Fla. Stat. 381.0056
School health services program

(1)

This section may be cited as the “School Health Services Act.”

(2)

As used in this section, the term:“Emergency health needs” means onsite evaluation, management, and aid for illness or injury pending the student’s return to the classroom or release to a parent, guardian, designated friend, law enforcement officer, or designated health care provider.“Entity” or “health care entity” means a unit of local government or a political subdivision of the state; a hospital licensed under chapter 395; a health maintenance organization certified under chapter 641; a health insurer authorized under the Florida Insurance Code; a community health center; a migrant health center; a federally qualified health center; an organization that meets the requirements for nonprofit status under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; a private industry or business; or a philanthropic foundation that agrees to participate in a public-private partnership with a county health department, local school district, or school in the delivery of school health services, and agrees to the terms and conditions for the delivery of such services as required by this section and as documented in the local school health services plan.“Invasive screening” means any screening procedure in which the skin or any body orifice is penetrated.“Physical examination” means a thorough evaluation of the health status of an individual.“School health services plan” means the document that describes the services to be provided, the responsibility for provision of the services, the anticipated expenditures to provide the services, and evidence of cooperative planning by local school districts and county health departments.“Screening” means presumptive identification of unknown or unrecognized diseases or defects by the application of tests that can be given with ease and rapidity to apparently healthy persons.

(a)

“Emergency health needs” means onsite evaluation, management, and aid for illness or injury pending the student’s return to the classroom or release to a parent, guardian, designated friend, law enforcement officer, or designated health care provider.

(b)

“Entity” or “health care entity” means a unit of local government or a political subdivision of the state; a hospital licensed under chapter 395; a health maintenance organization certified under chapter 641; a health insurer authorized under the Florida Insurance Code; a community health center; a migrant health center; a federally qualified health center; an organization that meets the requirements for nonprofit status under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; a private industry or business; or a philanthropic foundation that agrees to participate in a public-private partnership with a county health department, local school district, or school in the delivery of school health services, and agrees to the terms and conditions for the delivery of such services as required by this section and as documented in the local school health services plan.

(c)

“Invasive screening” means any screening procedure in which the skin or any body orifice is penetrated.

(d)

“Physical examination” means a thorough evaluation of the health status of an individual.

(e)

“School health services plan” means the document that describes the services to be provided, the responsibility for provision of the services, the anticipated expenditures to provide the services, and evidence of cooperative planning by local school districts and county health departments.

(f)

“Screening” means presumptive identification of unknown or unrecognized diseases or defects by the application of tests that can be given with ease and rapidity to apparently healthy persons.

(3)

The Department of Health shall have the responsibility, in cooperation with the Department of Education, to supervise the administration of the school health services program and perform periodic program reviews. However, the principal of each school shall have immediate supervisory authority over the health personnel working in the school.

(4)(a)

Each county health department shall develop, jointly with the district school board and the local school health advisory committee, a school health services plan. The plan must include, at a minimum, provisions for all of the following:
Health appraisal;
Records review;
Nurse assessment;
Nutrition assessment;
A preventive dental program;
Vision screening;
Hearing screening;
Scoliosis screening;
Growth and development screening;
Health counseling;
Referral and followup of suspected or confirmed health problems by the local county health department;
Meeting emergency health needs in each school;
County health department personnel to assist school personnel in health education curriculum development;
Referral of students to appropriate health treatment, in cooperation with the private health community whenever possible;
Consultation with a student’s parent or guardian regarding the need for health attention by the family physician, dentist, or other specialist when definitive diagnosis or treatment is indicated;
Maintenance of records on incidents of health problems, corrective measures taken, and such other information as may be needed to plan and evaluate health programs; except, however, that provisions in the plan for maintenance of health records of individual students must be in accordance with s. 1002.22;
Health information which will be provided by the school health nurses, when necessary, regarding the placement of students in exceptional student programs and the reevaluation at periodic intervals of students placed in such programs;
Notification to the local nonpublic schools of the school health services program and the opportunity for representatives of the local nonpublic schools to participate in the development of the cooperative health services plan; and
A reasonable attempt to notify a student’s parent, guardian, or caregiver before the student is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity to be taken to a receiving facility for an involuntary examination pursuant to s. 394.463, including and subject to the requirements and exceptions established under ss. 1002.20(3) and 1002.33(9), as applicable. For purposes of this subparagraph, “a reasonable attempt to notify” means the exercise of reasonable diligence and care by the principal or the principal’s designee to make contact with the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact whom the student’s parent or guardian has authorized to receive notification of an involuntary examination. At a minimum, the principal or the principal’s designee must take the following actions:
Use available methods of communication to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, including but not limited to, telephone calls, text messages, e-mails, and voice mail messages following the decision to initiate an involuntary examination of the student.
Document the method and number of attempts made to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, and the outcome of each attempt.

A principal or his or her designee who successfully notifies any other known emergency contact may share only the information necessary to alert such contact that the parent or caregiver must be contacted. All such information must be in compliance with federal and state law.

Each school health advisory committee must, at a minimum, include members who represent the eight component areas of the Coordinated School Health model as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School health advisory committees are encouraged to address the eight components of the Coordinated School Health model in the school district’s school wellness policy pursuant to s. 1003.453.

(4)(a)

Each county health department shall develop, jointly with the district school board and the local school health advisory committee, a school health services plan. The plan must include, at a minimum, provisions for all of the following:Health appraisal;Records review;Nurse assessment;Nutrition assessment;A preventive dental program;Vision screening;Hearing screening;Scoliosis screening;Growth and development screening;Health counseling;Referral and followup of suspected or confirmed health problems by the local county health department;Meeting emergency health needs in each school;County health department personnel to assist school personnel in health education curriculum development;Referral of students to appropriate health treatment, in cooperation with the private health community whenever possible;Consultation with a student’s parent or guardian regarding the need for health attention by the family physician, dentist, or other specialist when definitive diagnosis or treatment is indicated;Maintenance of records on incidents of health problems, corrective measures taken, and such other information as may be needed to plan and evaluate health programs; except, however, that provisions in the plan for maintenance of health records of individual students must be in accordance with s. 1002.22;Health information which will be provided by the school health nurses, when necessary, regarding the placement of students in exceptional student programs and the reevaluation at periodic intervals of students placed in such programs;Notification to the local nonpublic schools of the school health services program and the opportunity for representatives of the local nonpublic schools to participate in the development of the cooperative health services plan; andA reasonable attempt to notify a student’s parent, guardian, or caregiver before the student is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity to be taken to a receiving facility for an involuntary examination pursuant to s. 394.463, including and subject to the requirements and exceptions established under ss. 1002.20(3) and 1002.33(9), as applicable. For purposes of this subparagraph, “a reasonable attempt to notify” means the exercise of reasonable diligence and care by the principal or the principal’s designee to make contact with the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact whom the student’s parent or guardian has authorized to receive notification of an involuntary examination. At a minimum, the principal or the principal’s designee must take the following actions:
Use available methods of communication to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, including but not limited to, telephone calls, text messages, e-mails, and voice mail messages following the decision to initiate an involuntary examination of the student.
Document the method and number of attempts made to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, and the outcome of each attempt.

A principal or his or her designee who successfully notifies any other known emergency contact may share only the information necessary to alert such contact that the parent or caregiver must be contacted. All such information must be in compliance with federal and state law.

1. Health appraisal;
2. Records review;
3. Nurse assessment;
4. Nutrition assessment;
5. A preventive dental program;
6. Vision screening;
7. Hearing screening;
8. Scoliosis screening;
9. Growth and development screening;
10. Health counseling;
11. Referral and followup of suspected or confirmed health problems by the local county health department;
12. Meeting emergency health needs in each school;
13. County health department personnel to assist school personnel in health education curriculum development;
14. Referral of students to appropriate health treatment, in cooperation with the private health community whenever possible;
15. Consultation with a student’s parent or guardian regarding the need for health attention by the family physician, dentist, or other specialist when definitive diagnosis or treatment is indicated;
16. Maintenance of records on incidents of health problems, corrective measures taken, and such other information as may be needed to plan and evaluate health programs; except, however, that provisions in the plan for maintenance of health records of individual students must be in accordance with s. 1002.22;
17. Health information which will be provided by the school health nurses, when necessary, regarding the placement of students in exceptional student programs and the reevaluation at periodic intervals of students placed in such programs;
18. Notification to the local nonpublic schools of the school health services program and the opportunity for representatives of the local nonpublic schools to participate in the development of the cooperative health services plan; and
19. A reasonable attempt to notify a student’s parent, guardian, or caregiver before the student is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity to be taken to a receiving facility for an involuntary examination pursuant to s. 394.463, including and subject to the requirements and exceptions established under ss. 1002.20(3) and 1002.33(9), as applicable. For purposes of this subparagraph, “a reasonable attempt to notify” means the exercise of reasonable diligence and care by the principal or the principal’s designee to make contact with the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact whom the student’s parent or guardian has authorized to receive notification of an involuntary examination. At a minimum, the principal or the principal’s designee must take the following actions:a. Use available methods of communication to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, including but not limited to, telephone calls, text messages, e-mails, and voice mail messages following the decision to initiate an involuntary examination of the student.b. Document the method and number of attempts made to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, and the outcome of each attempt.A principal or his or her designee who successfully notifies any other known emergency contact may share only the information necessary to alert such contact that the parent or caregiver must be contacted. All such information must be in compliance with federal and state law.
a. Use available methods of communication to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, including but not limited to, telephone calls, text messages, e-mails, and voice mail messages following the decision to initiate an involuntary examination of the student.
b. Document the method and number of attempts made to contact the student’s parent, guardian, or other known emergency contact, and the outcome of each attempt.

(b)

Each school health advisory committee must, at a minimum, include members who represent the eight component areas of the Coordinated School Health model as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School health advisory committees are encouraged to address the eight components of the Coordinated School Health model in the school district’s school wellness policy pursuant to s. 1003.453.

(5)

A nonpublic school may request to participate in the school health services program. A nonpublic school voluntarily participating in the school health services program shall:Cooperate with the county health department and district school board in the development of the cooperative health services plan;Make available adequate physical facilities for health services;Provide inservice health training to school personnel;Cooperate with public health personnel in the implementation of the school health services plan;Be subject to health service program reviews by the Department of Health and the Department of Education;At the beginning of each school year, provide parents and guardians with information concerning ways that they can help their children to be physically active and to eat healthful foods; andAt the beginning of each school year, inform parents or guardians in writing that their children who are students in the school will receive specified health services as provided for in the district health services plan. A student will be exempt from any of these services if his or her parent or guardian requests such exemption in writing. This paragraph shall not be construed to authorize invasive screening; if there is a need for such procedure, the consent of the student’s parent or guardian shall be obtained in writing prior to performing the screening. However, the laws and rules relating to contagious or communicable diseases and sanitary matters shall not be violated.

(a)

Cooperate with the county health department and district school board in the development of the cooperative health services plan;

(b)

Make available adequate physical facilities for health services;

(c)

Provide inservice health training to school personnel;

(d)

Cooperate with public health personnel in the implementation of the school health services plan;

(e)

Be subject to health service program reviews by the Department of Health and the Department of Education;

(f)

At the beginning of each school year, provide parents and guardians with information concerning ways that they can help their children to be physically active and to eat healthful foods; and

(g)

At the beginning of each school year, inform parents or guardians in writing that their children who are students in the school will receive specified health services as provided for in the district health services plan. A student will be exempt from any of these services if his or her parent or guardian requests such exemption in writing. This paragraph shall not be construed to authorize invasive screening; if there is a need for such procedure, the consent of the student’s parent or guardian shall be obtained in writing prior to performing the screening. However, the laws and rules relating to contagious or communicable diseases and sanitary matters shall not be violated.

(6)

The district school board shall:Include health services and health education as part of the comprehensive plan for the school district;Provide inservice health training for school personnel;Make available adequate physical facilities for health services;At the beginning of each school year, provide parents and guardians with information concerning ways that they can help their children to be physically active and to eat healthful foods; andAt the beginning of each school year, inform parents or guardians in writing that their children who are students in the district schools will receive specified health services as provided for in the district health services plan. A student will be exempt from any of these services if his or her parent or guardian requests such exemption in writing. This paragraph shall not be construed to authorize invasive screening; if there is a need for such procedure, the consent of the student’s parent or guardian shall be obtained in writing prior to performing the screening. However, the laws and rules relating to contagious or communicable diseases and sanitary matters shall not be violated.

(a)

Include health services and health education as part of the comprehensive plan for the school district;

(b)

Provide inservice health training for school personnel;

(c)

Make available adequate physical facilities for health services;

(d)

At the beginning of each school year, provide parents and guardians with information concerning ways that they can help their children to be physically active and to eat healthful foods; and

(e)

At the beginning of each school year, inform parents or guardians in writing that their children who are students in the district schools will receive specified health services as provided for in the district health services plan. A student will be exempt from any of these services if his or her parent or guardian requests such exemption in writing. This paragraph shall not be construed to authorize invasive screening; if there is a need for such procedure, the consent of the student’s parent or guardian shall be obtained in writing prior to performing the screening. However, the laws and rules relating to contagious or communicable diseases and sanitary matters shall not be violated.

(7)

The Department of Health, in cooperation with the Department of Education, may adopt rules necessary to implement this section. The rules may include standards and requirements for developing school health services plans, conducting school health screening, meeting emergency health needs, maintaining school health records, and coordinating with education programs for exceptional students.

(8)

In the absence of negligence, no person shall be liable for any injury caused by an act or omission in the administration of school health services.

(9)

Any health care entity that provides school health services under contract with the department pursuant to a school health services plan developed under this section, and as part of a school nurse services public-private partnership, is deemed to be a corporation acting primarily as an instrumentality of the state solely for the purpose of limiting liability pursuant to s. 768.28(5). The limitations on tort actions contained in s. 768.28(5) shall apply to any action against the entity with respect to the provision of school health services, if the entity is acting within the scope of and pursuant to guidelines established in the contract or by rule of the department. The contract must require the entity, or the partnership on behalf of the entity, to obtain general liability insurance coverage, with any additional endorsement necessary to insure the entity for liability assumed by its contract with the department. The Legislature intends that insurance be purchased by entities, or by partnerships on behalf of the entity, to cover all liability claims, and under no circumstances shall the state or the department be responsible for payment of any claims or defense costs for claims brought against the entity or its subcontractor for services performed under the contract with the department. This subsection does not preclude consideration by the Legislature for payment by the state of any claims bill involving an entity contracting with the department pursuant to this section.

Source: Section 381.0056 — School health services program, https://www.­flsenate.­gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0381.­0056 (accessed Aug. 7, 2025).

381.001
Public health system 381.002
Grant of title to prescriptive medical personal property to client 381.003
Communicable disease and AIDS prevention and control 381.004
HIV testing 381.005
Primary and preventive health services 381.006
Environmental health 381.008
Definitions of terms used in ss 381.009
Toilets required by department regulations 381.0011
Duties and powers of the Department of Health 381.0012
Enforcement authority 381.0016
County and municipal regulations and ordinances 381.0018
Application for and acceptance of gifts or grants 381.0019
Disposition of equipment and material 381.0021
Client welfare accounts 381.0022
Sharing confidential or exempt information 381.026
Florida Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities 381.028
Adverse medical incidents 381.0031
Epidemiological research 381.0034
Requirement for instruction on HIV and AIDS 381.0035
Educational course on HIV and AIDS 381.0038
Education 381.0039
Oversight of AIDS education programs 381.0041
Donation and transfer of human tissue 381.0042
Patient care for persons with HIV infection 381.0043
Blood Donor Protection Act 381.0045
Targeted outreach for pregnant women 381.0046
Statewide HIV and AIDS prevention campaign 381.0051
Family planning 381.0052
Dental health 381.0053
Comprehensive nutrition program 381.0055
Confidentiality and quality assurance activities 381.0056
School health services program 381.0057
Funding for school health services 381.0059
Background screening requirements for school health services personnel 381.0061
Administrative fines 381.0062
Supervision 381.0063
Drinking water funds 381.0064
Continuing education program for installation and use of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems 381.0065
Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems 381.0066
Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems 381.0067
Corrective orders 381.0072
Food service protection 381.74
Establishment and maintenance of a central registry 381.75
Duties and responsibilities of the department 381.0075
Regulation of body-piercing salons 381.76
Eligibility for the brain and spinal cord injury program 381.78
Advisory council on brain and spinal cord injuries 381.79
Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program Trust Fund 381.0081
Permit required to operate a migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing 381.82
Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program 381.0082
Application for permit to operate migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing 381.0083
Permit for migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing 381.84
Comprehensive Statewide Tobacco Education and Use Prevention Program 381.0084
Application fees for migrant labor camps and residential migrant housing 381.0085
Revocation of permit to operate migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing 381.86
Institutional Review Board 381.0086
Rules 381.0087
Enforcement 381.88
Emergency allergy treatment 381.0088
Right of entry 381.89
Regulation of tanning facilities 381.91
Jessie Trice Cancer Prevention Program 381.93
Breast and cervical cancer early detection program 381.95
Medical facility information maintained for terrorism response purposes 381.96
Pregnancy support and wellness services 381.98
The Florida Public Health Institute, Inc. 381.0098
Biomedical waste 381.99
Rare Disease Advisory Council 381.0101
Environmental health professionals 381.0201
Technical and support services 381.0202
Laboratory services 381.0203
Pharmacy services 381.0204
Vital statistics 381.0205
Emergency medical services 381.0261
Summary of patient’s bill of rights 381.0303
Special needs shelters 381.00315
Public health advisories 381.00316
Discrimination by governmental and business entities based on health care choices 381.00318
Complaints and investigations regarding mandate prohibitions 381.00319
Prohibition on mask mandates and vaccination and testing mandates for educational institutions 381.00321
The right of medical conscience of health care providers and health care payors 381.00322
International health organization policies 381.402
Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education Program 381.0402
Area health education center network 381.0405
Office of Rural Health 381.0406
Rural health networks 381.00591
Department of Health 381.00593
Public school volunteer health care practitioner program 381.0601
Self-derived and directed-donor blood programs 381.00651
Periodic evaluation and assessment of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems 381.00655
Connection of existing onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems to central sewerage system 381.735
Office of Minority Health and Health Equity 381.739
Short title 381.745
Definitions 381.755
Benefits not assignable 381.765
Retention of title to and disposal of equipment 381.00771
Definitions of terms used in ss 381.00773
Application of ss 381.775
Applicant and recipient records 381.00775
Tattoo artists 381.00777
Tattoo establishments 381.00779
Practice requirements 381.00781
Fees 381.00783
Grounds for discipline 381.00785
Criminal penalties 381.785
Recovery of third-party payments for funded services 381.00787
Tattooing prohibited 381.00789
Rulemaking 381.00791
Local laws and ordinances 381.814
Sickle Cell Disease Research and Treatment Grant Program 381.815
Sickle-cell program 381.825
Education and public awareness relating to Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia 381.853
Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research 381.875
Enhanced potential pandemic pathogen research prohibited 381.885
Epinephrine auto-injectors 381.887
Emergency treatment for suspected opioid overdose 381.00893
Complaints by aggrieved parties 381.895
Standards for compressed air used for recreational diving 381.00895
Prohibited acts 381.00896
Nondiscrimination 381.00897
Access to migrant labor camps and residential migrant housing 381.911
Prostate Cancer Awareness Program 381.915
Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program 381.922
William G. “Bill” Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research Program 381.925
Cancer Center of Excellence Award 381.931
Annual report on Medicaid expenditures 381.932
Breast cancer early detection and treatment referral program 381.933
Mammography reports 381.981
Health awareness campaigns 381.982
Short title 381.983
Definitions 381.984
Educational programs 381.985
Screening program 381.986
Medical use of marijuana 381.987
Public records exemption for personal identifying information relating to medical marijuana held by the department 381.988
Medical marijuana testing laboratories 381.989
Public education campaigns 381.991
Andrew John Anderson Pediatric Rare Disease Grant Program 381.02035
Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program 381.4015
Florida health care innovation 381.4018
Physician workforce assessment and development 381.4019
Dental Student Loan Repayment Program 381.4021
Student loan repayment programs reporting 381.04065
Rural health network cooperative agreements 381.06014
Blood establishments 381.06015
Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank 381.06016
Umbilical cord blood awareness 381.7351
Short title 381.7352
Legislative intent 381.7353
Reducing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: Closing the Gap grant program 381.7354
Eligibility 381.7355
Project requirements 381.7356
Local matching funds 381.7395
Legislative intent 381.8531
Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research 381.9312
Uterine fibroid research database 381.9315
Gynecologic and ovarian cancer education and awareness 381.9855
Dr. and Mrs. Alfonse and Kathleen Cinotti Health Care Screening and Services Grant Program 381.40195
Donated Dental Services Program 381.92201
Exemptions from public records and public meetings requirements

Current through Fall 2025

§ 381.0056. Sch. health services program's source at flsenate​.gov