Florida SB 2516E: Higher Education

Bill Text

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2516-E

By Senator Harrell

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to higher education; amending s. 2
464.0195, F.S.; establishing the Florida Center for 3
Nursing within the University of South Florida; 4
requiring the center to administer the Linking 5
Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund; requiring 6
the center to promote certain funds and provide 7
technical assistance during a specified timeframe; 8
requiring the center to develop certain guidelines and 9
make them publicly available on its website; providing 10
requirements for the administration of LINE funds; 11
amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; providing that a specified 12
fee waiver applies to a student’s out-of-pocket 13
expenses for tuition and fees after other aid is 14
applied; deleting a requirement for a state university 15
to report and disburse certain waived fees; deleting a 16
requirement for disbursement; amending s. 1009.8962, 17
F.S.; providing that the LINE Fund was established for 18
shortages in health science professions in addition to 19
nursing; defining terms; requiring that the LINE Fund 20
be administered by the Florida Center for Nursing 21
within the University of South Florida, rather than 22
the Board of Governors and the Department of 23
Education; providing that funding is subject to 24
approval of an application by the center; authorizing 25
the fund to match certain contributions if funds are 26
available; revising how funds may be used; providing 27
exceptions to certain prohibitions on the use of 28
funds; revising requirements for a proposal for LINE 29

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2516-E

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funds submitted by an institution; providing that 30
proposals for related health science programs may not 31
be prioritized over nursing programs; revising 32
requirements for the center to evaluate submitted 33
proposals; authorizing the center to prioritize 34
certain grant applications; requiring the center to 35
notify each applicant of its determination; defining 36
terms; requiring an institution with an approved 37
proposal to certify the health care partner’s 38
contribution in a specified manner; authorizing the 39
center to award funds for up to 3 academic years; 40
requiring institutions awarded grant funds to submit 41
an annual report by a certain date to the center 42
instead of the Board of Governors or the Department of 43
Education; providing that the Department of Education 44
is the lead entity for identifying and maintaining 45
which health science programs are eligible for LINE 46
funds; requiring the department to compile and publish 47
a list of eligible programs by a specified date; 48
requiring the department to review and update the list 49
annually; requiring the Office of Reimagining 50
Education and Career Help to provide specified data to 51
the department; deleting a requirement for the Board 52
of Governors to adopt regulations and the State Board 53
of Education to adopt rules; providing an effective 54
date. 55
56
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 57
58

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2516-E

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Section 1. Section 464.0195, Florida Statutes, is amended 59
to read: 60
464.0195 Florida Center for Nursing; goals.— 61
(1) There is established within the University of South 62
Florida the Florida Center for Nursing to address issues of 63
supply and demand for nursing, including issues of recruitment, 64
retention, and utilization of resources that support the state’s 65
nursing nurse workforce resources. The Legislature finds that 66
the center will repay the state’s investment by providing an 67
ongoing strategy for the allocation of the state’s resources 68
directed towards nursing. 69
(2) The primary goals for the center shall be to: 70
(a) Develop a strategic statewide plan for nursing manpower 71
in this state by: 72
1. Conducting a statistically valid biennial data-driven 73
gap analysis of the supply and demand of the health care 74
workforce. The center shall: 75
a. Establish and maintain a database on nursing supply and 76
demand in the state, to include current supply and demand. 77
b. Analyze the current and future supply and demand in the 78
state and the impact of this state’s participation in the Nurse 79
Licensure Compact under s. 464.0095. 80
2. Developing recommendations to increase nurse faculty and 81
clinical preceptors, support nurse faculty development, and 82
promote advanced nurse education. 83
3. Developing best practices in the academic preparation 84
and continuing education needs of qualified nurse educators, 85
nurse faculty, and clinical preceptors. 86
4. Collecting data on nurse faculty, employment, 87

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