Rep. Christopher Benjamin

Managed Care Plan Performance; Requires managed care plans to collect & report specified measures beginning with certain data reporting period; requires plans to stratify reported measures by specified categories beginning with certain data reporting period; requires plan's performance to be published on its website in specified manner; requires AHCA to use measures to monitor plan performance.

Child Welfare Placements; Authorizes DCF to place children in its custody in therapeutic group homes for residential mental health treatment without prior court approval; defines "therapeutic group home"; provides that DCF, rather than AHCA, shall appoint qualified evaluators to conduct suitability assessments of certain children in department's custody; specifies qualifications for evaluators conducting suitability assessments for placement in therapeutic group home; revises requirements for suitability assessments; specifies when DCF must provide copy of assessment to guardian ad litem & court; removes department's & agency's rulemaking authority; revises definition of term "special needs child".

Homeless Youth; Revises & provides provisions relating to specified homeless youth, including ability to receive documents at no charge, aid in achieving postsecondary education success, assistance in acquiring motor vehicle insurance & driver licenses, certification as unaccompanied homeless youth, removal of disability of nonage, card issued by school board containing specified information, ability to consent to certain care, & fee exemption eligibility.

Step-therapy Protocols; Revises circumstances under which step-therapy protocols may not be required; requires health insurers & HMOs to publish on their websites & provide to their insureds & subscribers specified information; provides requirements for procedures for requests & appeals of denials of protocol exemptions; provides requirements for authorizations & denials of protocol exemption requests; authorizes health insurers & HMOs to request specified documentation.

Care of Students with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders; Requires school to provide epilepsy or seizure disorder care to student; provides for creation & implementation of individualized seizure action plan for students with epilepsy or seizure disorders to receive health care at school; provides requirements for DOE, schools, school nurses & certain other school employees, & such plans.

Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Critical Public Service Workforce; Proposes amendment to State Constitution to authorize Legislature, for all levies other than school district levies, to grant additional homestead property tax exemption on $50,000 of assessed value of homestead property owned by classroom teachers, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, child welfare services professionals, active duty members of United States Armed Forces, & Florida National Guard members.

Reading Scholarship Accounts; Establishes Miami-Dade Reading Scholarship Account Pilot Program to expand student eligibility for reading scholarship account & and allow an eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization to reimburse certain service providers directly; provides requirements for pilot program.

Palmetto Homes Urban Development Group Inc.; Provides an appropriation for the Palmetto Homes Urban Development Group Inc. APPROPRIATION: $332,178

North Miami Septic Tank to Sanitary Sewer Conversion; Provides an appropriation for the North Miami Septic Tank to Sanitary Sewer Conversion. APPROPRIATION: $500,000

DCS Mentoring Program, Inc; Provides an appropriation for the DCS Mentoring Program, Inc. APPROPRIATION: $50,000