CS/HB 1553 amends Florida law governing the uterine fibroid research database. The bill directs the Department of Health to include uterine fibroids in the list of diseases referenced in section 381.0031(4), which is used for disease reporting and related public health purposes. It also keeps the existing privacy protection that bars the database from containing personal identifying information about women diagnosed with or treated for uterine fibroids.
The bill is primarily a public health and data-collection measure. By explicitly adding uterine fibroids to the statutory disease list, it expands the scope of conditions tracked for research, education, and public awareness under Florida’s uterine fibroid research database law. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and affects the Department of Health’s reporting and database administration responsibilities rather than creating a new benefit program or regulatory penalty.
Impact
The bill amends section 381.9312, Florida Statutes, to require the Department of Health to treat uterine fibroids as a listed disease for purposes of the state’s uterine fibroid research database and related public health information systems. It does not authorize collection of personal identifying information and preserves existing confidentiality limits. The practical impact is to improve statewide tracking, research, and awareness of uterine fibroids, which may affect women’s health advocates, researchers, clinicians, and public health administrators.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received very positively. It passed every recorded committee and floor vote unanimously, including 15-0 in the House Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee, 12-0 in the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, 24-0 in the House Health & Human Services Committee, and 116-0 on House third reading. The unanimous votes suggest broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition in the legislative record provided.
Contention
No substantive contention is reflected in the available committee or floor history. The only policy issue apparent from the bill text is the scope of the Department of Health’s disease list and database reporting, but the measure preserves privacy protections and does not expand identifiable data collection. Because there are no transcripts or recorded dissent, no organized opposition or competing viewpoint is evident in the materials provided.