The Florida Senate

The bill creates a pathway for health care practitioners to continue providing services under a temporary certificate issued by the Board of Medicine, Board of Osteopathic Medicine, or Board of Nursing in a location that later loses its “area of critical need” designation.

The bill authorizes certain health care practitioners practicing in areas of critical need, including allopathic physicians and physician assistants, osteopathic physicians and physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses, to continue providing primary care services in such an area after it loses that designation, under certain circumstances.

If an area of critical need loses its designation and the certificateholder has established an active primary care treatment relationship there with one or more patients, he or she may continue providing primary care services in that area under the certificate. Continued practice is limited to the geographic area, population, or facility where the certificateholder was already treating patients.

Under current law, the Board of Medicine, Board of Osteopathic Medicine, or Board of Nursing, as applicable, must review each temporary certificateholder at least annually to ensure compliance with the applicable practice act and related rules. Under the bill, if an area of critical need loses its designation, the applicable board must determine that all other requirements remain satisfied before reauthorizing the affected certificateholder to continue primary care practice under the certificate.

If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor's signature, these provisions take effect upon becoming law.

Vote: Senate 34-0; House 110-0