Andrew Powell
The House has unanimously passed a measure that seeks to enhance the screening, prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots.
Jacksonville Republican Rep. Dean Black presented the bill (HB 1421), also known as the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, and explained how the legislation came about.
“Following the tragic death of 23-year-old Emily Adkins, the Florida Legislature unanimously passed Senate Bill 612, which created the first-in-the-nation blood clot and pulmonary embolism work group to study and make recommendations,” Black said, adding that subsequent recommendations are reflected in his bill.
Black said VTEs affect an estimated 900,000 Americans each year, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths, the majority of which are due to sudden death from pulmonary embolism (PE). He added that one in four people who have PE die without warning.
“More people die from PE in the United States each year than from breast cancer, AIDS and motor vehicle accidents all combined,” Black said. “PEs are a leading cause of death in women during and following pregnancy, and blood clots are a leading cause of death too in people with cancer.”
Black added that these numbers are only estimates because currently there is no systematic collection of VTE related morbidity or mortality data in the United States or in the world.
The bill will require by July 1, 2026, that each hospital emergency department shall report to a statewide registry.
Certified nursing assistants in nursing homes would receive training on recognizing the signs and symptoms of VTEs and emergency response techniques, and residents would also be given information on VTE risks and symptoms.
“This will lead the nation in collecting meaningful data that will shape research and policy for many decades to come, and it will save lives in Florida and all over the world,” Black said.
The bill would further require the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to submit a detailed report on July 1, 2026, on the incidence of VTEs using inpatient and outpatient data from July 1, 2024, through to June 30, 2025, to the Legislature and the Governor.
The House adopted an amendment that conforms the bill to its Senate companion (SB 890) sponsored by Jacksonville Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough. The amendment further adds race and ethnicity to data collection to better understand the prevalence of VTEs within certain groups.
“This bill will address patient safety and will require hospitals to develop and implement policies and procedures for persons at risk of forming blood clots using a nationally recognized risk assessment tool,” Black said.
