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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — New rules for Florida nursing homes after 14 people died from heat exposure in an unpowered center after Hurricane Irma are moving slowly.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that after the deaths, Gov. Rick Scott announced nursing homes and assisted living facilities had to install generators within 60 days and have enough fuel to run them for 96 hours. The penalty for noncompliance was a $1,000 per day fine, along with being listed on a released list. That was struck down after industry groups sued.
New, more lenient January rules from Scott are still awaiting Legislature approval. These requirements will include nursing homes and assisted living facilities having generator access and submitting plans on how to keep facilities at or below 81 degrees in case of power loss.
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Information from: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), http://www.tampabay.com.
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