FL H1391

Health care providers must ask parents or legal guardians to provide contact information (mailing address or email) when a child's hearing loss is identified, allowing them to receive information from registered service providers.

Department of Health shall register service providers and institutions that are licensed, approved, or accredited by the Florida Kindergarten Council, Florida Council of Independent Schools, John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program, or Office of Early Learning; other providers require Department of Health approval.

Registered service providers may offer diagnostic and evaluation services, speech and language pathology services, interpretation and auditory amplification, auditory-oral education, certified listening and spoken language specialist services, and other department-approved services.

Parents or legal guardians may request services from registered providers, with service levels determined by the child's individualized education program or individual and family service plan; eligible children may receive services until age 7 or completion of grade 2, whichever occurs first.

Funding allocation for eligible children equals the base student allocation in the Florida Education Finance Program multiplied by the support level V cost factor in the education finance matrix.

Act takes effect July 1, 2013.