Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1246
By Senator Davis
5-01341-26 20261246__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to health science workforce shortages;
3 amending s. 1009.8962, F.S.; revising legislative
4 intent to address workforce needs in health science
5 education programs, in addition to nursing education
6 programs; revising the definition of the term
7 “student”; authorizing the Linking Industry to Nursing
8 Education Fund to be used to match certain
9 contributions; revising how certain funds may be
10 expended; conforming a provision to changes made by
11 the act; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Subsection (2), paragraph (c) of subsection (3),
16 subsection (5), paragraph (a) of subsection (6), paragraph (d)
17 of subsection (8), and paragraph (b) of subsection (9) of
18 section 1009.8962, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
19 1009.8962 Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE)
20 Fund.—
21 (2) Recognizing that the state has a persistent and growing
22 nursing shortage and shortages in other related health science
23 professions, it is the intent of the Legislature to address this
24 critical workforce need by incentivizing collaboration between
25 nursing and health science education programs and health care
26 partners through the establishment of the LINE Fund. This fund
27 is intended to meet local, regional, and state workforce demand
28 by recruiting faculty and clinical preceptors, increasing the
29 capacity of high-quality nursing and health science education
30 programs as outlined in the State Board of Education’s Career
31 and Technical Education Health Science curriculum framework, and
32 increasing the number of nursing and health science education
33 program graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce.
34 (3) As used in this section, the term:
35 (c) “Student” means a person who is a resident for tuition
36 purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 and enrolled in a nursing
37 education or health science education degree or certificate
38 program at an institution that is part of the State Board of
39 Education’s Career and Technical Education Health Science
40 curriculum framework.
41 (5) Subject to available funds, for every dollar
42 contributed to an institution by a health care partner, the fund
43 shall provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
44 institution. Subject to available funds, the fund may also
45 provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
46 institution for every dollar contributed to an institution or
47 its direct support organization by an individual or entity that
48 does not meet the definition of a health care partner, provided
49 the contribution supports an eligible purpose of the fund.
50 Contributions from health care partners shall receive priority
51 when awarding matching funds to institutions.
52 (6)(a) Funds may be used for student scholarships,
53 recruitment of additional faculty and students, equipment,
54 facility renovation or remodeling, and simulation centers to
55 advance high-quality nursing and health science education
56 programs throughout the state.
57 (8) The Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
58 applicable, must review and evaluate each completed and timely
59 submitted proposal according to the following minimum criteria:
60 (d) How the funds will expand the institution’s nursing and
61 health science education programs to meet local, regional, or
62 state workforce demands. If applicable, this shall include
63 advanced education nursing programs and how the funds will
64 increase the number of faculty and clinical preceptors and
65 planned efforts to utilize the clinical placement process
66 established in s. 14.36.
67 (9)
68 (b) Annually, by February 1, each institution awarded grant
69 funds in the previous fiscal year shall submit a report to the
70 Board of Governors or Department of Education, as applicable,
71 that demonstrates the expansion as outlined in the proposal and
72 the use of funds. At minimum, the report must include, by
73 program level, the number of additional nursing and other
74 applicable health science education students enrolled; if
75 scholarships were awarded using grant funds, the number of
76 students who received scholarships and the average award amount;
77 and the outcomes of students as reported by the Office of
78 Reimagining Education and Career Help pursuant to s.
79 14.36(3)(l).
80 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.