Topic: People with Disabilities

Lawmakers approve using a strain of low-potency marijuana to treat epilepsy and cancer patients. Gov. Scott says he'll sign the bill.

Proposals requiring gas stations to affix decals alerting persons with disabilities how to get help at the pump is moving in both chambers.

The House Health Family Subcommittee is developing a wide-ranging bill to rescue teen runaways and homeless kids from an underground sex industry. The chair of the committee, Rep. Gayle Harrell, said the cost could be astronomical but she's working on funding a program. "This is a priority of the Speaker," said Harrell.

Lawmakers appear ready to act on a grand jury recommendation to impose tougher regulations on assisted living facilities. And a Senate committee is developing a wide-ranging proposal that includes creating an institute focused on child-abuse prevention and to partner with the state to improve child protection services.

There was little debate except for one lawmaker wondering why a 50-year sentence was chosen. HB 7027 would impose a minimum mandatory sentence of 50 years for a conviction in the sexual assault of a child, disabled person and a senior.

The Senate President and House Speaker say the 2014 session will pass legislation to protect children, the elderly and the disabled. The plan includes reducing the critical-needs waiting list, expanding the Guardian Ad Litem Program, more regulation of ALFs and a scorched-earth policy when it comes to sexual predators. ... Related Research: Dec. 8, 2011 Final Report of the Miami-Dade County Grand Jury.

Mental health first aid is a growing trend in public health care. The idea is to train people to recognize the symptoms of emotional distress and how to direct people to needed services. A proposal in the Legislature would make mental health first aid available in public schools.

Five times the Margate Democrat has introduced a bill mandating insurance companies to pay, without prior authorization, for children to be tested for an autism spectrum disorder and five times the proposal died in committee. Ring is back for his final Senate session and has introduced his autism bill once again. ... Related Research: Oct. 26, 2012 Autism Speaks news release on early intervention strategies.

South Florida man rides bike from Sunny Isles Beach to Tallahassee as part of a fight against autism. Therapy for his daughter has nearly bankrupt Jorge Zighelboim, so now he's looking for help from lawmakers. ... Related Research: change.org Petition to the Florida Senate: Reform Florida's Autism Insurance Mandate.

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities agreed to a proposed settlement, its director says, to avoid paying large legal bills. A hearing has been scheduled in federal court for Nov. 27. Individuals have until the 22nd to submit comments to the court.

SB 248 cleared the Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee on a unanimous vote. It specifies and clarifies responsibilities and obligations for the more than 3,000 facilities providing extended care to elderly and disabled residents. Sen. Eleanor Sobel intends to amend the measure at its next stop to empower AHCA to crack down on unlicensed operators.

An administrative law Judge ruled in favor of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities in a dispute over a new way to calculate payments for services. ... Related Research: Agency for Persons with Disabilities Rule 65G-4.0027 Tier One Waiver, and Sept. 9, 2013 Press release, "Court Rules in Favor of iBudget."

Two years ago the U.S. Department of Justice began investigating why Florida used nursing homes for the elderly to provide services to disabled children. This summer, the feds filed suit saying the civil rights of more than 200 children were being violated. On Friday, Disability Rights Florida joined the lawsuit, saying the state doesn't have a screening process to determine whether the children could be treated at home.

The U.S. Department of Justice is filing suit against Florida and the Agency for Health Care Administration over its alleged failure to address the institutionalization of disabled children in nursing homes, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. ... Related Research: Lawsuit announcement, AHCA response and U.S. Census Bureau information.