A proposed House bill that would establish a statewide tracking and treatment registry for blood clots in Florida is closer to becoming law.

In a hearing before the House Professions and Programs Subcommittee, testimony became emotional as the measure’s sponsor, Jacksonville Republican Rep. Dean Black, detailed why the state needs to approve the bill (HB 1421).

“Nowhere on earth is there any central registry, no concerted study for academia of the field of medicine, to learn how we can improve on this,” Black said. “You (House members on the subcommittee) will start in motion something that exists nowhere in this nation. … You will save lives year after year.”

The subcommittee voted unanimously to approve the bill, which has three more stops before reaching the floor.

Black has named the bill the “Emily Adkins Family Protection Act.” The measure would reflect recommendations by the Blood Clot and Pulmonary Embolism Policy Workgroup that was established as a result of the Emily Adkins Prevention Act enacted by the Legislature in 2023.

That panel concluded that the state should establish a statewide registry for blood clots, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism reports within the Department of Health. The proposed registry would serve as a catalog to keep data on demographics such as age, gender and ZIP codes of Floridians who are suffering from blood clots who live independently or in assisted care facilities.

The measures are named after Emily Adkins, who died at the age of 23 following a blood clot that resulted from a broken ankle in 2023.

Adkins’ mother, Janet Adkins, a former state Representative, spoke at the committee hearing Thursday and often wiped away tears as she urged the passing of the measure.

“By lending your name to this bill, you’re making a difference,” she said.

Doug Adkins, Emily’s father, also addressed the committee.

“This is preventable,” said Doug Adkins, who owns two assisted living facilities in Florida.

“If we can get the frontline staff to simply identify when you’ve got a serious problem emerging, we’re going to save lives. The rest of the country is watching what Florida does. They’re all keenly aware of this blood clot working report and I can tell you this legislation is the first in the nation that will take the step to make sure we’re preserving lives.”

The legislation next heads to the House Government Operations Subcommittee.

A similar bill is winding through the Senate. Sen. Clay Yarborough, a Jacksonville Republican, is sponsoring a virtually identical measure (SB 890) to the House bill.

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A bill to lift financial barriers for breast cancer exams for state employees garnered bipartisan support during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.

Sen. Lori Berman’s bill (SB 158) would waive additional copays, deductibles and other cost-sharing requirements if patients need to get follow-up appointments.

The measure, which is now headed to the Senate floor, is meant to encourage people to continue to get testing and not get bogged down by out-of-pocket costs, since a delay could be a matter of life or death. 

Staff analysis warned that the state’s fiscal impact would be significant.

“The Division of State Group Insurance within the Department of Management Services estimates the bill will have an estimated fiscal impact of $3.6 million annually in increased claim costs to state health plans due to the elimination of cost sharing and a projected increase in utilization,” the analysis said.

Meanwhile, the breast cancer statistics are staggering.

“In 2025 alone, more than 23,000 Floridians will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 3,000 will die of the disease,” said Berman, who is a cancer survivor. “We as a Legislature must take measures to reduce the overall cost of the health care system, and ensuring breast cancer is detected at the earliest possible stage will be a cost and life-saving measure.”

Other lawmakers praised Berman, a Boynton Beach Democrat, for pushing the bill again after it advanced in the Senate last year but died in the House.

“I know you’ve worked on this for a long time, and I’m so happy that it’s moving,” said Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky. “As a sister survivor with you, I am so proud of how hard you’ve worked on this. It’s so important that women follow up. If they get that initial diagnosis and they don’t follow up, then what’s the point?”

Polsky called it a small but important step to eliminate the extra out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic and supplemental breast exams for state employees. “Maybe we’ll get to everyone soon,” she said.

Thursday’s vote means the bill has cleared its two assigned committees and is ready for a second reading on the floor.

Democratic Sen. Barbara Sharief, who works in the medical field and is a Family Nurse Practitioner, supported the bill Thursday.

“When you have screenings and you have preventative care, your outcomes are better,” she said.

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Sen. Corey Simon hosted the Rural Counties Day Planning Committee at the state Capitol in Tallahassee to celebrate Florida’s rural renaissance and showcase how rural communities contribute to the state economy and culture.

The group also honored Senate President Ben Albritton with its inaugural Bobby Payne Florida Rural Counties Advocacy Award, recognizing Albritton’s commitment to serving Florida’s rural counties and spearheading legislation (SB 110) creating a modern-day renaissance in rural communities across Florida.

“As a sixth-generation Floridian and a fourth-generation citrus grower who calls rural Florida home, President Albritton has a unique understanding of the needs of rural communities and an appreciation for all our counties offer to this great state,” said Darryl Register, Executive Director of the Baker County Chamber of Commerce and member of the Rural Counties Day Planning Committee.

“Throughout his years in office, he has consistently stood up for rural communities, but his actions as Senate President have shown what a true champion he is for our counties. He has made addressing the needs of rural Florida a top priority of his presidency and done so in a thoughtful manner that provides us with the support we need to thrive in ways that also preserve what makes our communities special. President Albritton’s actions have proven he is more than deserving of this award.”

Officials from 29 counties participated in the event, with booths and exhibits throughout the Capitol Courtyard showcasing all that rural Florida has to offer. This year’s event was its seventh and the largest to date, with more than 560 registered guests.

“The small communities that make up Rural Florida are strong, proud and resilient,” Simon said. “This annual event provides them with a unique opportunity to showcase not only what makes these counties so special, but why they are so important to our state — from ecotourism to providing fresh food to Florida families — so that lawmakers can better understand their needs and how to support them.”

Simon sponsored SB 110, which requires preference for technical assistance funding for local governments in rural areas. A committee substitute for the legislation cleared the Senate Wednesday, and is awaiting action in the House. Simon said he was “thrilled to welcome” leaders from rural communities, particularly “on the heels” of the bill’s Senate passage, which he said will “create opportunities for rural communities to prosper and grow.”

“It has been an honor to help spearhead this effort in the Senate under the leadership of Senate President Ben Albritton, who has been a steadfast champion for rural Florida in the Legislature,” Simon said.

Counties participating in the 2025 Rural Counties Day include Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties.

Sponsors include Comcast, Columbia County BEDC, Florida’s Electric Cooperatives, Florida Power & Light, Capital City Bank, Charter Communications, Duke Energy, GrantWorks, Immokalee Water & Sewer District, North Florida Professional Services Inc., TECO Energy, Waste Pro of Florida, Woodard & Curran, AdventHealth-Wauchula, DHM Melvin Engineering, The Foundation for Florida Gateway College, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Liberty Partners of Tallahassee LLC, Locklear & Associates, The Mosaic Company, Performance Services, Pitman Engineering, Seminole Electric Cooperative, Clay Electric Cooperative Inc., and the Florida Regional Councils Association.

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