Florida HB 901: Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Bill Text

HB 901 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb901-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to diabetes research; creating s. 2
1004.562, F.S.; establishing the University of Florida 3
Diabetes Institute within the University of Florida 4
College of Medicine; providing the purpose of the 5
institute; providing requirements for the institute; 6
authorizing the institute to administer statewide 7
pilot programs; requiring the institute to maintain a 8
secure repository for deidentified data; authorizing 9
the institute to share deidentified data under certain 10
conditions; authorizing the institute to convene a 11
consortium; providing requirements for the consortium; 12
authorizing the consortium to solicit funding from 13
certain sources for certain purposes; requiring the 14
institute to provide a report to the Governor and the 15
Legislature beginning on a specified date and annually 16
thereafter; providing requirements for the report; 17
providing construction; providing an effective date. 18
19
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20
21
Section 1. Section 1004.562, Florida Statutes, is created 22
to read: 23
1004.562 University of Florida Diabetes Institute.— 24
(1) The University of Florida Diabetes Institute is 25

HB 901 2026

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established within the University of Florida College of Medicine 26
as a resource for diabetes research, screening, prevention, 27
treatment, and education. The purpose of the institute is to 28
advance scientific discovery, improve prevention and clinical 29
care, and promote education and outreach related to all forms of 30
diabetes, including type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, 31
gestational diabetes, and related metabolic conditions. 32
(2) The institute shall do all of the following: 33
(a) Conduct research to understand the causes, mechanisms, 34
and potential cures for diabetes, including autoimmune, genetic, 35
and environmental factors. 36
(b) Develop advanced prevention, diagnostic, and treatment 37
strategies to reduce the incidence and complications of diabetes 38
in children and adults. 39
(c) Provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinical care 40
to individuals living with diabetes, including patient and 41
family education, nutrition counseling, mental health support, 42
and disease management resources. 43
(d) Train and educate health care professionals, including 44
physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and scientists, to 45
expand expertise in diabetes care and research. 46
(e) Establish collaborations with state universities, 47
medical centers, patient advocacy groups, community 48
organizations, and government agencies to enhance care and 49
accelerate progress toward diabetes prevention and cures. 50

HB 901 2026

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(f) Engage in community-based outreach and education 51
programs to increase awareness, reduce disparities in diabetes 52
outcomes, and promote healthier lifestyles. 53
(3)(a) The institute may establish and administer 54
statewide pilot programs, including, but not limited to, 55
population-based diabetes screening, prevention initiatives, and 56
technology-driven management tools. 57
(b) The institute shall maintain a secure data repository 58
to collect, store, and analyze deidentified data for the purpose 59
of advancing diabetes research, prevention, and care. 60
(c) The institute may provide deidentified data, pursuant 61
to data-sharing agreements, to research collaborators to support 62
ongoing and future scientific investigations. 63
(4)(a) The institute may convene a statewide diabetes 64
research and care consortium composed of clinical and academic 65
experts, health care providers, and patient representatives to 66
coordinate research, share expertise, and develop innovative 67
care models. 68
(b) The consortium shall, upon being convened, be 69
administered at the institute under the direction of the 70
institute's executive leadership. 71
(c) The consortium may solicit funding from public, 72
nonprofit, and private sources to expand programs, research 73
initiatives, and community services. 74
(5) Beginning October 15, 2027, and annually thereafter, 75

HB 901 2026

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the institute shall provide a report to the Governor, the 76
President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 77
Representatives which includes all of the following: 78
(a) Research projects and findings. 79
(b) Clinical services provided and patient outcomes. 80
(c) Community out