HB 285 Summary

• Creates section 381.989 of Florida Statutes to establish a voluntary community health worker certification program administered by Department of Health-approved third-party credentialing entities.

• Defines a community health worker as a frontline health care worker serving medically underserved communities who provides liaison services, health advocacy, disease prevention education, and care coordination.

• Requires approved credentialing entities to establish professional standards, develop core competency examinations, maintain ethics codes and disciplinary procedures, and establish a publicly accessible database of certified workers and their violations.

• Mandates a community health worker advisory committee with at least 8 and no more than 15 members, including at least 2 Department of Health representatives and 5 representatives from the Florida Community Health Worker Coalition.

• Requires third-party credentialing entities to offer grandfathering for at least 15 months after program implementation, with certification costs for grandfathered workers not to exceed $50.