Florida SB 1376: Grants for Genetic Counseling Education

Bill Text

1376 
Grants for Genetic Counseling Education 
2026-01-29T03:29:02Z 
Creating the Genetic Counseling Education Enhancement Grant Program within the State University System; requiring the Board of Governors, subject to legislative appropriation, to award grant funds to state universities for specified purposes; requiring the program to reward excellence among genetic counseling programs based on specified criteria; prohibiting such funds from being used for specified purposes, etc. 
Committee Substitute 1 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
c1 

 Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1376 

 By the Committee on Education Postsecondary; and Senators 
 Burgess, Sharief, and Berman 

 589-02281-26 20261376c1 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to grants for genetic counseling 
 3 education; creating s. 1009.8963, F.S.; creating the 
 4 Genetic Counseling Education Enhancement Grant Program 
 5 within the State University System; providing the 
 6 purpose of the program; requiring the Board of 
 7 Governors, subject to legislative appropriation, to 
 8 award grant funds to state universities for specified 
 9 purposes; requiring the program to reward excellence 
 10 among genetic counseling programs based on specified 
 11 criteria; providing authorized uses of grant funds; 
 12 prohibiting such funds from being used for specified 
 13 purposes; requiring state universities participating 
 14 in the program to maintain specified records; 
 15 requiring such state universities to submit an annual 
 16 report; requiring the Board of Governors to submit an 
 17 annual summary of such reports to the Governor and 
 18 Legislature by a specified date; requiring the Board 
 19 of Governors to adopt regulations; providing an 
 20 effective date. 
 21 
 22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 23 
 24 Section 1. Section 1009.8963, Florida Statutes, is created 
 25 to read: 
 26 1009.8963 The Genetic Counseling Education Enhancement 
 27 Grant Program.— 
 28 (1) The Genetic Counseling Education Enhancement Grant 
 29 Program is created within the State University System to support 
 30 the development, growth, and sustainability of graduate level 
 31 genetic counseling programs accredited by the Accreditation 
 32 Council for Genetic Counseling. The Board of Governors shall 
 33 award competitive grants to state universities to address 
 34 faculty shortages, student financial barriers, and clinical 
 35 training needs in genetic counseling. 
 36 (2) Subject to appropriation, the board shall award funds 
 37 to: 
 38 (a) Establish an accredited program at a state university 
 39 through a one-time start-up grant based upon an application 
 40 submitted in a format prescribed by the board. The application 
 41 must include: 
 42 1. A detailed plan demonstrating how grant funds will be 
 43 used to achieve program accreditation. 
 44 2. The projected outcomes of establishing the program, 
 45 including all of the following: 
 46 a. The anticipated program enrollment. 
 47 b. The plan for hiring and retaining faculty for the 
 48 program. 
 49 c. The anticipated program completion rates. 
 50 d. The anticipated first-time American Board of Genetic 
 51 Counseling board certification examination passage rates. 
 52 e. The anticipated program contributions to the state’s 
 53 genetic counseling workforce. 
 54 3. Documentation demonstrating that the proposed program is 
 55 supported by sufficient clinical training capacity consistent 
 56 with nationally recognized accreditation standards and that the 
 57 proposed growth represents a net increase in statewide training 
 58 opportunities rather than a redistribution of existing 
 59 supervision resources. 
 60 (b) Accredited programs based on program performance 
 61 according to the following metrics: 
 62 1. The number of students completing the genetic counseling 
 63 program. 
 64 2. The first-time American Board of Genetic Counseling, 
 65 Inc., board certification examination passage rate for students 
 66 completing the state university’s genetic counseling program. 
 67 
 68 The program shall reward excellence among genetic counseling 
 69 programs with an average first-time American Board of Genetic 
 70 Counseling, Inc., board certification examination passage rate 
 71 above the national average. 
 72 (3)(a) Grant funds provided through the program must be 
 73 used for: 
 74 1. The recruitment and retention of qualified faculty, 
 75 including, but not limited to, salaries, professional 
 76 development, and incentives. 
 77 2. Financial assistance to students enrolled in the 
 78 accredited program. Such financial assistance must be in the 
 79 form of scholarships that cover tuition, required books and 
 80 materials, and reasonable living expenses. 
 81 3. The establishment and maintenance of clinical rotations 
 82 required for completion of the master’s degree in genetic 
 83 counseling, including partnerships with hea