Committee advances bill to centralize care-provider background screenings at AHCA
January 26, 2026 | 2026 Legislature FL, Florida
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TALLAHASSEE
The Senate Health Policy Committee voted to report SB 1168 favorably as a committee substitute, advancing legislation to centralize background screening for care providers at the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Sponsor Senator Grahl told the committee that eight specified agencies currently perform separate screening processes and that consolidating screening at AHCA would reduce duplication and cost: "Currently there are 200 positions across all specified agencies that assist in processing background screenings and AHCA would only need 60 new positions to handle the entire workload presently managed by those 200 positions" (SEG 222 SEG 225).
An amendment (barcode 266302) adopted in committee cited sections of Florida statute to make clear that screenings for qualified entities must include sealed and expunged records when that is required for appropriate determinations (SEG 241 SEG 251).
Members asked about fiscal and operational capacity. Senator Sarah Davis asked whether AHCA could handle the workload with the proposed 60 new positions; the sponsor pointed to a $4.5 million appropriation in the analysis and AHCA performance metrics and offered to provide additional details (SEG 264 SEG 283). Several education and provider representatives waived in support.
The bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute; the transcript does not include a full roll-call list of how every member voted in the record beyond the clerk's announcement that it was reported favorably.
Next steps: SB 1168 will proceed to the Senate calendar for additional committee and floor consideration.
The Senate Health Policy Committee voted to report SB 1168 favorably as a committee substitute, advancing legislation to centralize background screening for care providers at the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Sponsor Senator Grahl told the committee that eight specified agencies currently perform separate screening processes and that consolidating screening at AHCA would reduce duplication and cost: "Currently there are 200 positions across all specified agencies that assist in processing background screenings and AHCA would only need 60 new positions to handle the entire workload presently managed by those 200 positions" (SEG 222 SEG 225).
An amendment (barcode 266302) adopted in committee cited sections of Florida statute to make clear that screenings for qualified entities must include sealed and expunged records when that is required for appropriate determinations (SEG 241 SEG 251).
Members asked about fiscal and operational capacity. Senator Sarah Davis asked whether AHCA could handle the workload with the proposed 60 new positions; the sponsor pointed to a $4.5 million appropriation in the analysis and AHCA performance metrics and offered to provide additional details (SEG 264 SEG 283). Several education and provider representatives waived in support.
The bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute; the transcript does not include a full roll-call list of how every member voted in the record beyond the clerk's announcement that it was reported favorably.
Next steps: SB 1168 will proceed to the Senate calendar for additional committee and floor consideration.
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