Senator Sherry Graw explained Senate Bill 17 36 to the committee as a measure to permit trained direct support professionals and relatives to administer insulin to individuals with developmental disabilities in group home settings.

An amendment clarifying that sliding‑scale insulin therapy and subcutaneous administration via self‑administration devices (including epinephrine) are included was adopted by the committee. The sponsor said the bill is intended to allow individuals to remain in community group homes rather than be moved to nursing facilities when simple medication administration is a barrier to placement.

Several advocacy witnesses supported the bill. Alan Abramowitz, CEO of The Arc of Florida, said the change would help families and avoid institutionalization. Anthony Mancuso testified about his adult son Adam, who is 35 and requires a small insulin injection; Mancuso said the family nearly lost an opportunity to place him in a group home because the home would not accept residents who needed injections delivered by non‑nursing caregivers. Mancuso said his training to use an auto‑injector took only minutes and described the current rule as arbitrary: “It's very simple, 3 minutes,” he said. He later added, “It's wrong. It's wrong.”

Committee members asked whether Medicaid billing or provider status would be affected; the sponsor and members discussed that direct support professionals in group homes are typically not Medicaid providers and that established home‑health provider billing practices would remain for formal Medicaid providers. The sponsor said each group home would establish procedures appropriate to its residents and services.

The amendment was adopted and CS for SB 17 36 was reported favorably by the committee. The transcript records committee adoption of the amendment and a favorable report; a detailed roll call tally is not given in the transcript.