THE BILL ITSELF
CS/SB 1246
Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund
ENROLLED
2026
Legislature CS for SB 1246, 1st Engrossed 20261246er
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An act relating to the Linking Industry to Nursing
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Education Fund; amending s. 1009.8962, F.S.; revising
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the Legislative intent for the Linking Industry to
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Nursing Education (LINE) Fund; revising the definition
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of the term “health care partner”; authorizing the
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inclusion of nonmonetary contributions to institutions
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for purposes of proposals for LINE Fund matching
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funds; requiring monetary contributions to receive
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priority in the award of matching funds; revising the
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authorized uses of awarded funds; requiring proposals
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for participation in the fund to be submitted by
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specified persons; providing allowable nonmonetary
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contributions; providing requirements for the
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acceptance of nonmonetary contributions as health care
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matching funds; prohibiting a proposal to participate
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in the fund from being comprised solely of nonmonetary
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contributions; revising the criteria the Board of
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Governors and the Department of Education must use to
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review proposals; requiring grant funds awarded based
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on nonmonetary contributions to be based on such
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contribution’s fair market value; authorizing the
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Board of Governors and the Department of Education to
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provide multiyear awards under certain circumstances;
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providing notification requirements for such awards;
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providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Section 1009.8962, Florida Statutes, is amended
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to read:
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1009.8962 Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE)
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Fund.—
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(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
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“Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund Act.”
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(2) Recognizing that the state has a persistent and growing
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nursing shortage, it is the intent of the Legislature to address
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this critical workforce need by incentivizing collaboration
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between nursing education programs and health care partners that
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contribute monetary or nonmonetary contributions through the
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establishment of the LINE Fund. This fund is intended to meet
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local, regional, and state workforce demand by recruiting
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faculty and clinical preceptors, increasing the capacity of
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high-quality nursing education programs, and increasing the
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number of nursing education program graduates who are prepared
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and licensed to enter the workforce.
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(3) As used in this section, the term:
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(a) “Health care partner” means a health care provider as
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defined in s. 768.38(2) which is licensed to operate in this
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state .
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(b) “Institution” means a school district career center
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under s. 1001.44; a charter technical career center under s.
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1002.34; a Florida College System institution; a state
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university; an independent nonprofit college or university
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located and chartered in this state and accredited by an agency
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or association that is recognized by the database created and
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maintained by the United States Department of Education to grant
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baccalaureate degrees; or an independent school, college, or
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university with an accredited program as defined in s. 464.003
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which is located in this state and licensed by the Commission
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for Independent Education pursuant to s. 1005.31, or an
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institution authorized under s. 1009.521, which has a nursing
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education program that meets or exceeds the following:
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1. For a certified nursing assistant program, a completion
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rate of at least 70 percent for the prior year.
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2. For a licensed practical nurse, associate of science in
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nursing, and bachelor of science in nursing program, a first
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time passage rate on the National Council of State Boards of
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Nursing Licensing Examination of at least 75 percent for the
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prior year based on a minimum of 10 testing participants.
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(c) “Student” means a person who is a resident for tuition
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purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 and enrolled in a nursing
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education program at an institution.
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(4) The LINE Fund shall be administered by the Board of
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Governors for state universities and the Department of Education
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for all other institutions.
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(5) Subject to available funds, for every monetary or
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nonmonetary contribution dollar contributed to an institution by
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a health care partner or other person or entity , the fund shall
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provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
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institution to implement the activities outlined in the
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institution’s approved proposal. Monetary contributions from
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health care partners shall receive priority when awarding
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matching funds to institutions .
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(6)(a) Funds may be used for student scholarships ; ,
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recruitment of additional faculty and preceptors; increasing
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program enrollment, program completion, and licensure
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examination passage rates; , equipment ; , and simulation centers ;
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and internships to advance high-quality nursing education
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programs throughout the state.
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(b) Funds may not be used for the construction of new
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buildings , but may be used to expand, retrofit, or upgrade
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existing facilities if the proposal will result in increased
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program enrollments or improved or modernized educational or
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simulation space for an institution’s nursing education program
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students .
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(7)(a) To participate, an institution’s president, chief
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administrative officer, or designee institution must submit a
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timely and completed proposal to the Board of Governors or
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Department of Education, in a format prescribed by the Board of
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Governors or Department of Education, as applicable.
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(b) The proposal must identify a health care partner
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located and licensed to operate in the state whose monetary
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contributions will be matched by the fund on a dollar-to-dollar
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basis.
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(c) Allowable nonmonetary contributions are limited to the
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following:
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1. The value of the donated use of health care partner
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employees as nursing education program instructors or
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preceptors.
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2. The value of the donated use of a health care partner’s
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space or equipment by a nursing education program.
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3. The value of donated educational or simulation
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equipment.
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4. Other similar quantifiable donated goods and services
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deemed by the Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
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applicable, to be good faith contributions that support the
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goals of the LINE Fund.
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(d) To accept nonmonetary contributions as health care
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matching funds, the applicant and Board of Governors or
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Department of Education, as applicable, must quantify the fair
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market value of the contribution in dollars and certify that the
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proposed contribution directly supports the goals of the LINE
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Fund outlined in subsection (2).
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(e) A proposal may not be comprised solely of nonmonetary
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contributions.
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(8) The Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
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applicable, must review and evaluate each completed and timely
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submitted proposal according to the following minimum criteria ,
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where applicable :
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(a) Whether monetary and nonmonetary contributions funds
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committed by the health care partner will contribute to an
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eligible purpose.
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(b) How the institution plans to use the funds or
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nonmonetary contribution , including how such funds or
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nonmonetary contribution will be utilized to increase student
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enrollment and program completion.
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(c) How the health care partner will onboard and retain
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graduates or otherwise improve the likelihood that graduates
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will successfully join the state or local workforce .
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(d) How the funds or nonmonetary contribution will be used
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to expand the institution’s nursing education programs to meet
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local, regional, or state workforce demands. If applicable, this
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shall include advanced education nursing programs and how the
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funds or nonmonetary contribution will increase the number of
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faculty and clinical preceptors and planned efforts to utilize
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the clinical placement process established in s. 14.36.
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(9)(a) Each institution with an approved proposal shall
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notify the Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
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applicable, upon receipt of the health care partner provided
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funds or nonmonetary contribution identified in the proposal.
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The Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
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applicable, shall release grant funds, on a dollar-for-dollar
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basis, up to the amount of funds or the fair market value of the
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nonmonetary contribution received by the institution , including
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notifications made on a rolling or periodic basis .
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(b) If deemed to meet the long-term goals of the LINE Fund,
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the Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
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applicable, may, but are not required to, award funds for an
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approved proposal for up to 2 academic years immediately
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following the academic year within which the initial approval is
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granted. If the Board of Governors or Department of Education,
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as applicable, approves a multiyear award to an institution, it
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must notify the recipient that the award amount in subsequent
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years is subject to a LINE Fund appropriation and the continued
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notification of the health care partner’s contribution to match
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the multiyear award of state funds.
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(c) (b) Annually, by February 1, each institution awarded
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grant funds in the previous fiscal year shall submit a report to
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the Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
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applicable, that demonstrates the expansion as outlined in the
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proposal and the use of funds. At minimum, the report must
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include, by program level, the number of additional nursing
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education students enrolled; if scholarships were awarded using
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grant funds, the number of students who received scholarships
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and the average award amount; and the outcomes of students as
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reported by the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help
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pursuant to s. 14.36(3)(l).
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(10) The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
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State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer the
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fund, establish dates for the submission and review of
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proposals, award funds, and other regulations and rules
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necessary to implement this section.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.