LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
FLORIDA STATE 2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
By Dr. Melinda Piller
January has been a very busy month for the Florida Legislature, as early filed bills are now referred to committees, where they will be reviewed and debated.
Last session, the FAMFT filed a comprehensive FS 491 revision, which addressed two major issues.
The first proposal addressed a statute update in educational requirements, so Florida law reflects current Marriage and Family Therapy higher education programs.
The second proposal addressed new streamlined requirements, experienced Marriage and Family therapists who wish to move to Florida, need to meet for licensure.
Our House sponsors, Representative Amy Mercado (D) and Senator Victor Torres (D), both from the Orlando area, have agreed to re-file our good bill this year. The House bill is HB 247. Our senate bill is in drafting.
We are also appreciative of Representative Tommy Gregory (R), a newly elected House member, from the Bradenton-Sarasota area, who agreed to sponsor the FS 491 Regulatory Board 2019 Legislative package. This package also includes our bill language (HB 509).
Please send them each a thank-you, via phone or a personal written note. Let them know how much their support, for Florida’s Marriage and Family Therapists, means to all citizens in need of mental health services.
Senator Torres’s District Office
101 Church Street Suite 305
Kissimmee, FL 34741
(407) 846-5187
Representative Mercado’s District Office Suite 101
6000 South Rio Grande Avenue
Orlando, FL 32809-4650
Phone: (407) 251-2388
Representative Gregory’s District Office
5228 East State Road 64
Bradenton, FL 34208-5524
Phone: (941) 708-5660
The following bills of interest are for your review and consideration:
HB 247: Marriage and Family Therapists
Marriage and Family Therapists; Provides equivalent education requirements for licensure by examination; removes certain education requirements for licensure or certification by endorsement.
Note: This is our bill. The Senate companion is still in bill drafting. This bill has three committees referrals
HB 509: Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors
Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors; Revises provisions relating to licensure & regulation of clinical social workers, marriage & family therapists, & mental health counselors; revises provisions relating to interns in mental health profession.
Note: This is the FS491 House bill, filed by a freshman legislator, which has our language included. This bill has not been referred to any committees at this point and does not have a Senate companion
HB 313: Marchman Act
Marchman Act; Revises provisions & terminology relating to petitions for involuntary assessment & stabilization & involuntary services for substance abuse impaired persons.
Note: This bill does not have a Senate companion. The bill has three committee referrals, including appropriations.
HB 307/SB 360: Insurance Coverage Parity for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
Insurance Coverage Parity for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders; Requires managed care plans to submit annual report to AHCA relating to parity in mental health & substance use disorder benefits; requires certain insurers, HMOs, & nonprofit hospital & medical service plan corporations to comply with specified requirements for mental health & substance use disorder benefits; requires such entities to submit annual report to OIR containing specified information; requires OIR to issue report to Legislature; repeals provisions relating to optional coverage required for substance abuse impaired persons.
Note: This bill has three committee referrals, including appropriations
HB 361: Admission to Mental Health Facilities
Admission to Mental Health Facilities; Requires receiving facility to refer cases of certain minors admitted for mental health assessment for appointment of public defender within specified timeframe; requires hearings involving children under specified age to be conducted in physical presence of child; requires administrator to petition for voluntary placement within specified timeframe after person under age 18 is admitted for services or transferred to voluntary status; requires hearing within specified timeframe.
Note: This bill does not have a Senate companion and has not been referred to committees.
HB 363: Pub. Rec./Admission to Mental Health Facilities
Pub. Rec./Admission to Mental Health Facilities; Provides exemption from public records requirements for petitions for voluntary & involuntary admission for mental health treatment, court orders, related records, & personal identifying information regarding persons seeking mental health treatment & services; provides for retroactive application; provides for future review & repeal; provides statement of public necessity.
Note: This bill is filed by the same legislator, Representative Silvers, who also filed HB 361 above. This bill has not been referred to committees.
HB 369: Substance Abuse Services
Substance Abuse Services; Authorizes DCF & AHCA to grant exemptions from disqualification for service provider personnel to work solely in certain treatment programs, treatment facilities, or recovery residences; revises provisions relating to background checks & exemptions from disqualification for certain service provider personnel & owners, directors, & CFOs of recovery residences; provides qualifications for certification as peer specialist; authorizes DCF to approve certain credentialing entities to certify peer specialists; provides certain prohibitions & penalties; prohibits recovery residences from benefitting from certain referrals; requires DFS to establish uniform firesafety standards for recovery residences.
Note: This bill does not have a Senate companion and has not been referred to committee.
HB 2045: School Based Mental Health Pilot Project
School Based Mental Health Pilot Project; Provides an appropriation for the School Based Mental Health Pilot Project. APPROPRIATION: $973,099.00
Note: This bill does not have a Senate companion and has not been referred to committees. The House sponsor, Representative Silvers, also filed HB 361 and HB 363. Representative Silvers is a Democrat, from Palm Beach County and was elected to the House in 2016.
HB 499: Youth in Solitary Confinement
Youth in Solitary Confinement; Prohibits DOC or local governmental body from subjecting youth to solitary confinement; provides exceptions; provides requirements for such confinement when used.
Note: This bill does not have a Senate companion and has not been referred to committees.
SB 84/HB 109: Conversion Therapy
Conversion Therapy; Prohibiting a person who is licensed to provide professional counseling or a practitioner who is licensed under provisions regulating the practice of medicine, osteopathic medicine, psychology, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, or mental health counseling from practicing or performing conversion therapy for an individual who is younger than a specified age; providing that such licensee or practitioner is subject to disciplinary proceedings by the Department of Health and the appropriate board under certain circumstances, etc.
Note: This bill has four committee referrals