Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 522
       
       
        
       By Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       16-01454-25                                            2025522__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to sickle cell care management and
    3         treatment education; creating s. 456.0311, F.S.;
    4         requiring the applicable licensing boards for
    5         specified health care professions to require a 2-hour
    6         continuing education course on sickle cell disease
    7         care management as part of every second biennial
    8         licensure or certification renewal; specifying
    9         requirements for the course; specifying the procedure
   10         for licensees and certificateholders to submit
   11         confirmation of completing the course; authorizing the
   12         applicable boards to approve additional equivalent
   13         courses to satisfy the requirement; authorizing the
   14         applicable boards to include the course hours in the
   15         total hours of continuing education required for the
   16         applicable profession, with an exception; authorizing
   17         health care practitioners holding two or more licenses
   18         or certificates subject to the course requirement to
   19         show proof of completion of one course to satisfy the
   20         requirement for all such licenses or certificates;
   21         providing for disciplinary action; authorizing the
   22         applicable boards to adopt rules; providing an
   23         effective date.
   24          
   25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   26  
   27         Section 1. Section 456.0311, Florida Statutes, is created
   28  to read:
   29         456.0311 Requirement for instruction on sickle cell
   30  disease.—
   31         (1)(a) The appropriate board shall require each person
   32  licensed or certified under chapter 458, chapter 459, or part I
   33  of chapter 464 to complete a 2-hour continuing education course,
   34  approved by the board, on sickle cell disease care management as
   35  part of every second biennial licensure or certification
   36  renewal. The course must consist of education specific to sickle
   37  cell disease and sickle cell trait, including, but not limited
   38  to, evidence-based treatment protocols for patients of all ages,
   39  continuing patient and family education, periodic comprehensive
   40  evaluations and other disease-specific health maintenance
   41  services, psychosocial care, genetic counseling, and pain
   42  management.
   43         (b) Each licensee or certificateholder must submit
   44  confirmation of having completed such course on a form provided
   45  by the appropriate board when submitting fees for each second
   46  biennial renewal.
   47         (c) The board may approve additional equivalent courses
   48  that may be used to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a).
   49  Each licensing board that requires a licensee to complete an
   50  educational course pursuant to this section may include the
   51  hours required for completion of the course in the total hours
   52  of continuing education required by law for such profession
   53  unless the continuing education requirements for such profession
   54  consist of fewer than 30 hours biennially.
   55         (d) Any person holding two or more licenses subject to the
   56  provisions of this section shall be permitted to show proof of
   57  having taken one board-approved course to satisfy the
   58  requirements of paragraph (a) for purposes of relicensure or
   59  recertification for additional licenses.
   60         (e) Failure to comply with the requirements of this section
   61  constitutes grounds for disciplinary action under each
   62  respective practice act and under s. 456.072(1)(k). In addition
   63  to discipline by the appropriate board, the licensee shall be
   64  required to complete the course required under this section.
   65         (2) Each appropriate board may adopt rules to carry out
   66  this section.
   67         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.