Florida Senate - 2025 SB 7028 By the Committee on Health Policy 588-02849-25 20257028__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to cancer; amending s. 381.915, F.S.; 3 revising the definitions of the terms cancer center 4 and Florida-based; defining the term Cancer Connect 5 Collaborative or collaborative; making clarifying 6 changes; deleting an obsolete date; revising the 7 composition of the collaborative; deleting obsolete 8 provisions; requiring the collaborative to review all 9 submitted Cancer Innovation Fund grant applications 10 using certain parameters; requiring the collaborative 11 to give priority to certain applications; requiring 12 licensed or certified health care providers, 13 facilities, or entities to meet certain criteria to be 14 eligible for specified grant funding; specifying such 15 criteria; requiring the Department of Health to 16 appoint peer review panels for a specified purpose; 17 requiring that priority scores be forwarded to the 18 collaborative and be considered in determining which 19 proposals the collaborative recommends for certain 20 grant funding; requiring the collaborative and peer 21 review panels to establish and follow certain 22 guidelines and adhere to a certain policy; prohibiting 23 a member of the collaborative or a panel from 24 participating in certain discussions or decisions 25 under certain circumstances; requiring, beginning on a 26 specified date and annually thereafter, the 27 collaborative to prepare and submit a specified report 28 to the Governor and the Legislature; requiring that 29 the report include certain information; revising the 30 requirements for a specified report by the department; 31 requiring, beginning on a specified date, that certain 32 allocation agreements include certain information; 33 providing legislative findings; creating the Cancer 34 Connect Collaborative Research Incubator within the 35 department, and overseen by the collaborative, to 36 provide funding for a specified purpose over a 37 specified timeframe; specifying the incubators 38 targeted area of cancer research for the first 39 specified timeframe; providing that grants issued 40 through the incubator are contingent upon the 41 appropriation of funds and must be awarded through a 42 specified process; requiring that priority be given to 43 certain applicants; authorizing the prioritization of 44 certain grant proposals; providing that applications 45 for incubator funding may be submitted by specified 46 hospitals; requiring that all qualified applicants 47 have equal access and opportunity to compete for 48 research funding; requiring that incubator grants be 49 recommended by the collaborative and awarded by the 50 department in a certain manner; requiring the 51 department to appoint peer review panels for a 52 specified purpose; requiring that priority scores be 53 forwarded to the collaborative and be considered in 54 determining which proposals the collaborative 55 recommends for funding; requiring the collaborative 56 and peer review panels to establish and follow certain 57 guidelines and adhere to a certain policy; prohibiting 58 a member of the collaborative or a panel from 59 participating in certain discussions or decisions; 60 requiring recipients of incubator grant funds to enter 61 into an allocation agreement with the department; 62 specifying requirements for such allocation 63 agreements; requiring, beginning on a specified date 64 and annually until a specified date, the collaborative 65 to prepare and submit a specified report to the 66 Governor and the Legislature; requiring the 67 collaborative to make a certain recommendation under 68 certain circumstances; requiring that a specified 69 report include certain information; amending s. 70 381.922, F.S.; establishing the Bascom Palmer Eye 71 Institute VisionGen Initiative within the William G. 72 Bill Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research 73 Program; providing the purpose of the initiative; 74 providing that funding for the initiative is subject 75 to annual appropriation; providing an effective date. 76 77 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 78 79 Section 1.Present paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of 80 subsection (3) and present subsections (12) and (13) of section 81 381.915, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs (d), 82 (e), and (f) of subsection (3) and subsections (13) and (14), 83 respectively, a new paragraph (c) is added to subsection (3), 84 paragraph (d) is added to subsection (10), a new subsection (12) 85 is added to that section, and paragraph (b) and present 86 paragraph (c) of subsection (3), paragraphs (a), (b), (e), (f), 87 and (h) of subsection (8), and subsections (9) and (11) of that 88 section are amended, to read: 89 381.915Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program. 90 (3)On or before September 15 of each year, the department 91 shall calculate an allocation fraction to be used for 92 distributing funds to participating cancer centers. On or before 93 the final business day of each quarter of the state fiscal year, 94 the department shall distribute to each participating cancer 95 center one-fourth of that cancer centers annual allocation 96 calculated under subsection (6). The allocation fraction for 97 each participating cancer center is based on the cancer centers 98 tier-designated weight under subsection (4) multiplied by each 99 of the following allocation factors based on activities in this 100 state: number of reportable cases, peer-review costs, and 101 biomedical education and training. As used in this section, the 102 term: 103 (b)Cancer center means a comprehensive center with at 104 least one geographic site in the state, a freestanding center 105 located in the state, a center situated within an academic 106 institution, or a Florida-based formal research-based consortium 107 under centralized leadership that has achieved NCI designation 108 or is prepared to achieve NCI designation by June 30, 2024. 109 (c)Cancer Connect Collaborative or collaborative means 110 the council created under subsection (8). 111 (d)(c)Florida-based means that a cancer centers actual 112 or sought designated status is or would be recognized by the NCI 113 as primarily located in Florida and not in another state, or 114 that a health care provider or facility is physically located in 115 Florida and provides services in Florida. 116 (8)The Cancer Connect Collaborative, a council as defined 117 in s. 20.03, is created within the department to advise the 118 department and the Legislature on developing a holistic approach 119 to the states efforts to fund cancer research, cancer 120 facilities, and treatments for cancer patients. The 121 collaborative may make recommendations on proposed legislation, 122 proposed rules, best practices, data collection and reporting, 123 issuance of grant funds, and other proposals for state policy 124 relating to cancer research or treatment. 125 (a)The Surgeon General shall serve as an ex officio, 126 nonvoting member of the collaborative and shall serve as the 127 chair. 128 (b)The collaborative shall be composed of the following 129 voting members, to be appointed by September 1, 2024: 130 1.Two members appointed by the Governor, three members one 131 member appointed by the President of the Senate, and three 132 members one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of 133 Representatives, based on the criteria of this subparagraph. The 134 appointing officers shall make their appointments prioritizing 135 members who have the following experience or expertise: 136 a.The practice of a health care profession specializing in 137 oncology clinical care or research; 138 b.The development of preventive and therapeutic treatments 139 to control cancer; 140 c.The development of innovative research into the causes 141 of cancer, the development of effective treatments for persons 142 with cancer, or cures for cancer; or 143 d.Management-level experience with a cancer center 144 licensed under chapter 395. 145 2.One member who is a resident of this state who can 146 represent the interests of cancer patients in this state, 147 appointed by the Governor. 148 (e)Members of the collaborative whose terms have expired 149 may continue to serve until replaced or reappointed, but for no 150 more than 6 months after the expiration of their terms. 151 (f)Members of the collaborative shall serve without 152 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and 153 travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061. 154 (h)The collaborative shall develop a long-range 155 comprehensive plan for the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research 156 Program. In the development of the plan, the collaborative must 157 solicit input from cancer centers, research institutions, 158 biomedical education institutions, hospitals, and medical 159 providers. The collaborative shall submit the plan to the 160 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 161 House of Representatives no later than December 1, 2024. The 162 plan must include, but need not be limited to, all of the 163 following components: 164 1.Expansion of grant fund opportunities to include a 165 broader pool of Florida-based cancer centers, research 166 institutions, biomedical education institutions, hospitals, and 167 medical providers to receive funding through the Cancer 168 Innovation Fund. 169 2.An evaluation to determine metrics that focus on patient 170 outcomes, quality of care, and efficacy of treatment. 171 3.A compilation of best practices relating to cancer 172 research or treatment. 173 (9)(a)The collaborative shall advise the department on the 174 awarding of grants issued through the Cancer Innovation Fund. 175 During any fiscal year for which funds are appropriated to the 176 fund, the collaborative shall review all submitted grant 177 applications using the parameters provided in paragraph (c) and 178 make recommendations to the department for awarding grants to 179 support innovative cancer research and treatment models, 180 including emerging research and treatment trends and promising 181 treatments that may serve as catalysts for further research and 182 treatments. The department shall make the final grant allocation 183 awards. The collaborative shall give priority to applications 184 seeking to expand the reach of cancer screening efforts and 185 innovative cancer treatment models into underserved areas of 186 this state. 187 (b)To be eligible for grant funding under this subsection, 188 a licensed or certified health care provider, facility, or 189 entity must meet at least one of the following criteria: 190 1.Operates as a licensed hospital that has a minimum of 30 191 percent of its current cancer patients residing in rural or 192 underserved areas. 193 2.Operates as a licensed health care clinic or facility 194 that employs or contracts with at least one physician licensed 195 under chapter 458 or chapter 459 who is board certified in 196 oncology and that administers chemotherapy treatments for 197 cancer. 198 3.Operates as a licensed facility that employs or 199 contracts with at least one physician licensed under chapter 458 200 or chapter 459 who is board certified in oncology and that 201 administers radiation therapy treatments for cancer. 202 4.Operates as a licensed health care clinic or facility 203 that provides cancer screening services at no cost or a minimal 204 cost to patients. 205 5.Operates as a rural hospital as defined in s. 206 395.602(2)(b). 207 6.Operates as a critical access hospital as defined in s. 208 408.07(14). 209 7.Operates as a specialty hospital as defined in s. 210 395.002(28)(a) which provides cancer treatment for patients from 211 birth to 18 years of age. 212 8.Engages in biomedical research intended to develop 213 therapies, medical pharmaceuticals, treatment protocols, or 214 medical procedures intended to cure cancer or improve the 215 quality of life of cancer patients. 216 9.Educates or trains students, postdoctoral fellows, or 217 licensed or certified health care practitioners in the 218 screening, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer. 219 (c)To ensure that all proposals for grant funding issued 220 through the Cancer Innovation Fund are appropriate and are 221 evaluated fairly on the basis of scientific merit, the 222 department shall appoint peer review panels of independent, 223 scientifically qualified individuals to review the scientific 224 merit of each proposal and establish its priority score. The 225 priority scores must be forwarded to the collaborative and must 226 be considered in determining which proposals the collaborative 227 recommends for grant funding through the Cancer Innovation Fund. 228 (d)The collaborative and the peer review panels shall 229 establish and follow rigorous guidelines for ethical conduct and 230 adhere to a strict policy with regard to conflicts of interest 231 regarding the assessment of Cancer Innovation Fund grant 232 applications. A member of the collaborative or a panel may not 233 participate in any discussion or decision of the collaborative 234 or a panel with respect to a research proposal by any firm, 235 entity, or agency with which the member is associated as a 236 member of the governing body or as an employee or with which the 237 member has entered into a contractual arrangement. 238 (e)Beginning December 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, 239 the collaborative shall prepare and submit a report to the 240 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 241 House of Representatives which identifies and evaluates the 242 performance and the impact of grants issued through the Cancer 243 Innovation Fund on cancer treatment, research, screening, 244 diagnosis, prevention, practitioner training, workforce 245 education, and cancer patient survivorship. The report must 246 include all of the following: 247 1.Amounts of grant funds awarded to each recipient. 248 2.Descriptions of each recipients research or project 249 which include, but need not be limited to, the following: 250 a.Goals or projected outcomes. 251 b.Population to be served. 252 c.Research methods or project implementation plan. 253 3.An assessment of grant recipients which evaluates their 254 progress toward achieving objectives specified in each 255 recipients grant application. 256 4.Recommendations for best practices that may be 257 implemented by health care providers in this state who diagnose, 258 treat, and screen for cancer, based on the outcomes of projects 259 funded through the Cancer Innovation Fund. 260 (10)Beginning July 1, 2025, and each year thereafter, the 261 department, in conjunction with participating cancer centers, 262 shall submit a report to the Cancer Control and Research 263 Advisory Council and the collaborative on specific metrics 264 relating to cancer mortality and external funding for cancer 265 related research in this state. If a cancer center does not 266 endorse this report or produce an equivalent independent report, 267 the cancer center is ineligible to receive program funding for 1 268 year. The department must submit this annual report, and any 269 equivalent independent reports, to the Governor, the President 270 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives 271 no later than September 15 of each year the report or reports 272 are submitted by the department. The report must include: 273 (d)A description of the numbers and types of cancer cases 274 treated annually at each participating cancer center, including 275 reportable and nonreportable cases. 276 (11)Beginning July 1, 2025 2024, each allocation agreement 277 issued by the department relating to cancer center payments 278 under paragraph (2)(a) subsection (2) must include all of the 279 following: 280 (a)A line-item budget narrative documenting the annual 281 allocation of funds to a cancer center. 282 (b)A cap on the annual award of 15 percent for 283 administrative expenses. 284 (c)A requirement for the cancer center to submit quarterly 285 reports of all expenditures made by the cancer center with funds 286 received through the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program. 287 (d)A provision to allow the department and other state 288 auditing bodies to audit all financial records, supporting 289 documents, statistical records, and any other documents 290 pertinent to the allocation agreement. 291 (e)A provision requiring the annual reporting of outcome 292 data and protocols used in achieving those outcomes. 293 (12)(a)The Legislature finds that targeted areas of cancer 294 research require increased resources and that Florida should 295 become a leader in promoting research opportunities for these 296 targeted areas. Floridians should not have to leave the state to 297 receive the most advanced cancer care and treatment. To meet 298 this need, the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator, 299 or incubator as used in this subsection, is created within the 300 department, to be overseen by the collaborative, to provide 301 funding for a targeted area of cancer research over a 5-year 302 period. For the 5-year period beginning July 1, 2025, the 303 incubators targeted area of cancer research is pediatric 304 cancer. 305 (b)Contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the 306 Legislature, grants issued through the incubator must be awarded 307 through a peer-reviewed, competitive process. Priority must be 308 given to applicants that focus on enhancing both research and 309 treatment by increasing participation in clinical trials related 310 to the targeted area of cancer research, including all of the 311 following: 312 1.Identifying strategies to increase enrollment in cancer 313 clinical trials. 314 2.Supporting public and private professional education 315 programs to raise awareness and knowledge about cancer clinical 316 trials. 317 3.Providing tools for cancer patients and community-based 318 oncologists to help identify available cancer clinical trials in 319 this state. 320 4.Creating opportunities for the states academic cancer 321 centers to collaborate with community-based oncologists in 322 cancer clinical trial networks. 323 (c)Priority may be given to grant proposals that foster 324 collaborations among institutions, researchers, and community 325 practitioners to support the advancement of cures through basic 326 or applied research, including clinical trials involving cancer 327 patients and related networks. 328 (d)Applications for incubator funding may be submitted by 329 any Florida-based specialty hospital as defined in s. 330 395.002(28)(a) which provides cancer treatment for patients from 331 birth to 18 years of age. All qualified applicants must have 332 equal access and opportunity to compete for research funding. 333 Incubator grants must be recommended by the collaborative and 334 awarded by the department on the basis of scientific merit, as 335 determined by a competitively open and peer-reviewed process to 336 ensure objectivity, consistency, and high quality. 337 (e)To ensure that all proposals for research funding are 338 appropriate and are evaluated fairly on the basis of scientific 339 merit, the department shall appoint peer review panels of 340 independent, scientifically qualified individuals to review the 341 scientific merit of each proposal and establish its priority 342 score. The priority scores must be forwarded to the 343 collaborative and must be considered in determining which 344 proposals the collaborative recommends for funding. 345 (f)The collaborative and the peer review panels shall 346 establish and follow rigorous guidelines for ethical conduct and 347 adhere to a strict policy with regard to conflicts of interest 348 regarding the assessment of incubator grant applications. A 349 member of the collaborative or a panel may not participate in 350 any discussion or decision of the collaborative or a panel 351 regarding a research proposal from any firm, entity, or agency 352 with which the member is associated as a governing body member, 353 as an employee, or through a contractual arrangement. 354 (g)Each recipient of incubator grant funds must enter into 355 an allocation agreement with the department. Each such 356 allocation agreement must include all of the following: 357 1.A line-item budget narrative documenting the annual 358 allocation of funds to a recipient. 359 2.A cap on the annual award of 15 percent for 360 administrative expenses. 361 3.A requirement for the recipient to submit quarterly 362 reports of all expenditures made by the recipient with funds 363 received through the incubator. 364 4.A provision to allow the department and other state 365 auditing bodies to audit all financial records, supporting 366 documents, statistical records, and any other documents 367 pertinent to the allocation agreement. 368 5.A provision requiring the annual reporting of outcome 369 data and protocols used in achieving those outcomes. 370 (h)Beginning December 1, 2026, and annually through 371 December 1, 2030, the collaborative shall prepare and submit a 372 report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the 373 Speaker of the House of Representatives which evaluates research 374 conducted through the incubator and provides details on outcomes 375 and findings available through the end of the fiscal year 376 immediately preceding each report. If the collaborative 377 recommends that the incubator be extended beyond its 5-year 378 lifespan, the collaborative shall make such recommendation in 379 the report due December 1, 2029, and shall include a 380 recommendation for the next targeted area of cancer research. 381 The report due on December 1, 2030, must include all of the 382 following: 383 1.Details of all results of the research conducted with 384 incubator funding which has been completed or the status of 385 research in progress. 386 2.An evaluation of all research conducted with incubator 387 funding during the 5 fiscal years preceding the report. 388 Section 2.Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (2) of 389 section 381.922, Florida Statutes, to read: 390 381.922William G. Bill Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley 391 Cancer Research Program. 392 (2)The program shall provide grants for cancer research to 393 further the search for cures for cancer. 394 (d)There is established within the program the Bascom 395 Palmer Eye Institute VisionGen Initiative. The purpose of the 396 initiative is to advance genetic and epigenetic research on 397 inherited eye diseases and ocular oncology by awarding grants 398 through the peer-reviewed, competitive process established under 399 subsection (3). Funding for the initiative is subject to the 400 annual appropriation of funds by the Legislature. 401 Section 3.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.