FL H7045

Creates section 296.42, F.S. requiring the Department of Veterans' Affairs to contract for a study determining the need for new state veterans' nursing homes and appropriate counties for their location.

Study must rank counties using seven criteria: distance to nearest existing state veterans' nursing home, number of veterans age 65+, presence of federal Veterans' Health Administration facilities, emergency health care elements, existing community nursing home beds per 1,000 males age 65+, accredited educational institutions offering health care programs, and county poverty rate.

Department shall use study rankings to select sites for new nursing homes authorized before July 1, 2020, with approval from the Governor and Cabinet, selecting the highest-ranked county without an existing veterans' nursing home.

Department must use the 2014 Site Selection Study for any new nursing home authorized before November 1, 2015, subject to Governor and Cabinet approval.

Department shall contract for updated studies by November 1, 2019, and every 4 years thereafter; act takes effect July 1, 2015.