance Association 176
of America; 177
7. Two representatives of health insurers, one of whom 178
represents the insurer with the largest Florida health insurance 179
premium volume and one of whom represents the insurer with the 180
second largest Florida health insuran ce premium volume; and 181
8. One representative of the insurer with the largest 182
Florida small group health insurance premium volume. 183
(b) The director shall also appoint a member of the 184
advisory panel to serve as chairperson. 185
(c) The agency shall provide , within existing resources, 186
staff support to enable the panel to carry out its 187
responsibilities under this section. 188
(d) In making recommendations and adopting rules under 189
this section, the advisory panel and the director shall: 190
1. Take into account fi ndings, studies, or research of the 191
federal Agency for Health Care Policy, National Cancer 192
Institute, National Academy of Sciences, Health Care Financing 193
Administration, and Congressional Office of Technology 194
Assessment, and any other relevant information. 195
2. Consider whether the federal Food and Drug 196
Administration or National Cancer Institute is conducting or 197
sponsoring assessment procedures to determine the safety and 198
efficacy of the procedure or substantially similar procedures, 199
HB 493 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb493-00
Page 9 of 9
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 of any part of such procedures. 200
3. Consider practices of providers with respect to 201
requesting or requiring patients to sign a written 202
acknowledgment that a bone marrow transplant procedure is 203
experimental. 204
(e) The advisory panel shall conduct, at least biennially, 205
a review of scientific evidence to ensure that its 206
recommendations are based on current research findings and that 207
insurance policies offer coverage for the latest medically 208
acceptable bone marrow transplant procedures. 209
Section 5. Except as otherwise express ly provided in this 210
act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 211