Senate Bill 1012 (2026) — Inmate services
SB 1012
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1012 By Senator Yarborough 4-00769A-26 20261012__ Page 1 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to inmate services; amending s. 2 945.215, F.S.; requiring that funds from the 3 Contractor-Operated Institutions Inmate Welfare Trust 4 Fund be used exclusively for specified provisions; 5 amending s. 945.6041, F.S.; providing legislative 6 intent; revising the term “health care provider” to 7 “community health care provider” and revising its 8 definition; providing
definitions; revising 9 compensation for the provision of inmate medical 10 services by certain providers; providing an exemption; 11 requiring a Medicaid health care provider to provide 12 inmate patients with reasonable access to adequate 13 medical services; revising compensation for the 14 provision of inmate emergency medical transportation 15 services; reenacting s. 944.72(1), F.S., relating to 16 the Contractor-Operated Institutions Inmate Welfare 17 Trust Fund, to incorporate the amendment made to s. 18 945.215, F.S., in a reference thereto; providing 19 effective dates. 20 21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22 23
Section 1. Paragraph (
b) of subsection (3) of
section 24 945.215, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 25 945.215 Inmate welfare and employee benefit trust funds.— 26
(3) CONTRACTOR-OPERATED INSTITUTIONS INMATE WELFARE TRUST 27 FUND; CONTRACTOR-OPERATED CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.— 28 (b)1. The net proceeds derived from inmate canteens, 29
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1012 4-00769A-26 20261012__ Page 2 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. vending machines used primarily by inmates, telephone 30 commissions, and similar sources at contractor-operated 31 correctional facilities shall be deposited in the Contractor-32 Operated Institutions Inmate Welfare Trust Fund. 33 2. Funds in the Contractor-Operated Institutions Inmate 34 Welfare Trust Fund must be used exclusively to provide for or 35 operate any of the following at contractor-operated correctional 36 facilities: 37 a.
Programs to aid inmates’ reintegration into society. 38 b. Environmental health upgrades to facilities, including 39 fixed capital outlay for repairs and maintenance that would 40 improve environmental conditions of the correctional facilities. 41 3.2. Funds in the Contractor-Operated Institutions Inmate 42 Welfare Trust Fund shall be expended only pursuant to 43 legislative appropriation. 44
Section 2. Effective October 1, 2026,
section 945.6041, 45 Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 46 945.6041 Compensation for inmate emergency and specialty 47 medical services.— 48
(1) The department relies on community health care 49 providers to provide emergency and specialty medical services to 50 incarcerated inmates which cannot be provided by health care 51 staff inside a state correctional institution. The department 52 has experienced a substantial increase in inmate health care 53 costs. Accordingly, it is the intent of the Legislature that 54 inmates committed to the custody of the department have adequate 55 access to emergency or other necessary specialty medical 56 services at rates that are cost-effective for the state. 57 (2)
(1) As used in this section, the term: 58
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1012 4-00769A-26 20261012__ Page 3 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (b)(a) “Emergency medical transportation services” 59 includes, but is not limited to, services rendered by 60 ambulances, emergency medical services vehicles, and air 61 ambulances as those terms are defined in s. 401.23. 62 (a)(b) “Community health care provider” means: 63 1. A hospital licensed under
chapter 395. 64 2. A physician or physician assistant licensed under 65
chapter 458. 66 3. An osteopathic physician or physician assistant licensed 67 under
chapter 459. 68 4. A podiatric physician licensed under
chapter 461. 69 5. An autonomous advanced practice registered nurse 70 licensed under
chapter 464. 71 6.5. A health maintenance organization certificated under 72
part I of
chapter 641. 73 7.6. An ambulatory surgical center licensed under
chapter 74 395. 75 8.7. A professional association, partnership, corporation, 76 joint venture, or other association established by the 77 individuals set forth in subparagraphs 2., 3., and 4. for 78 professional activity. 79 9.8. An other medical facility. 80 a. As used in this subparagraph, the term “other medical 81 facility” means: 82 (
I) A facility the primary purpose of which is to provide 83 human medical diagnostic services, or a facility providing 84 nonsurgical human medical treatment which discharges patients on 85 the same working day that the patients are admitted; and 86 (II) A facility that is not part of a hospital. 87
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1012 4-00769A-26 20261012__ Page 4 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. b.
The term does not include a facility existing for the 88 primary purpose of performing terminations of pregnancy, or an 89 office maintained by a physician or dentist for the practice of 90 medicine. 91 (c) “Inmate medical services” includes, but is not limited 92 to, services rendered by a community health care provider to an 93 inmate. 94 (d) “Medicaid allowable rate” means the amount that the 95 Agency for Health Care Administration would reimburse a Medicaid 96 provider, as defined by s. 409.901, for Medicaid-covered 97 services delivered through the fee-for-service program. 98 (e) “Secure unit” means a designated space, approved by the 99 department, where the department can safely and efficiently 100 manage and secure inmates who are receiving medical services 101 from a community health care provider. 102 (3)
(2) Compensation to a community health care provider for 103 the provision of to provide inmate medical services may not 104 exceed 110 percent of the Medicaid Medicare allowable rate if 105 the health care provider does not have a contract to provide 106 services with the department or the contractor-operated 107 correctional facility, as defined in s. 944.710, which houses 108 the inmate. However, a community health care provider is exempt 109 from this
section and may negotiate compensation above the 110 Medicaid allowable rate if the community health care provider 111 enters into an agreement with the department, a comprehensive 112 health care services vendor, or a contractor-operated 113 correctional facility, as defined in s. 944.710, to provide 114 medical services to inmates in a secure unit within the 115 community health care provider’s medical facility, within a 116
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1012 4-00769A-26 20261012__ Page 5 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. correctional institution or facility, or by telehealth in 117 accordance with s. 456.47 if such inmates are within the 118 correctional institution or facility when they receive such 119 medical services. 120
(4) In addition to the Medicaid provider agreement 121 requirements established in s. 409.907 to participate in a 122 Medicaid supplemental funding program and to remain in good 123 standing with the Medicaid program, a Medicaid community health 124 care provider shall provide inmate patients with reasonable 125 access to adequate medical services, including emergency and 126 specialty care services. compensation to a health care provider 127 may not exceed 125 percent of the Medicare allowable rate if: 128 (
a) The health care provider does not have a contract to 129 provide services with the department or the contractor-operated 130 correctional facility, as defined in s. 944.710, which houses 131 the inmate; and 132 (
b) The health care provider reported a negative operating 133 margin for the previous year to the Agency for Health Care 134 Administration through hospital-audited financial data. 135 (5)
(3) Compensation to an entity to provide emergency 136 medical transportation services for inmates may not exceed 110 137 percent of the Medicaid Medicare allowable rate if the entity 138 does not have a contract with the department or a contractor-139 operated correctional facility, as defined in s. 944.710, to 140 provide the services. 141 (6)
(4) This
section does not apply to charges for medical 142 services provided at a hospital operated by the department. 143
Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 144 made by this act to
section 945.215, Florida Statutes, in a 145
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1012 4-00769A-26 20261012__ Page 6 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. reference thereto, subsection (1) of
section 944.72, Florida 146 Statutes, is reenacted to read: 147 944.72 Contractor-Operated Institutions Inmate Welfare 148 Trust Fund.— 149
(1) There is hereby created in the Department of 150 Corrections the Contractor-Operated Institutions Inmate Welfare 151 Trust Fund. The purpose of the trust fund shall be the benefit 152 and welfare of inmates incarcerated in contractor-operated 153 correctional facilities under contract with the department 154 pursuant to this
chapter or
chapter 957. Moneys shall be 155 deposited in the trust fund and expenditures made from the trust 156 fund as provided in s. 945.215. 157