FL S0434

Establishes a pilot project (January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021) allowing Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) centers to provide residential treatment for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome as an alternative to hospitalization after stabilization.

Requires PPEC centers participating in the pilot to be private nonprofits with on-call medical directors, transfer agreements with nearby hospitals, and must provide 24-hour nursing care, pharmacologic therapy, parenting education, and referrals to social services.

Limits treatment duration to 6 months per infant and authorizes facilities to require mothers or visitors to undergo drug testing or breast milk testing, with authority for health care professionals to detain infants if mother poses a risk.

Requires the Department of Health to contract with a state university to study treatment outcomes, costs, and neurodevelopmental effects, with results due to the Legislature by June 30, 2020.

Appropriates $200,000 to the Agency for Health Care Administration for implementation and $210,000 to the Department of Health for the university study over two fiscal years.