Florida Senior Living Association is consistently in the forefront of public policy issues facing senior living communities. As a member of FSLA, you can expect the association to advocate on your behalf, support and protect the profession, and continuously work to achieve positive changes in the industry.
We work extensively with legislators, their staff, and the executive branch; we develop relationships with stakeholders and the media; and we engage our members in grassroots contacts with their legislators. In today’s fast-paced political and policy climate, you can trust that the association staff is passionate, dedicated, and willing to work tirelessly to influence public policies that best meet your long-term goals and interests.
2021 Legislative Session
The 2021 Florida Legislative Session convenes on March 2, 2021 and adjourns on April 30, 2021.
Committee Weeks are scheduled as follows:
- Week of January 11, 2021
- Week of January 25, 2021
- Week of February 1, 2021
- Week of February 8, 2021
- Week of February 15, 2021
2020 Legislative Overview
The Florida Legislature officially adjourned on March 19; however, many bills were delayed in being sent to the Governor because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the 2020-2021 state fiscal year has begun, Florida Senior Living Association is providing its members a summary of bills that were of interest this past session (with links to the bill and legislative staff analysis and staff summaries). For reference, during the 2020 session, there were 3,518 bills filed, and only 210 passed both chambers.
For the bills that have passed, it is time to get ready for implementation. For the bills that did not pass, there is a good chance you will see them again. Click here to see which statutes all the bills filed proposed to change, with the ones that passed underlined. Learn more.
ALF MODERNIZATION BILL PASSES
CS/CS/HB 767 Modernizes, Empowers and Strengthens Senior Living
Florida Senior Living Association thanks the Florida Legislature for passing CS/CS/HB 767, Assisted Living Facilities. The bill was sponsored in the Florida House of Representatives by Rep. Michael Grant (R-75) and in the Senate by Sen. Gayle Harrell (R-25). The bill provides policy-driven direction that modernizes seniors’ assisted living experience, empowers seniors with stronger consumer protections to better manage their care, and strengthens facilities’ ability to serve seniors as residential models with a heath care overlay in a nationally competitive service industry. The bill received unanimous support from the House (119-0) and the Senate (39-0).
FSLA’s Policy Statement
To the extent allowed by law and consistent with its 501(c) 6 tax-exempt purposes, the role of FSLA in government relations, public policy, and advocacy is to:
- Communicate the association’s position to elected or appointed officials and their staffs in the legislative, judicial and / or executive branches of government at a local, state, or national level;
- Keep members aware of information related to public policy initiatives; and
- Assist policymakers and their staff by providing working knowledge, sharing expertise and serving as a valuable resource to provide accurate and timely information.
FSLA’s ACCOMPLISHMENTS
We strive to create a regulatory environment that maximizes flexibility and allows senior living providers to offer a variety of quality care options and choices to consumers. Regulations should recognize and promote operational excellence in communities throughout the state. We represent our members’ interests at the local, state and federal levels.
- In 2018, FSLA was successful in working with the regulatory agency, the Agency for Health Care Administration, in passing legislation that gives the state more tools to crack down on unlicensed assisted living facilities, reduces regulatory burdens on assisted living providers and reduces litigation impacts from residents’ rights.
- FSLA successfully negotiated reasonable revisions to the proposed emergency generator rule (removed references to resident rights, reduced the amount of fuel storage, reduced the square footage required to be cooled, expanded the implementation date, and inserted a waiver process to go beyond the stated implementation date if necessary).
- In March 2018, FSLA was successful in negotiating the removal of Constitutional Proposal 88 which would have removed the cap on punitive damages and effectively eliminated the use of arbitration agreements in assisted living communities.
- In Fall 2017, FSLA successfully challenged an emergency rule requiring the installation of generators by Nov. 15, 2017.
- In Summer 2017, FSLA filed a challenge to burdensome and costly assisted living operating rules that ultimately resulted in the rules being withdrawn.
- In 2016, we passed state legislation to update a decades’ old fire and life safety code in statute, allowing communities to choose to use newer codes.
- In 2015 and 2016, FSLA worked to update regulations to ensure state agencies do not impose burdensome costs on providers or exceed their jurisdiction when interpreting new laws.
- In 2015, FSLA passed state legislation that brought significant reforms to assisted living communities, including more services for unlicensed staff to assist with self-administration of medications and the ability for nurses in LNS communities to practice to their full scope, among other improvements.
- In 2014, FSLA increased state funding for Medicaid Assistive Care Services by $5 million.
- In 2013 and 2014, FSLA prevented passage of major legislation that would have hit the profession with costly registration fees and fines.
Looking for information about Florida’s regulatory structure for senior living communities? Click here.