Florida Senate - 2026                        CS for CS for SB 36
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services;
       the Committee on Health Policy; and Senators Sharief, Osgood,
       Davis, Rouson, and Berman
       
       
       
       603-02824-26                                            202636c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the use of professional nursing
    3         titles; amending s. 464.015, F.S.; providing that
    4         licensed advanced practice registered nurses who hold
    5         specified degrees may use titles and abbreviations
    6         associated with those degrees in a specified manner;
    7         prohibiting such persons from holding themselves out
    8         to patients or prospective patients as a doctor in
    9         advertising without also clearly denoting their
   10         licensed profession; providing for disciplinary
   11         action; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsections (8) and (10) of section 464.015,
   16  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   17         464.015 Titles and abbreviations; restrictions; penalty.—
   18         (8) Only persons who hold valid licenses to practice as
   19  advanced practice registered nurses in this state may use the
   20  title “Advanced Practice Registered Nurse” and the abbreviation
   21  “A.P.R.N.”
   22         (a) A licensed advanced practice registered nurse who also
   23  holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree or a Doctor of Nursing
   24  Practice degree may use the title “Doctor of Philosophy” and the
   25  abbreviation “Ph.D.,” or the title “Doctor of Nursing Practice”
   26  and the abbreviation “D.N.P.,” respectively, in a manner
   27  consistent with the doctoral degree such person holds.
   28         (b) A person authorized under paragraph (a) to use a title
   29  or abbreviation associated with a doctoral degree in a clinical
   30  setting may not hold himself or herself out as a doctor to
   31  patients or prospective patients in advertising produced
   32  directly by the practitioner, including signage or written
   33  communication, using such title or abbreviation without also
   34  clearly denoting his or her licensed profession.
   35         (10) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the
   36  first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
   37  775.083, except for violations of paragraph (8)(a) or paragraph
   38  (8)(b). Violations of paragraph (8)(a) or paragraph (8)(b)
   39  constitute grounds for disciplinary action under s.
   40  464.018(1)(o).
   41         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.