Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 36
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì508632%Î508632                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/12/2026           .                                
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       The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
       (Sharief) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsections (8) and (10) of section 464.015,
    6  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
    7         464.015 Titles and abbreviations; restrictions; penalty.—
    8         (8) Only persons who hold valid licenses to practice as
    9  advanced practice registered nurses in this state may use the
   10  title “Advanced Practice Registered Nurse” and the abbreviation
   11  “A.P.R.N.”
   12         (a) A licensed advanced practice registered nurse who also
   13  holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree or a Doctor of Nursing
   14  Practice degree may use the title “Doctor of Philosophy” and the
   15  abbreviation “Ph.D.,” or the title “Doctor of Nursing Practice”
   16  and the abbreviation “D.N.P.,” respectively, in a manner
   17  consistent with the doctoral degree such person holds.
   18         (b) A person authorized under paragraph (a) to use a title
   19  or abbreviation associated with a doctoral degree in a clinical
   20  setting may not hold himself or herself out as a doctor to
   21  patients or prospective patients in advertising produced
   22  directly by the practitioner, including signage or written
   23  communication, using such title or abbreviation without also
   24  clearly denoting his or her licensed profession.
   25         (10) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the
   26  first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
   27  775.083, except for violations of paragraph (8)(a) or paragraph
   28  (8)(b). Violations of paragraph (8)(a) or paragraph (8)(b)
   29  constitute grounds for disciplinary action under s.
   30  464.018(1)(o).
   31         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
   32  
   33  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   34  And the title is amended as follows:
   35         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   36  and insert:
   37                        A bill to be entitled                      
   38         An act relating to the use of professional nursing
   39         titles; amending s. 464.015, F.S.; providing that
   40         licensed advanced practice registered nurses who hold
   41         specified degrees may use titles and abbreviations
   42         associated with those degrees in a specified manner;
   43         prohibiting such persons from holding themselves out
   44         to patients or prospective patients as a doctor in
   45         advertising without also clearly denoting their
   46         licensed profession; providing for disciplinary
   47         action; providing an effective date.