SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1132

Procedures for Discharging Persons to Avoid Homelessness
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SPONSOR
Rouson
FILED BY
Darryl Ervin Rouson — District 16, Democrat
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Children

Filed under Housing.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Procedures for Discharging Persons to Avoid Homelessness; Citing this act as the “Bridging Systems to Housing Act”; encouraging certain facilities and institutions, in collaboration with a continuum of care lead agency, to develop and implement certain procedures for when persons are discharged from certain facilities or institutions; requiring the Department of Children and Families to conduct a pilot program in specified counties; defining the term “client-level data”; requiring the sharing of client-level data to comply with specified state and federal laws and regulations, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Mandates discharge planning and data sharing for hospitals in four counties.

The bill shifts the legal standard from encouraging mental health facilities to ensure that all hospitals and other facilities connect discharged persons to the continuum of care to avoid homelessness.

It requires the Department of Children and Families to run a pilot program in Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties, with quarterly status reports and annual effectiveness assessments due to state leadership.

Facilities must now share detailed client-level data, including medical and mental health needs, with the Homeless Management Information System or other entities, subject to federal and state privacy laws.

The bill removes the previous limitation that applied only to mental health facilities, expanding the scope to include hospitals, crisis stabilization units, residential treatment facilities, assisted living facilities, and detoxification centers.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Mandatory Pilot Program in Four Counties majors. 420.626(3)

AICreates a mandatory state-run pilot program in Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties, requiring hospitals and inpatient medical facilities there to implement specific discharge procedures.

“The department shall conduct a pilot program in Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, and Pinellas Counties for the development and implementation of the procedures required under subsec” bill text, line 53 →
§ 2 Mandatory Continuum of Care Connection majors. 420.626(1)

AIRequires that persons leaving state-regulated facilities are not discharged into homelessness without being connected to the local continuum of care.

“are not discharged into homelessness without connecting such persons to the continuum of care” bill text, line 39 →
§ 3 Mandatory Discharge Plan and Transition majors. 420.626(4)(b)

AIRequires facilities to develop discharge plans that ensure identified persons are offered a transition to the local continuum of care for housing, shelter, or supportive services.

“ensures identified persons are offered a transition from the facility or institution to the local continuum of care for connection to housing or shelter resources”
§ 4 Mandatory Client-Level Data Sharing majors. 420.626(4)(d)

AIRequires facilities to share detailed individual-level medical, mental health, and housing needs data with the Homeless Management Information System or other entities, subject to privacy laws.

“Enrollment in the Homeless Management Information System to collect and share client-level data in order to gain an understanding of an identified person's characteristics” bill text, line 95 →
§ 5 Mandatory 211 Referral for Unregistered Persons moderates. 420.626(4)(f)

AIRequires facilities to ensure persons identified as homeless or at risk, but not registered in the Homeless Management Information System, contact the 211 call center to facilitate registration.

“the facility or institution must ensure such person contacts the 211 call center or other local nonemergency service referral hotline to facilitate registration” bill text, line 125 →
§ 6 Restriction on Discharge Timing moderates. 420.626(4)(c)

AIProhibits discharging a person to a receiving entity outside of that entity's normal operating hours.

“A discharge to an entity may only occur during normal operating hours when the receiving entity is open to receive the discharged person.” bill text, line 88 →
§ 7 Expanded Scope of Covered Facilities moderates. 420.626(2)

AIExpands the list of facilities encouraged to develop discharge procedures to include hospitals, crisis stabilization units, residential treatment facilities, assisted living facilities, and detoxification centers.

“hospitals and inpatient medical facilities; crisis stabilization units; residential treatment facilities; assisted living facilities; and detoxification centers”
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/12/2026
Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Appropriations...
1/5/2026
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 420.626
+12 / −0
s. 420.626
+666 / −77