The Florida Community Health Protection Act

     HB 2231 became the vehicle for passage of the Florida Community Health Protection Act, which was initially proposed as HB 1413 sponsored by Representative Rudy Bradley (R) of St. Petersburg and SB 2352 sponsored by Senator Jim Hargrett, Jr. (D), of Tampa. As a result of communication and compromise among diverse stakeholders ranging from community groups to industry, these once controversial environmental justice bills became consensus legislation intended to provide primary public health care access to the poor and people of color living in urban and rural communities. HB 2231 establishes community health pilot projects in the Greenwood Community Health Center in the City of Clearwater; the Miles Health Center in Broward County; the Palafox Redevelopment Area in Escambia County; the Challenge 2001 Area in St. Petersburg; low-income communities in the City of Riviera Beach; and through the Urban League mobile health unit serving Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, and Manatee counties. The community health pilot projects have been established to promote disease prevention and health promotion among the poor and people of color, including Asians, African-Americans, and Latinos living in urban and rural communities. The Department of Health ("DOH") is responsible for overseeing these pilot projects. The funding source for the community health pilot projects is expected to be a combination of state and federal dollars. DOH is required to submit a report to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor on the findings, accomplishments, and recommendations of the pilot projects by January 1, 2002.

Front Porch Florida - CS/CS/SB 1566

     CS/CS/SB 1566 creates the Office of Urban Opportunity within the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. The Governor has reportedly appointed the Director of the Office of Urban Opportunity. The Director is responsible for overseeing implementation of the Front Porch Initiative, an urban redevelopment program. The name of this initiative projects a positive image of hopefully restoring economically depressed and crime ridden urban neighborhoods so that children will be safe playing on their front porch. The working plan for the Front Porch Initiative is to designate three Front Porch Communities this year, and a total of 20 by the year 2002. The Office of Urban Opportunity will serve as a bridge between the Front Porch Communities and economic redevelopment. This program is expected to facilitate the issuance of Inner City Economic Redevelopment Grants; Microcredit Loans; Black Business Investment Loans; and Low Income Rental Housing Tax Credits to urban communities. The Front Porch Initiative also contains components to promote brownfield cleanup, job creation, home ownership, and mentoring programs in urban communities.