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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 Parkinson's disease; creating s. 2
1004.4352, F.S.; establishing the Consortium for 3
Parkinson's Disease Research within the University of 4
South Florida; establishing the Parkinson's Disease 5
Research Board; requiring the board to direct the 6
operations of the consortium and to annually adopt a 7
plan for Parkinson's disease research; providing 8
duties of the consortium director; providing research 9
requirements for the plan; requiring the board to 10
issue an annual report to the Governor and Legislature 11
by a specified date; providing appropriations; 12
providing an effective date. 13
14
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
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Section 1. Section 1004.4352, Florida Statutes, is created 17
to read: 18
1004.4352 Parkinson's disease research. — 19
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 20
"Parkinson's Disease Research Act." 21
(2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. —The Legislature finds that: 22
(a) Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological 23
disorder affecting approximately one million Americans, with an 24
estimated 90,000 new diagnoses each year. 25
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(b) Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson's disease 26
and innovative research is essential to advance therapies, 27
improve patient outcomes, and alleviate the burden of the 28
disease. 29
(3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 30
(a) "Board" means the Parkinson's Disease Research Board. 31
(b) "Consortium" means the Consortium for Parkinson's 32
Disease Research. 33
(4) CONSORTIUM FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE RESEARCH. — 34
(a) There is established within the University of South 35
Florida the Consortium for Parkinson's Disease Research which 36
shall consist of public and private universities. The purpose of 37
the consortium is to conduct rigorous scientific research and 38
disseminate such research. 39
(b) The Parkinson's Disease Research Board is established 40
to direct the operations of the consortium. The board shall be 41
composed of members representing each participating u niversity 42
and appointed by the president of each participating university. 43
Board members must have experience in a variety of scientific 44
fields, including, but not limited to, neurology, psychology, 45
nutrition, and genetics. Members shall be appointed to 4 -year 46
terms and may be reappointed to serve additional terms. The 47
chair shall be elected by the board from among its members to 48
serve a 2-year term. The board shall meet at least semiannually 49
at the call of the chair or, in his or her absence or 50
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incapacity, the vice chair. Four members constitute a quorum. A 51
majority vote of the members present is required for all actions 52
of the board. The board may prescribe, amend, and repeal a 53
charter governing the manner in which it conducts its business. 54
Board members shall serve without compensation, but are entitled 55
to receive reimbursement for travel expenses by the consortium 56
or the organization he or she represents in accordance with s. 57
112.061. 58
(c) The consortium shall be administered by a director, 59
who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the 60
board. The director shall, subject to the approval of the board: 61
1. Propose a budget for the consortium. 62
2. Foster the collaboration of scientists, researchers, 63
and other appropriate personnel in accordance with the 64
consortium's charter. 65
3. Engage individuals in public and private university 66
programs relevant to the consortium's work to participate in the 67
consortium. 68
4. Identify and prioritize the research to be conducted by 69
the consortium. 70
5. Prepare a plan for Parkinson's disease research for 71
submission to the board. 72
6. Apply for grants to obtain funding for research 73
conducted by the consortium. 74
7. Perform other duties as determined by the board. 75
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(d) The board shall annually adopt a plan for Par kinson's 76
disease research. The plan must organize a program of research 77
that contributes to the body of scientific knowledge on the 78
causes, mechanisms, and potential treatments for Parkinson's 79
disease and the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in first 80
responders. The board must award funds to members of the 81
consortium to perform research consistent with the plan. 82
(e) By October 15 of each year, the board shall issue a 83
report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the 84
Speaker of the House of Rep resentatives on research projects, 85
research findings, community outreach initiatives, and future 86
plans for the consortium. 87
Section 2. (1) For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the sum of 88
$8 million in recurring funds is appropriated from the General 89
Revenue Fund to the University of South Florida for Parkinson's 90
disease research including, but not limited to, identifying the 91
genetic origin of the disease and developing therapeutic 92
interventions to slow or stop the progression of the disease. 93
(2) For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the sum of $4 million 94
in recurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund 95
to the University of South Florida for the Consortium for 96
Parkinson's Disease Research. 97
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 98