Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1246
Ì943756HÎ943756
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/04/2026 .
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The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education (Davis)
recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (3)
6 and subsection (10) of section 1009.8962, Florida Statutes, are
7 redesignated as paragraphs (c) and (d) and subsection (11),
8 respectively, a new paragraph (b) is added to subsection (3) of
9 that section, a new subsection (10) is added to that section,
10 and subsection (2), present paragraph (c) of subsection (3),
11 subsection (5), paragraph (a) of subsection (6), paragraph (d)
12 of subsection (8), and paragraph (b) of subsection (9) of
13 section 1009.8962, Florida Statutes, are amended, to read:
14 1009.8962 Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE)
15 Fund.—
16 (2) Recognizing that the state has a persistent and growing
17 nursing shortage and shortages in other related health science
18 professions, it is the intent of the Legislature to address this
19 critical workforce need by incentivizing collaboration between
20 nursing and health science education programs and health care
21 partners through the establishment of the LINE Fund. This fund
22 is intended to meet local, regional, and state workforce demand
23 by recruiting faculty and clinical preceptors, increasing the
24 capacity of high-quality nursing and health science education
25 programs as outlined in the State Board of Education’s Career
26 and Technical Education Health Science curriculum framework, and
27 increasing the number of nursing and health science education
28 program graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce.
29 (3) As used in this section, the term:
30 (b) “Health science” means a program that prepares
31 graduates to provide direct patient care or diagnostic services
32 that advance patient care in a health care setting as defined in
33 s. 408.802, that are outlined in the State Board of Education’s
34 Career and Technical Education Health Science curriculum
35 framework, and that is identified by the Department of Education
36 pursuant to subsection (10).
37 (d)(c) “Student” means a person who is a resident for
38 tuition purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 and enrolled in a
39 nursing education program at an institution or in a health
40 science education degree or certificate program at an
41 institution that is part of the State Board of Education’s
42 Career and Technical Education Health Science curriculum
43 framework.
44 (5) Subject to available funds, for every dollar
45 contributed to an institution by a health care partner, the fund
46 shall provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
47 institution. Subject to available funds, the fund may also
48 provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
49 institution for every dollar contributed to an institution or
50 its direct-support organization by an individual or entity that
51 does not meet the definition of a health care partner, provided
52 the contribution supports an eligible purpose of the LINE Fund.
53 Contributions from health care partners shall receive priority
54 when awarding matching funds to institutions.
55 (6)(a) Funds may be used for student scholarships,
56 recruitment of additional faculty and students, equipment,
57 facility renovation or remodeling, and simulation centers to
58 advance high-quality nursing and health science education
59 programs throughout the state.
60 (8) The Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
61 applicable, must review and evaluate each completed and timely
62 submitted proposal according to the following minimum criteria:
63 (d) How the funds will expand the institution’s nursing and
64 health science education programs to meet local, regional, or
65 state workforce demands. If applicable, this shall include
66 advanced education nursing programs and how the funds will
67 increase the number of faculty and clinical preceptors and
68 planned efforts to utilize the clinical placement process
69 established in s. 14.36.
70 (9)
71 (b) Annually, by February 1, each institution awarded grant
72 funds in the previous fiscal year shall submit a report to the
73 Board of Governors or Department of Education, as applicable,
74 that demonstrates the expansion as outlined in the proposal and
75 the use of funds. At minimum, the report must include, by
76 program level, the number of additional nursing and other
77 applicable health science education students enrolled; if
78 scholarships were awarded using grant funds, the number of
79 students who received scholarships and the average award amount;
80 and the outcomes of students as reported by the Office of
81 Reimagining Education and Career Help pursuant to s.
82 14.36(3)(l).
83 (10)(a) The Department of Education shall serve as the lead
84 entity for identifying and maintaining health science education
85 programs eligible for participation in the LINE Fund.
86 (b) In carrying out this subsection, the department shall
87 apply the State Board of Education’s Career and Technical
88 Education Health Science curriculum framework as the basis for
89 determining program eligibility.
90 (c) No later than October 1, 2026, the department shall
91 compile and publish an initial list of LINE-eligible health
92 science programs. In developing the list, the department shall:
93 1. Compile the current Career and Technical Education
94 Health Science pathways and programs;
95 2. Identify aligned health science programs offered
96 through:
97 a. District technical colleges and career centers; and
98 b. Florida College System institutions offering career and
99 technical education-aligned health science certificates and
100 degrees;
101 3. Establish and apply alignment criteria, including
102 credential type and applicable licensure or certification
103 outcomes; and
104 4. Publish and maintain an approved list of LINE-eligible
105 health science programs for use in administering the LINE Fund.
106 (d) The department shall review and update the list
107 annually to reflect updates to the Career and Technical
108 Education Health Science curriculum framework and changes to
109 eligible program offerings.
110 (e) The Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help
111 (REACH) shall provide to the department workforce and labor
112 market demand data, including information on statewide and
113 regional health care workforce shortages, projected job growth,
114 and occupational demand, to support data-informed prioritization
115 of LINE funding. The REACH office may not determine program
116 eligibility.
117 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
118
119 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
120 And the title is amended as follows:
121 Delete everything before the enacting clause
122 and insert:
123 A bill to be entitled
124 An act relating to the Linking Industry to Nursing
125 Education Fund; amending s. 1009.8962, F.S.; providing
126 that the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund
127 was established for shortages in health science
128 professions in addition to nursing; defining the term
129 “health science”; revising the definition of the term
130 “student”; authorizing the fund to match certain
131 contributions if funds are available; revising how
132 funds may be used; designating the Department of
133 Education as the lead entity for identifying programs
134 eligible for LINE funding; requiring the department to
135 use the State Board of Education’s Career and
136 Technical Education Health Science curriculum
137 framework to determine eligibility; requiring the
138 department to compile and publish a list of eligible
139 programs by a specified date; requiring the department
140 to review and update the list annually; requiring the
141 Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help to
142 provide specified data to the department; prohibiting
143 the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help
144 from determining eligibility; providing an effective
145 date.