Florida SB 254: Nursing Education Programs

Bill Text

254 
Nursing Education Programs 
2026-02-27T06:08:18Z 
Requiring applicants for nurse licensure seeking to take the licensing examination more than 6 months after graduation to first complete a remedial course approved or developed by the Board of Nursing; requiring the Department of Health to issue temporary provisional licenses to graduate professional nurses and graduate practical nurses meeting certain criteria; revising application requirements for nursing education program approval; requiring the Florida Center for Nursing to develop graduate nursing preceptorship standards by a specified date; authorizing agents or employees of the department to conduct onsite evaluations and inspections of approved and accredited nursing education programs, etc. 
Committee Substitute 1 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
c1 

 Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 254 

 By the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; 
 and Senator Harrell 

 603-03211-26 2026254c1 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to nursing education programs; 
 3 amending s. 464.008, F.S.; requiring applicants for 
 4 nurse licensure seeking to take the licensing 
 5 examination more than 6 months after graduation to 
 6 first complete a remedial course approved or developed 
 7 by the Board of Nursing; requiring the board to 
 8 develop the course in consultation with the Florida 
 9 Center for Nursing and make it available on its 
 10 website for free to applicants experiencing hardship; 
 11 requiring the Department of Health to issue temporary 
 12 provisional licenses to graduate professional nurses 
 13 and graduate practical nurses meeting certain 
 14 criteria; specifying requirements for the temporary 
 15 provisional license; providing that temporary 
 16 provisional licensees may practice only under direct 
 17 supervision and subject to a written protocol with a 
 18 registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, as 
 19 applicable; requiring the board to adopt rules; 
 20 amending s. 464.019, F.S.; revising application 
 21 requirements for nursing education program approval; 
 22 specifying preceptorship requirements; requiring the 
 23 Florida Center for Nursing to develop graduate nursing 
 24 preceptorship standards by a specified date; requiring 
 25 the board to incorporate the standards into rule; 
 26 authorizing the board to consider certain adverse 
 27 actions in determining program approval; requiring 
 28 program directors to notify the board of certain 
 29 adverse actions within a specified timeframe; 
 30 requiring the board to deny a program’s application 
 31 under certain circumstances; authorizing the board to 
 32 investigate the nature of a certain adverse action and 
 33 take specified actions; clarifying that an approved 
 34 program’s director is responsible for submitting 
 35 certain annual reports to the board; requiring the 
 36 board to terminate a program under certain 
 37 circumstances; providing penalties for program 
 38 directors found to be in violation of specified 
 39 provisions; revising remediation procedures for 
 40 approved programs with graduate passage rates that do 
 41 not meet specified requirements; subjecting program 
 42 directors of approved programs to specified 
 43 disciplinary action under certain circumstances; 
 44 deleting a provision authorizing the board to extend a 
 45 program’s probationary status; authorizing agents or 
 46 employees of the department to conduct onsite 
 47 evaluations and inspections of approved and accredited 
 48 nursing education programs; authorizing the department 
 49 to collect evidence as part of such evaluations and 
 50 inspections; deeming the failure or refusal of a 
 51 program to allow such evaluation or inspection a 
 52 violation of a legal obligation; requiring program 
 53 directors to ensure that graduate passage rates are 
 54 conspicuously posted on their program’s website; 
 55 revising rulemaking authority of the board; deleting a 
 56 provision authorizing approved nursing education 
 57 programs to request an extension to meet the board’s 
 58 accreditation requirements; amending s. 464.022, F.S.; 
 59 providing construction; providing an effective date. 
 60 
 61 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 62 
 63 Section 1. Present subsections (3) and (4) of 464.008, 
 64 Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4) and (5), 
 65 respectively, a new subsection (3) and subsection (6) are added 
 66 to that section, and subsection (1) of that section is 
 67 republished, to read: 
 68 464.008 Licensure by examination.— 
 69 (1) Any person desiring to be licensed as a registered 
 70 nurse or licensed practical nurse shall apply to the department 
 71 to take the licensure examination. The department shall examine 
 72 each applicant who: 
 73 (a) Has completed the application form and remitted a fee 
 74 set by the board not to exceed $150 and has remitted an 
 75 exam