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FloridaHB 3552026House

Health Care Patient Protection

Sponsored By: Vanessa Oliver (Republican)

Signed by Governor

AppropriationHealth Care Facilities & Systems SubcommitteeHealth & Human Services CommitteeFiscal Policy

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New emergency care safeguards for children

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida hospitals with emergency departments must use evidence-based care policies for children. These cover triage, measuring and recording vital signs, weights in kilograms, medicine doses, and pediatric instruments. Hospitals must provide annual staff training, including clinical simulations using pediatric instruments suited to staff licenses, and annual emergency drills. Each hospital must name a licensed doctor, physician assistant, nurse, or paramedic to oversee these policies and ensure staff follow them. Florida’s health care agency must also set minimum pediatric care standards, including immediate access to child-specific equipment and supplies, in consultation with the state’s emergency medical services program for children.

Emergency plans must include children and newborns

Beginning July 1, 2026, hospital emergency management plans must address children’s and newborns’ needs and be updated annually. Plans must cover evacuation transportation, shelter, postdisaster power, food, water, transportation, supplies, staffing, and emergency equipment. They must also cover patient identification, transferring records, and answering families’ questions. The local emergency management agency must allow review by state health, elderly affairs, health care administration, and emergency management agencies, plus appropriate volunteer groups. It must finish its review within 60 days and either approve the plan or require revisions.

Public scores show children’s emergency readiness

Beginning July 1, 2026, hospital pediatric-care coordinators must complete the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment on the project’s schedule. Hospitals may use the project’s Open Assessment in years without the regular assessment. The Florida Center for Health Information and Transparency must collect overall scores by December 31, 2026, and each later assessment-year December 31. It must publish each emergency department’s score by April 1, 2027, and each April 1 following later assessment years, comparing it with the national average when available. The center must also collect and publish no more than one Open Assessment score per hospital yearly, comparing it with that department’s most recently published regular assessment score.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Vanessa Oliver

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee

    Affiliation unavailable

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 145 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/11/2026

Senate Floor Vote

Yes: 36 • No: 0

House vote • 1/15/2026

House Floor Vote

Yes: 109 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Chapter No. 2026-105

    5/26/2026

  2. Approved by Governor

    5/22/2026

  3. Signed by Officers and presented to Governor

    5/11/2026

  4. Ordered enrolled

    3/11/2026House

  5. In Messages

    3/11/2026House

  6. CS passed; YEAS 36 NAYS 0 -SJ 752

    3/11/2026Senate

  7. Read 3rd time -SJ 752

    3/11/2026Senate

  8. Read 2nd time -SJ 752

    3/11/2026Senate

  9. Substituted for CS/SB 68 -SJ 752

    3/11/2026Senate

  10. Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading

    3/11/2026Senate

  11. Withdrawn from Fiscal Policy -SJ 752

    3/11/2026Senate

  12. Received

    1/22/2026Senate

  13. Referred to Fiscal Policy

    1/16/2026Senate

  14. In Messages

    1/15/2026Senate

  15. CS passed; YEAS 109, NAYS 0

    1/15/2026House

  16. Read 3rd time

    1/15/2026House

  17. Added to Third Reading Calendar

    1/15/2026House

  18. Read 2nd time

    1/15/2026House

  19. 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)

    1/13/2026House

  20. 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

    1/13/2026House

  21. Bill added to Special Order Calendar (1/15/2026)

    1/12/2026House

  22. Bill released to House Calendar

    12/11/2025House

  23. Reported out of Health & Human Services Committee

    12/11/2025House

  24. Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee

    12/11/2025House

  25. Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda

    12/4/2025House

Bill Text

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