TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Legislation requiring assisted living facilities in Florida to have backup power sources is headed to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk.
The House approved the bill Friday after it passed the state Senate earlier in the week. It would require facilities to have a generator capable of keeping facilities at 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) or colder for at least four days.
The state’s Agency for Health Care Administration says there are 2,951 assisted living facilities in Florida.
The rule was originally issued by Scott and AHCA after nursing home residents died in a sweltering South Florida nursing home following Hurricane Irma. A state administrative judge sided last October with nursing homes that had challenged the tight deadlines.
Scott is expected to sign the bill. A separate rule mandating backup power at nursing homes passed on Monday.
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