Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1246
By the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education; and Senator
Davis
608-02522-26 20261246c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Linking Industry to Nursing
3 Education Fund; amending s. 1009.8962, F.S.; providing
4 that the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund
5 was established for shortages in health science
6 professions in addition to nursing; defining the term
7 “health science”; revising the definition of the term
8 “student”; authorizing the fund to match certain
9 contributions if funds are available; revising how
10 funds may be used; designating the Department of
11 Education as the lead entity for identifying programs
12 eligible for LINE funding; requiring the department to
13 use the State Board of Education’s Career and
14 Technical Education Health Science curriculum
15 framework to determine eligibility; requiring the
16 department to compile and publish a list of eligible
17 programs by a specified date; requiring the department
18 to review and update the list annually; requiring the
19 Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help to
20 provide specified data to the department; prohibiting
21 the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help
22 from determining eligibility; providing an effective
23 date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (3)
28 and subsection (10) of section 1009.8962, Florida Statutes, are
29 redesignated as paragraphs (c) and (d) and subsection (11),
30 respectively, a new paragraph (b) is added to subsection (3) of
31 that section, a new subsection (10) is added to that section,
32 and subsection (2), present paragraph (c) of subsection (3),
33 subsection (5), paragraph (a) of subsection (6), paragraph (d)
34 of subsection (8), and paragraph (b) of subsection (9) of
35 section 1009.8962, Florida Statutes, are amended, to read:
36 1009.8962 Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE)
37 Fund.—
38 (2) Recognizing that the state has a persistent and growing
39 nursing shortage and shortages in other related health science
40 professions, it is the intent of the Legislature to address this
41 critical workforce need by incentivizing collaboration between
42 nursing and health science education programs and health care
43 partners through the establishment of the LINE Fund. This fund
44 is intended to meet local, regional, and state workforce demand
45 by recruiting faculty and clinical preceptors, increasing the
46 capacity of high-quality nursing and health science education
47 programs as outlined in the State Board of Education’s Career
48 and Technical Education Health Science curriculum framework, and
49 increasing the number of nursing and health science education
50 program graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce.
51 (3) As used in this section, the term:
52 (b) “Health science” means a program that prepares
53 graduates to provide direct patient care or diagnostic services
54 that advance patient care in a health care setting as defined in
55 s. 408.802, that are outlined in the State Board of Education’s
56 Career and Technical Education Health Science curriculum
57 framework, and that is identified by the Department of Education
58 pursuant to subsection (10).
59 (d)(c) “Student” means a person who is a resident for
60 tuition purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 and enrolled in a
61 nursing education program at an institution or in a health
62 science education degree or certificate program at an
63 institution that is part of the State Board of Education’s
64 Career and Technical Education Health Science curriculum
65 framework.
66 (5) Subject to available funds, for every dollar
67 contributed to an institution by a health care partner, the fund
68 shall provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
69 institution. Subject to available funds, the fund may also
70 provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
71 institution for every dollar contributed to an institution or
72 its direct-support organization by an individual or entity that
73 does not meet the definition of a health care partner, provided
74 the contribution supports an eligible purpose of the LINE Fund.
75 Contributions from health care partners shall receive priority
76 when awarding matching funds to institutions.
77 (6)(a) Funds may be used for student scholarships,
78 recruitment of additional faculty and students, equipment,
79 facility renovation or remodeling, and simulation centers to
80 advance high-quality nursing and health science education
81 programs throughout the state.
82 (8) The Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
83 applicable, must review and evaluate each completed and timely
84 submitted proposal according to the following minimum criteria:
85 (d) How the funds will expand the institution’s nursing and
86 health science education programs to meet local, regional, or
87 state workforce demands. If applicable, this shall include
88 advanced education nursing programs and how the funds will
89 increase the number of faculty and clinical preceptors and
90 planned efforts to utilize the clinical placement process
91 established in s. 14.36.
92 (9)
93 (b) Annually, by February 1, each institution awarded grant
94 funds in the previous fiscal year shall submit a report to the
95 Board of Governors or Department of Education, as applicable,
96 that demonstrates the expansion as outlined in the proposal and
97 the use of funds. At minimum, the report must include, by
98 program level, the number of additional nursing and other
99 applicable health science education students enrolled; if
100 scholarships were awarded using grant funds, the number of
101 students who received scholarships and the average award amount;
102 and the outcomes of students as reported by the Office of
103 Reimagining Education and Career Help pursuant to s.
104 14.36(3)(l).
105 (10)(a) The Department of Education shall serve as the lead
106 entity for identifying and maintaining health science education
107 programs eligible for participation in the LINE Fund.
108 (b) In carrying out this subsection, the department shall
109 apply the State Board of Education’s Career and Technical
110 Education Health Science curriculum framework as the basis for
111 determining program eligibility.
112 (c) No later than October 1, 2026, the department shall
113 compile and publish an initial list of LINE-eligible health
114 science programs. In developing the list, the department shall:
115 1. Compile the current Career and Technical Education
116 Health Science pathways and programs;
117 2. Identify aligned health science programs offered
118 through:
119 a. District technical colleges and career centers; and
120 b. Florida College System institutions offering career and
121 technical education-aligned health science certificates and
122 degrees;
123 3. Establish and apply alignment criteria, including
124 credential type and applicable licensure or certification
125 outcomes; and
126 4. Publish and maintain an approved list of LINE-eligible
127 health science programs for use in administering the LINE Fund.
128 (d) The department shall review and update the list
129 annually to reflect updates to the Career and Technical
130 Education Health Science curriculum framework and changes to
131 eligible program offerings.
132 (e) The Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help
133 (REACH) shall provide to the department workforce and labor
134 market demand data, including information on statewide and
135 regional health care workforce shortages, projected job growth,
136 and occupational demand, to support data-informed prioritization
137 of LINE funding. The REACH office may not determine program
138 eligibility.
139 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.