HB0161 • 2026

Impact of Perimenopause and Menopause on Women's Health

Healthcare Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Hinson ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Berfield ; Campbell ; Cross ; Eskamani ; Woodson
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official metadata shows conflicting status: it lists 'Passed Legislature' but also states the last action was 'Died in Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee.' The explanation assumes the text provided represents a passed version, as per the summary and effective date included.

Florida Bill on Perimenopause and Menopause Health Information

This bill requires the Florida Department of Health to create a workgroup that develops key messages, sets priorities, and shares public information about perimenopause and menopause.

What This Bill Does

Creates a new policy workgroup focused on perimenopause and menopause within the Department of Health.
Requires the workgroup to develop key messages and set initiative priorities for health efforts.
Directs the creation of public resources, including scientific facts about symptoms and treatments, information on health risks from reduced estrogen, and a printable checklist for doctor visits.
Mandates that all materials be posted on the state's website and made available to the public.
Instructs officials to ensure messages are culturally appropriate and reach diverse communities through trusted messengers.

Who It Names or Affects

The Florida Department of Health
Women experiencing perimenopause or menopause
Medical providers and employers
Community groups such as religious centers, gyms, personal trainers, yoga instructors, hairdressers, and community centers

Terms To Know

Perimenopause: The time before menopause when hormone levels change.
Menopause: A stage in a woman's life related to changes in health and hormones.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): A medical treatment discussed by the workgroup regarding safety for menopausal women.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money will be used for this workgroup or these materials.
It lists many places where information could be shared but uses language like 'including, but not limited to,' meaning it is a list of examples rather than a strict requirement.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2025-10-21 House
• Referred to Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee • Referred to Health Care Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Health & Human Services Committee • Now in Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
2025-10-14 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Impact of Perimenopause and Menopause on Women's Health; Requires DOH to establish perimenopause & menopause policy workgroup; provides requirements for workgroup; requires department, in collaboration with others, to develop & make publicly available information relating to perimenopause & menopause; provides requirements for such information.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 161 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb161-00
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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 bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the impact of perimenopause and 2
menopause on women's health; creating s. 381.995, 3
F.S.; requiring the Department of Health to establish 4
a perimenopause and menopause policy workgroup; 5
providing requirements for the workgroup; requiring 6
the department, in collaboration with others, to 7
develop and make publicly available information 8
relating to perimenopause and menopause; providing 9
requirements for such information; providing an 10
effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
14
Section 1. Section 381.995, Florida Statutes, is created 15
to read: 16
381.995 Perimenopause and menopause workgroup and 17
information.— 18
(1)(a) The Department of Health shall establish a 19
perimenopause and menopause policy workgroup. The workgroup 20
shall: 21
1. Develop key messages relating to perimenopause and 22
menopause. 23
2. Set initiative priorities. 24
3. Ensure, in conjunction with diversity and health equity 25

HB 161 2026

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hb161-00
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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

stakeholders, that initiatives are representative of diverse 26
communities of women and that the messaging resonates, is 27
culturally appropriate, and is delivered by trusted messengers. 28
4. Create a coordinated communications strategy to focus 29
on multiple audiences and use a variety of communications tools 30
to reach: 31
a. Women and men of all ages. 32
b. Employers. 33
c. Medical providers. 34
5. Consider dissemination points for information 35
including, but not limited to, personal trainers, yoga 36
instructors, hairdressers, religious meeting places, and 37
community centers. 38
6. Support efforts to communicate science on safety of 39
hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and nonhormonal therapies in 40
appropriate patients, and their use in improving health for 41
menopausal women. 42
(b) The workgroup shall be composed of health care 43
providers, women who have experienced perimenopause or 44
menopause, advocates, and other interested parties and 45
associations. 46
(2) The Department of Health, in collaboration with the 47
workgroup, the Office of Women's Health, and relevant state 48
agencies, shall develop and make publicly available, by posting 49
on its Internet website, resources and an Internet website link 50

HB 161 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 materials relating to perimenopause and menopause. The 51
resources shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the 52
following: 53
(a) Accurate scientific information on perimenopausal and 54
menopausal symptoms and treatment options. 55
(b) Information on health risks associated with reduced 56
estrogen production and what women should do to stay healthy. 57
(c) A downloadable checklist that can be printed and taken 58
to a clinician visit that details preventive care women need as 59
they reach and move through midlife and provide a set of 60
questions women may wish to ask their clinician. 61
(d) Content adapted from existing clinician-directed 62
menopause materials, other federal Offices of Women's Health, 63
and tools created by patient education and advocacy 64
organizations. 65
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 66