Title: Gardiner Scholarship

Summary: Revising the meaning of a rare disease within the definition of a "disability" for purposes of the Gardiner Scholarship Program, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to the Gardiner Scholarship; amending s. 1002.385, F.S.; revising the meaning of a rare disease within the definition of a  disability  for purposes of the Gardiner Scholarship Program; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section 1002.385, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1002.385 The Gardiner Scholarship.  (2) DEFINITIONS. As used in this section, the term: (d) Disability  means, for a 3-or 4-year-old child or for a student in kindergarten to grade 12, autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association; cerebral palsy, as defined in s. 393.063(6); Down syndrome, as defined in s. 393.063(15); an intellectual disability, as defined in s. 393.063(24); Phelan-McDermid syndrome, as defined in s. 393.063(28); Prader-Willi syndrome, as defined in s. 393.063(29); spina bifida, as defined in s. 393.063(40); being a high-risk child, as defined in s. 393.063(23)(a); muscular dystrophy; Williams syndrome; a rare disease, a disorder that affects diseases which affect patient populations of fewer than 200,000 individuals or fewer in the United States, as defined by the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, Pub. L. No. 97-414 National Organization for Rare Disorders;anaphylaxis; deaf; visually impaired; traumatic brain injured; hospital or homebound; or identification as dual sensory impaired, as defined by rules of the State Board of Education and evidenced by reports from local school districts. The term  hospital or homebound  includes a student who has a medically diagnosed physical or psychiatric condition or illness, as defined by the state board in rule, and who is confined to the home or hospital for more than months. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.