Florida HB 1029: Detention Facilities

Bill Text

HB 1029 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1029-00
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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 maternal health and early learning; 2
providing a short title; creating s. 383.012, F.S.; 3
requiring the Department of Health to establish a 4
certain home visit program for expectant mothers; 5
providing program requirements; amending s. 383.305, 6
F.S.; authorizing the Agency for Health Care 7
Administration to authorize reduced fees for an 8
applicant or licensee for certain birthing centers; 9
amending s. 383.31, F.S.; removing acceptance criteria 10
for birthing centers; creating s. 383.55, F.S.; 11
defining the term "blood pressure monitor and cuff"; 12
requiring the department to provide a blood pressure 13
monitor and cuff to an expectant mother for certain 14
purposes; requiring the department to create certain 15
educational materials; creating ss. 395.3043 and 16
395.6071, F.S.; defining the terms "doula" and 17
"midwife"; authorizing a doula or midwife to be 18
present with his or her client during childbirth 19
inside of a hospital; creating s. 402.822, F.S.; 20
requiring the Department of Children and Families to 21
provide certain incentives for certain early learning 22
centers; creating ss. 458.355 and 459.075, F.S.; 23
revising continuing education requirements for 24
physicians to include a review of certain Medicaid 25

HB 1029 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1029-00
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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

payments for certain persons; amending s. 1002.83, 26
F.S.; providing requirements for child care facilities 27
that receive support from early learning coalitions; 28
amending s. 1003.21, F.S.; revising the date by which 29
children must attain a certain age to be required to 30
attend school regularly; providing an effective date. 31
32
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 33
34
Section 1. This act may be cited as "The Motherhood 35
Initiative." 36
Section 2. Section 383.012, Florida Statutes, is created 37
to read: 38
383.012 Home visit program for expectant mothers.— 39
(1) The Department of Health shall expand the current home 40
visit program to include a home visit program for expectant 41
mothers within the Healthy Start program, which shall include 42
Healthy Start Care Coordination Programs. 43
(2) The program shall: 44
(a)1. Conduct screenings for expectant mothers for 45
depression and substance abuse disorders provided by a 46
registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse licensed under 47
part I of chapter 464. 48
2. The department shall refer at-risk expectant mothers 49
for mental health treatment. 50

HB 1029 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1029-00
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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

(b) Ensure an expectant mother is monitoring her blood 51
pressure and shall provide and review the educational materials 52
created under s. 383.55(3) with the expectant mother. 53
(c) Include a 3 hour course on the care of a newborn 54
including, but not limited to, bathing, dressing, and feeding; 55
cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and setting up sleep routines for 56
the newborn and the mother that hospitals and birth centers 57
shall offer to a mother before going home with her newborn. 58
(3) Health insurance providers and Medicaid shall provide 59
coverage for the program, as applicable. 60
Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 383.305, Florida 61
Statutes, is amended to read: 62
383.305 Licensure; fees.— 63
(1) In accordance with s. 408.805, an applicant or a 64
licensee shall pay a fee for each license application submitted 65
under ss. 383.30-383.332 and part II of chapter 408. The amount 66
of the fee shall be established by rule. The Agency for Health 67
Care Administration may reduce the fees for an applicant or 68
licensee under this section for birthing centers in rural and 69
other medically underserved areas. 70
Section 4. Section 383.31, Florida Statutes, is amended to 71
read: 72
383.31 Selection of clients; Informed consent.— 73
(1)(a) A birth center may accept only those patients who 74
are expected to have normal pregnancies, labors, and deliveries. 75

HB 1029 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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(1)(b) The criteria for the selection of clients and the 76
establishment of risk status shall be defined by rule of the 77
agency. 78
(2)(a) A patient may not be accepted for care at a birth 79
center until the patient has signed a client informed-consent 80
form. 81
(b) The agency shall develop a client informed-consent 82
form to be used by the center to inform the client of the 83
benefits and risks related to childbirth outside a hospital. 84
Section 5. Section 383.55, Flori