Florida HB 355: Health Care Patient Protection

Bill Text

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An act relating to health care patient protection; 2
amending s. 395.1012, F.S.; requiring hospital 3
emergency departments to develop and implement 4
policies and procedures, conduct training, record 5
weights in a certain manner, designate a pediatric 6
emergency care coordinator, and conduct specified 7
assessments; authorizing a hospital with an emergency 8
department to conduct the National Pediatric Readiness 9
Project's Open Assessment under certain conditions; 10
amending s. 395.1055, F.S.; requiring the agency to 11
adopt certain rules for comprehensive emergency 12
management plans, and, in consultation with the 13
Florida Emergency Medical Services for Children State 14
Partnership Program, establish minimum standards for 15
pediatric patient care in hospital emergency 16
departments; amending s. 408.05, F.S.; requiring the 17
agency to collect and publish the results of specified 18
assessments submitted by hospitals by specified dates; 19
providing requirements for the collection and 20
publication of such assessment scores; providing an 21
effective date. 22
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 24
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CS/HB 355 2026 Legislature

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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

Section 1. Subsections (6) and (7) are added to section 26
395.1012, Florida Statutes, to read: 27
395.1012 Patient safety.— 28
(6)(a) Each hospital with an emergency department must: 29
1. Develop and implement policies and procedures for 30
pediatric patient care in the emergency department which reflect 31
evidence-based best practices relating to, at a minimum: 32
a. Triage. 33
b. Measuring and recording vital signs. 34
c. Weighing and recording weights in kilograms. 35
d. Calculating medication dosages. 36
e. Use of pediatric instruments. 37
2. Conduct training at least annually on the policies and 38
procedures developed under this subsection. The training must 39
include, at a minimum: 40
a. The use of pediatric instruments, as applicable to each 41
licensure type, using clinical simulation as defined in s. 42
464.003. 43
b. Drills that simulate emergency situations. Each 44
emergency department must conduct drills at least annually. 45
(b) Each hospital emergency department must: 46
1. Designate a pediatric emergency care coordinator. The 47
pediatric emergency care coordinator must be a physician or a 48
physician assistant licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459, a 49
nurse licensed under chapter 464, or a paramedic licensed under 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

chapter 401. The pediatric emergency care coordinator is 51
responsible for implementation of and ensuring fidelity to the 52
policies and procedures adopted under this subsection. 53
2. Conduct the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment 54
developed by the National Pediatric Readiness Project, in 55
accordance with timelines established by the National Pediatric 56
Readiness Project. 57
(7) Each hospital with an emergency department may conduct 58
the National Pediatric Readiness Project's Open Assessment 59
during a year in which the National Pediatric Readiness 60
Assessment is not conducted. 61
Section 2. Subsections (4) through (19) of section 62
395.1055, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (5) 63
through (20), respectively, paragraph (c) of subsection (1) is 64
amended, and a new subsection (4) is added to that section to 65
read: 66
395.1055 Rules and enforcement.— 67
(1) The agency shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 68
120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this part, 69
which shall include reasonable and fair minimum standards for 70
ensuring that: 71
(c) A comprehensive emergency management plan is prepared 72
and updated annually. Such standards must be included in the 73
rules adopted by the agency after consulting with the Division 74
of Emergency Management. At a minimum, the rules must provide 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

for plan components that address emergency evacuation 76
transportation; adequate sheltering arrangements; postdisaster 77
activities, including emergency power, food, and water; 78
postdisaster transportation; supplies; staffing; emergency 79
equipment; individual identification of residents and transfer 80
of records, and responding to family inquiries, and the needs of 81
pediatric and neonatal patients. The comprehensive emergency 82
managem