FL S1438

Requires health care practitioners (licensed physicians, osteopathic physicians, and advanced registered nurse practitioners) to offer hepatitis C screening tests to persons born between January 1, 1945, and December 31, 1965, who receive inpatient hospital care, outpatient primary care in hospital settings, or primary care services.

Exempts practitioners from offering the screening test if the person is being treated for a life-threatening emergency, has previously been offered or tested for hepatitis C, or lacks capacity to consent.

Requires practitioners to forward positive screening test results to the patient's primary care provider, who must provide appropriate counseling and follow-up care including a hepatitis C diagnostic test.

Directs the Department of Health to adopt rules for culturally and linguistically appropriate testing procedures and to develop a standard hepatitis C information sheet for use by health care practitioners.

Requires the State Surgeon General to submit a status report on the testing program's effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2017.