House Speaker Paul Renner creates Select Committee on Health Innovation
Underscoring the belief that health care will be a priority issue in the 2024 Legislative Session, House Speaker Paul Renner on Friday announced the creation of the Select Committee on Health Innovation for the upcoming Session and is empowering it to introduce legislation.
Renner’s Friday announcement also included changes to the membership of some of the House’s other standing health care committees.
Rep. Kaylee Tuck, a Republican from Sebring first elected in 2020, will chair the Select Committee on Health Innovation. Rep. Vicki Lopez, a Republican from Coral Gables first elected in 2022, will serve as the vice chair.
Neither lawmaker has extensive legislative experience in health care, their legislative history shows. Tuck served on the House Professions and Public Health Subcommittee under former House Speaker Chris Sprowls.
While Lopez’s legislative experience has been limited, her 2022 financial disclosures show $200,000 in income from the Agape Network Foundation, Inc. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Agape specializes in a comprehensive, integrated healthcare system that addresses the multifaceted health issues experienced by individuals and families today.
According to Renner’s memo, the health care select committee will review “issues relating to access and affordability in health care.”
Meanwhile, Renner made changes to the House Healthcare Regulation Committee, removing former chair and vice chair, Rep. Charles “Chuck” Clemens, and David Borreo, respectively. Rep. Michelle Salzman will now serve as chair and Rep. Kim Berfield will serve as vice chair.
Borrero, meanwhile, was named vice chair of the House Health & Human Services Committee. He replaces Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka who will continue to serve as a member of the committee.
Clemens, though, will not. He wasn’t the only member who served on the panel during the 2023 Session but won’t in 2024.
Renner also removed Reps. Adam Anderson, Ashley Viola Gant, and Alex Rizo from the panel.
He added Rep. Dianne Hart and Select Committee on Health Innovation Chair Tuck to the panel.
While health care wasn’t the dominant issue during the 2023 Session, Renner did make it a priority to expand the number of children in Florida who qualify for a subsidized health insurance program for lower income children in Florida called Florida KidCare. Additionally he made it a priority to increase the rates that physicians were paid for agreeing to see children enrolled in the program.
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