THE BILL ITSELF
HB 1029
Maternal Health and Early Learning
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to maternal health and early learning;
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providing a short title; creating s. 383.012, F.S.;
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requiring the Department of Health to establish a
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certain home visit program for expectant mothers;
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providing program requirements; amending s. 383.305,
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F.S.; authorizing the Agency for Health Care
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Administration to authorize reduced fees for an
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applicant or licensee for certain birthing centers;
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amending s. 383.31, F.S.; removing acceptance criteria
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for birthing centers; creating s. 383.55, F.S.;
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defining the term "blood pressure monitor and cuff";
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requiring the department to provide a blood pressure
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monitor and cuff to an expectant mother for certain
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purposes; requiring the department to create certain
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educational materials; creating ss. 395.3043 and
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395.6071, F.S.; defining the terms "doula" and
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"midwife"; authorizing a doula or midwife to be
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present with his or her client during childbirth
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inside of a hospital; creating s. 402.822, F.S.;
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requiring the Department of Children and Families to
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provide certain incentives for certain early learning
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centers; creating ss. 458.355 and 459.075, F.S.;
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revising continuing education requirements for
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physicians to include a review of certain Medicaid
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payments for certain persons; amending s. 1002.83,
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F.S.; providing requirements for child care facilities
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that receive support from early learning coalitions;
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amending s. 1003.21, F.S.; revising the date by which
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children must attain a certain age to be required to
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attend school regularly; providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. This act may be cited as "The Motherhood
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Initiative."
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Section 2. Section 383.012, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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383.012 Home visit program for expectant mothers.—
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(1) The Department of Health shall expand the current home
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visit program to include a home visit program for expectant
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mothers within the Healthy Start program, which shall include
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Healthy Start Care Coordination Programs.
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(2) The program shall:
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(a)1. Conduct screenings for expectant mothers for
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depression and substance abuse disorders provided by a
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registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse licensed under
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part I of chapter 464.
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2. The department shall refer at-risk expectant mothers
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for mental health treatment.
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(b) Ensure an expectant mother is monitoring her blood
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pressure and shall provide and review the educational materials
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created under s. 383.55(3) with the expectant mother.
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(c) Include a 3 hour course on the care of a newborn
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including, but not limited to, bathing, dressing, and feeding;
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cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and setting up sleep routines for
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the newborn and the mother that hospitals and birth centers
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shall offer to a mother before going home with her newborn.
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(3) Health insurance providers and Medicaid shall provide
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coverage for the program, as applicable.
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Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 383.305, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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383.305 Licensure; fees.—
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(1) In accordance with s. 408.805, an applicant or a
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licensee shall pay a fee for each license application submitted
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under ss. 383.30-383.332 and part II of chapter 408. The amount
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of the fee shall be established by rule. The Agency for Health
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Care Administration may reduce the fees for an applicant or
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licensee under this section for birthing centers in rural and
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other medically underserved areas.
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Section 4. Section 383.31, Florida Statutes, is amended to
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read:
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383.31 Selection of clients; Informed consent.—
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(1)(a) A birth center may accept only those patients who
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are expected to have normal pregnancies, labors, and deliveries.
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(1)(b) The criteria for the selection of clients and the
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establishment of risk status shall be defined by rule of the
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agency.
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(2)(a) A patient may not be accepted for care at a birth
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center until the patient has signed a client informed-consent
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form.
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(b) The agency shall develop a client informed-consent
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form to be used by the center to inform the client of the
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benefits and risks related to childbirth outside a hospital.
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Section 5. Section 383.55, Florida Statutes, is created to
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read:
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383.55 Coverage of blood pressure monitors and cuffs.—
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(1) As used in this section, the term "blood pressure
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monitor and cuff" means a device designed for the purpose of
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aiding in the treatment of hypertension by measuring blood
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pressure levels through a validated blood pressure measurement
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device at home or elsewhere outside of the clinic setting.
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(2) The Department of Health must provide a blood pressure
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monitor and cuff for an expectant mother to monitor for
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preeclampsia and must provide any necessary repairs or
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replacement parts for the blood pressure monitor and cuff.
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(3) The department shall create educational materials on
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the use of the blood pressure monitor and cuff, including, but
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not limited to, the proper use of the blood pressure monitor and
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cuff and the urgent maternal warning signs and symptoms provided
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by the Hear Her campaign of the United States Centers for
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Disease Control and Prevention.
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Section 6. Section 395.3043, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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395.3043 Doula and midwife services.—
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(1) As used in this section, the term:
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(a) "Doula" means a nonmedical professional who provides
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physical, emotional, and informational support to individuals
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and families before, during, and after childbirth.
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(b) "Midwife" has the same definition as in s. 467.003.
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(2) A doula or midwife may be present with his or her
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client during childbirth inside of a hospital.
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Section 7. Section 395.6071, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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395.6071 Doula and midwife services.—
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(1) As used in this section, the term:
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(a) "Doula" means a nonmedical professional who provides
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physical, emotional, and informational support to individuals
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and families before, during, and after childbirth.
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(b) "Midwife" has the same definition as in s. 467.003.
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(2) A doula or midwife may be present with his or her
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client during childbirth inside of a rural hospital.
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Section 8. Section 402.822, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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402.822 Twenty-four hour early learning centers.—The
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Department of Children and Families shall provide incentives for
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early learning centers to remain open 24 hours for the children
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of first responders, health care practitioners, and people of
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other industries who work nontraditional hours. Incentives for
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child care facilities may include, but need not be limited to:
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(1) Raising subsidy rates for child care outside of
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traditional hours.
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(2) Authorizing local agencies to restructure their
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subsidy systems.
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(3) Authorizing counties to create contract nontraditional
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hours slots for child care providers or to create shared service
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agreements.
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Section 9. Section 458.355, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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458.355 Continuing education; Medicaid payment
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information.—The continuing education requirements prescribed by
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the board for a physician under this chapter or chapter 459 must
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include education on the mandatory Medicaid payments for a
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pregnant woman for the duration of her pregnancy and for the
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postpartum period consisting of the 12-month period beginning on
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the last day of her pregnancy.
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Section 10. Section 459.075, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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459.075 Continuing education; Medicaid payment
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information.—The continuing education requirements prescribed by
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the board for a physician under this chapter, or chapter 458
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must include education on the mandatory Medicaid payments for a
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pregnant woman for the duration of her pregnancy and for the
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postpartum period consisting of the 12-month period beginning on
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the last day of her pregnancy.
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Section 11. Subsection (15) of section 1002.83, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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1002.83 Early learning coalitions.—
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(15)(a) Each school district shall, upon request of the
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coalition, make a list of all individuals currently eligible to
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act as a substitute teacher within the school district, pursuant
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to rules adopted by the school district pursuant to s. 1012.35,
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available to an early learning coalition serving students within
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the school district.
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(b) Child care facilities as defined in s. 402.302 may
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employ individuals listed as substitute instructors for the
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purpose of offering the school readiness program, the Voluntary
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Prekindergarten Education Program, and all other legally
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operating child care programs.
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1. Child care facilities that receive support from early
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learning coalitions shall be called early learning centers.
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2. The Department of Education will ensure appropriate
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instruction and pacing of an approved curriculum for each early
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learning center.
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Section 12. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
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1003.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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1003.21 School attendance.—
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(1)(a)1. All children who have attained the age of 5 6
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years or who will have attained the age of 5 6 years by February
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1 of any school year or who are older than 5 6 years of age but
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who have not attained the age of 16 years, except as otherwise
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provided, are required to attend school regularly during the
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entire school term.
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2. Children who will have attained the age of 5 years on
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or before September 1 of the school year are eligible for
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admission to public kindergartens during that school year under
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rules adopted by the district school board.
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Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.