THE BILL ITSELF
SB 1302
Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Screenings
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1302 By Senator Rouson 16-01111B-26 20261302__
1
A bill to be entitled
2
An act relating to pediatric behavioral and mental
3
health screenings; creating s. 409.9746, F.S.;
4
requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to
5
adopt rules establishing certain practice parameters
6
and protocols for early periodic screening,
7
diagnostic, and treatment services for pediatric
8
behavioral and mental health screenings; specifying
9
such practice parameters and protocols; requiring
10
health care providers to provide a parent or legal
11
guardian information on sleep, screen time, and
12
nutrition; requiring the Department of Health to
13
develop and make such information available for
14
download by health care providers; requiring the
15
agency, by a specified date, to adopt performance
16
measures relating to early periodic screening,
17
diagnostic, and treatment services; requiring the
18
agency to collect and report performance measures and
19
outcome data to the Governor and the Legislature,
20
beginning on a specified date and annually thereafter;
21
providing an effective date.
23
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
Section 1. Section 409.9746, Florida Statutes, is created
26
to read:
27
409.9746 Early periodic screening, diagnostic, and
28
treatment services; pediatric behavioral and mental health
29
screenings.—
30
(1) The agency shall adopt rules establishing practice
31
parameters and protocols and requiring managed care plans to
32
provide early periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment
33
services consistent with such practice parameters and protocols,
34
including, but not limited to, all of the following:
35
(a) The use of validated, age-appropriate, trauma-informed
36
diagnostic tools based on nationally recognized clinical
37
practice guidelines to provide early periodic screening,
38
diagnostic, and treatment services to participants from birth
39
through 21 years of age.
40
(b) Authorizing a health care provider to use mobile
41
response teams, community mental health centers, behavioral
42
health hubs, and other qualified health care providers for
43
consultation, support with medication management, and
44
introduction of a patient to another health care provider as a
45
referral.
46
(c) Encouraging parents or legal guardians to participate
47
in mental health programs that provide education and support,
48
including, but not limited to, general parenting skills or more
49
specialized programs that offer education and support for more
50
specific behavioral or mental health issues.
51
(d) Requiring health care providers to give parents or
52
legal guardians information created by the Department of Health
53
about sleep, screen time, and nutrition. The department shall
54
develop such information and make it available for download by
55
health care providers.
56
(2) By January 1, 2027, the agency shall adopt performance
57
measures related to early periodic screening, diagnostic, and
58
treatment services and establish outcome data reporting
59
requirements. The agency shall use the measures as a tool to
60
monitor plan performance in connection with other measures
61
required pursuant to this part. Beginning January 1, 2028, and
62
annually thereafter, the agency shall submit a report on the
63
performance measures and outcome data to the Governor, the
64
President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
65
Representatives.
66
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.