HB 115 Summary

• Creates Department of Health and Human Services by consolidating the Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Family Services, and Department of Health into a single department.

• Establishes six regional divisions (Northwest, Northeast, Central, Suncoast, Southeast, and Southern regions) with county boundaries matching judicial circuits, each headed by a deputy secretary appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

• Defines 16 program divisions within the new department including Adult Services, Child Care Services, Foster Care Services, Medicaid Services, Mental Health Services, and Substance Abuse Services, among others.

• Creates the Central Office of Investigative Services with an Office of Inspector General to oversee investigations related to child abuse, adult abuse, Medicaid fraud, and health care complaints, with separate regional investigative offices in each region.

• Requires state universities to establish regional policy development and research exchange centers in each of the six regions to review health and human services data and provide recommendations to the department and legislature; effective July 1, 2011.