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