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HB0081 • 2026

Postsurgical Recovery Homes

Postsurgical Recovery Homes

Crime Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Robinson, F. ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Campbell
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Postsurgical Recovery Home Safety Act

This law creates licensing rules and safety standards for facilities that care for patients recovering from surgery or medical procedures.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires a license to operate any postsurgical recovery home.
  • Sets minimum staffing levels, including at least one nurse onsite or on-call 24 hours a day.
  • Mandates specific staff-to-patient ratios of 1:8 during the day and 1:6 at night.
  • Requires background checks for owners and staff before issuing a license.
  • Requires proof of general liability and medical malpractice insurance.
  • Sets safety standards including emergency power supplies, ADA-compliant rooms, and proper medical waste disposal.
  • Mandates written hurricane evacuation plans and contracts with nearby hospitals for emergencies.
  • Establishes civil fines up to $10,000 per violation or license suspension for breaking the rules.
  • Makes operating without a license a third-degree felony.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Owners and operators of postsurgical recovery homes
  • Patients recovering from surgery in these facilities
  • The Agency for Health Care Administration

Terms To Know

Postsurgical recovery home
A licensed residential facility providing short-term, nonacute care to patients after medical or surgical procedures.
Recovery plan
A written care plan developed with a surgeon that outlines necessary postoperative care.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Specific training standards and inspection protocols will be decided later by agency rules.
  • The bill does not specify exact hours of training required, only the topics staff must know.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee

  2. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  3. 2025-10-14 House

    • Referred to Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee • Referred to Health Care Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Health & Human Services Committee • Now in Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee

  4. 2025-10-03 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Postsurgical Recovery Homes; Provides legislative findings & intent, & licensure requirements; provides minimum standards, prohibited acts, & rulemaking procedures.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 81 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb81-00
Page 1 of 5
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to postsurgical recovery homes; 2
creating part XII of ch. 400, F.S., entitled 3
"Postsurgical Recovery Home Safety Act"; creating s. 4
400.9991, F.S.; providing a short title; creating s. 5
400.9992, F.S.; providing legislative findings and 6
intent; creating s. 400.9993, F.S.; providing 7
definitions; creating s. 400.9994, F.S.; providing 8
licensure requirements; creating s. 400.9995, F.S.; 9
providing minimum standards; creating s. 400.9996, 10
F.S.; prohibiting certain acts; creating s. 400.9997, 11
F.S.; providing penalties; creating s. 400.9998, F.S.; 12
requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to 13
adopt rules; providing an effective date. 14
15
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
17
Section 1. Part XII of chapter 400, Florida Statutes, 18
consisting of ss. 400.9991 through 400.9998, Florida Statutes, 19
is created and entitled "Postsurgical Recovery Home Safety Act." 20
Section 2. Section 400.9991, Florida Statutes, is created 21
to read: 22
400.9991 Short title.—Sections 400.9991-400.9998 may be 23
cited as the "Postsurgical Recovery Home Safety Act." 24
Section 3. Section 400.9992, Florida Statutes, is created 25

HB 81 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

to read: 26
400.9992 Legislative findings and intent.—The Legislature 27
finds that unregulated facilities providing care to patients 28
recovering from surgical or medical procedures present risks to 29
patient safety, health, and well-being. It is the intent of the 30
Legislature to establish clear standards, licensing 31
requirements, and oversight for such facilities to ensure the 32
safe recovery of patients and to prevent confusion with 33
addiction recovery residences. 34
Section 4. Section 400.9993, Florida Statutes, is created 35
to read: 36
400.9993 Definitions.—As used in this part, the term: 37
(1) "Agency" means the Agency for Health Care 38
Administration. 39
(2) "Patient" means an individual admitted to a 40
postsurgical recovery home following a medical or surgical 41
procedure. 42
(3) "Postsurgical recovery home" means a licensed 43
residential facility providing short-term, nonacute care and 44
support to patients recovering from surgical or medical 45
procedures, that is staffed with licensed healthcare 46
professionals. 47
(4) "Recovery plan" means a written care plan developed in 48
coordination with the patient's surgeon or medical provider 49
outlining necessary postoperative care. 50

HB 81 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Section 5. Section 400.9994, Florida Statutes, is created 51
to read: 52
400.9994 Licensure.— 53
(1) A person or an entity must be licensed by the agency 54
to operate a postsurgical recovery home. 55
(2) An applicant for licensure must submit all of the 56
following: 57
(a) Proof of compliance with all facility safety 58
standards. 59
(b) Criminal background checks for all owners and staff. 60
(c) Proof of general liability and medical malpractice 61
insurance. 62
(3) The agency shall inspect each postsurgical recovery 63
home before issuing a license and annually thereafter. 64
Section 6. Section 400.9995, Florida Statutes, is created 65
to read: 66
400.9995 Minimum standards for postsurgical recovery 67
homes.— 68
(1)(a) At least one licensed practical nurse or registered 69
nurse must be onsite or on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 70
(b) All staff must be trained in cardiopulmonary 71
resuscitation, basic wound care, and postoperative care 72
procedures. 73
(2) The ratio of staff-to-patients must be maintained as 74
follows: 75

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

(a) Daytime: 1 to 8. 76
(b) Nighttime: 1 to 6. 77
(3) Facility safety standards must include all of the 78
following: 79
(a) Patient rooms and bathrooms must comply with the 80
Americans with Disabilities Act. 81
(b) Emergency power supply for critical equipment. 82
(c) Proper disposal of medical waste. 83
(4) Each facility must maintain: 84
(a) Written hurricane evacuation and disaster response 85
plans. 86
(b) Contracts with nearby hospitals for emergency 87
transfers. 88
(5) Each facility shall provide a patient, the patient's 89
family, or any other person acting on behalf of the patient 90
with: 91
(a) A written service agreement before admission. 92
(b) Access to a copy of the recovery plan. 93
(c) The visitor access policy to prevent isolation. 94
Section 7. Section 400.9996, Florida Statutes, is created 95
to read: 96
400.9996 Prohibited acts.—It is unlawful to: 97
(1) Operate a postsurgical recovery home without a 98
license. 99
(2) Advertise a facility as a postsurgical recovery home 100

HB 81 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

without a license. 101
(3) Provide patient care without adequately trained on-102
duty staff. 103
Section 8. Section 400.9997, Florida Statutes, is created 104
to read: 105
400.9997 Penalties.— 106
(1) Any person or entity that violates this part is 107
subject to: 108
(a) A civil fine of up to $10,000 per violation. 109
(b) Immediate suspension or revocation of license. 110
(2) Any person or entity that operates a postsurgical 111
recovery home without a license commits a felony of the third 112
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 113
775.084. 114
Section 9. Section 400.9998, Florida Statutes, is created 115
to read: 116
400.9998 Rulemaking.—The agency shall adopt necessary 117
rules to implement this part, including, but not limited to, 118
licensing application and renewal procedures, inspection 119
protocols, and training standards for staff. 120
Section 10. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 121