FL H0975

Expands background screening requirements under s. 456.0135 to numerous additional health care professions including acupuncturists, optometrists, pharmacists, dentists, dental hygienists, midwives, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors, among others; practitioners licensed before July 1, 2025, must comply by their next license renewal after that date.

Creates a "person with lived experience" certification (s. 420.6241) for individuals with current or past homelessness experience seeking to provide homeless support services, with a tailored background screening that disqualifies applicants for felonies within the preceding 3 years and for specific serious offenses (e.g., murder, sexual battery, kidnapping, child abuse) regardless of time elapsed.

Adds new disqualifying offenses to Level 2 background screening standards (s. 435.04), including failure to report child abuse (s. 39.205), fraud (s. 414.39), human trafficking (s. 787.06), human smuggling (s. 787.07), poisoning food or water (s. 859.01), sale of human organs/tissue (s. 873.01), written threats (s. 836.10), and counterfeit prescription blanks (s. 831.311).

Reduces the waiting period for exemptions from disqualification for felonies from 3 years to 2 years after completing confinement, supervision, or court-imposed conditions, and removes "civil judgment" from the list of amounts that must be paid in full before exemption eligibility.

Appropriates $250,000 in nonrecurring funds from the Medical Quality Assurance Trust Fund to the Department of Health for implementation, with most provisions effective July 1, 2025, and certain sections (lived experience certification, Level 2 screening changes, exemption revisions, athletic coach screening date change) effective July 1, 2024.