THE BILL ITSELF
SB 2516
Higher Education
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 2516 By the Committee on Appropriations 576-03003-26 20262516__
1
A bill to be entitled
2
An act relating to higher education; amending s.
3
464.0195, F.S.; establishing the Florida Center for
4
Nursing within the University of South Florida;
5
requiring the center to administer the Linking
6
Industry to Nursing Education Fund (LINE) Fund;
7
requiring the center to promote certain funds and
8
provide technical assistance during a specified
9
timeframe; requiring the center to develop certain
10
guidelines and make them publicly available on its
11
website; providing requirements for the administration
12
of LINE funds; amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; providing
13
that a specified fee waiver applies to a student’s
14
out-of-pocket expenses for tuition and fees after
15
other aid is applied; deleting a requirement for a
16
state university to report and disburse certain waived
17
fees; deleting a requirement for disbursement;
18
amending s. 1009.8962, F.S.; providing that the LINE
19
Fund was established for shortages in health science
20
professions in addition to nursing; defining terms;
21
requiring that the LINE Fund be administered by the
22
Florida Center for Nursing within the University of
23
South Florida, rather than the Board of Governors and
24
the Department of Education; providing that funding is
25
subject to approval of an application by the center;
26
authorizing the fund to match certain contributions if
27
funds are available; revising how funds may be used;
28
providing exceptions to certain prohibitions on the
29
use of funds; revising requirements for a proposal for
30
LINE funds submitted by an institution; providing that
31
proposals for related health science programs may not
32
be prioritized over nursing programs; revising
33
requirements for the center to evaluate submitted
34
proposals; authorizing the center to prioritize
35
certain grant applications; requiring the center to
36
notify each applicant of its determination; defining
37
terms; requiring an institution with an approved
38
proposal to certify the health care partner’s
39
contribution in a specified manner; authorizing the
40
center to award funds for up to 3 academic years;
41
requiring institutions awarded grant funds to submit
42
an annual report by a certain date to the center
43
instead of the Board of Governors or the Department of
44
Education; providing that the Department of Education
45
is the lead entity for identifying and maintaining
46
which health science programs are eligible for LINE
47
funds; requiring the department to compile and publish
48
a list of eligible programs by a specified date;
49
requiring the department to review and update the list
50
annually; requiring the Office of Reimagining
51
Education and Career Help to provide specified data to
52
the department; deleting a requirement for the Board
53
of Governors to adopt regulations and the State Board
54
of Education to adopt rules; providing an effective
55
date.
57
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
59
Section 1. Section 464.0195, Florida Statutes, is amended
60
to read:
61
464.0195 Florida Center for Nursing ; goals .—
62
(1) There is established within the University of South
63
Florida the Florida Center for Nursing to address issues of
64
supply and demand for nursing, including issues of recruitment,
65
retention, and utilization of resources that support the state’s
66
nursing nurse workforce resources . The Legislature finds that
67
the center will repay the state’s investment by providing an
68
ongoing strategy for the allocation of the state’s resources
69
directed towards nursing.
70
(2) The primary goals for the center shall be to:
71
(a) Develop a strategic statewide plan for nursing manpower
72
in this state by:
73
1. Conducting a statistically valid biennial data-driven
74
gap analysis of the supply and demand of the health care
75
workforce. The center shall:
76
a. Establish and maintain a database on nursing supply and
77
demand in the state, to include current supply and demand.
78
b. Analyze the current and future supply and demand in the
79
state and the impact of this state’s participation in the Nurse
80
Licensure Compact under s. 464.0095.
81
2. Developing recommendations to increase nurse faculty and
82
clinical preceptors, support nurse faculty development, and
83
promote advanced nurse education.
84
3. Developing best practices in the academic preparation
85
and continuing education needs of qualified nurse educators,
86
nurse faculty, and clinical preceptors.
87
4. Collecting data on nurse faculty, employment,
88
distribution, and retention.
89
5. Piloting innovative projects to support the recruitment,
90
development, and retention of qualified nurse faculty and
91
clinical preceptors.
92
6. Encouraging and coordinating the development of
93
academic-practice partnerships, including partnerships with
94
hospitals which provide opportunities for nursing students to
95
obtain clinical experience, to support nurse faculty employment
96
and advancement.
97
7. Developing distance learning infrastructure for nursing
98
education and advancing faculty competencies in the pedagogy of
99
teaching and the evidence-based use of technology, simulation,
100
and distance learning techniques.
101
(b) Enhance and promote recognition, reward, and renewal
102
activities for nurses in the state by:
103
1. Promoting nursing excellence programs such as magnet
104
recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center;
105
2. Proposing and creating additional reward, recognition,
106
and renewal activities for nurses; and
107
3. Promoting media and positive image-building efforts for
108
nursing.
109
(c) Convene various groups representative of nurses, other
110
health care providers, business and industry, consumers,
111
lawmakers, and educators to:
112
1. Review and comment on data analysis prepared for the
113
center;
114
2. Recommend systemic changes, including strategies for
115
implementation of recommended changes; and
116
3. Evaluate and report the results of these efforts to the
117
Legislature and other entities.
118
(3) The Board of Nursing shall include on its initial and
119
renewal application forms a question asking each nurse to
120
voluntarily contribute to funding the Florida Center for Nursing
121
in addition to paying the fees imposed at the time of licensure
122
and licensure renewal. Revenues collected from nurses over and
123
above the required fees shall be transferred from the Medical
124
Quality Assurance Trust Fund to the Grants and Donations Trust
125
Fund within the Department of Health and shall be used solely to
126
support and maintain the goals and functions of the center.
127
Before giving a nurse the opportunity to contribute to funding
128
the center at the time of licensure renewal, the Board of
129
Nursing shall provide the nurse with a summary of the center’s
130
work, a link to the center’s Internet website, and the following
131
statement: “The Florida Center for Nursing’s operating revenues
132
are derived in part from your donation. In order for the Florida
133
Center for Nursing to continue its work on behalf of nurses,
134
please donate.”
135
(4) The center may request from the board, and the board
136
must provide to the center upon its request, any information
137
held by the board regarding nurses licensed in this state or
138
holding a multistate license pursuant to s. 464.0095 or
139
information reported to the board by employers of such nurses,
140
other than personal identifying information.
141
(5) The center shall administer the Linking Industry to
142
Nursing Education (LINE) Fund pursuant to s. 1009.8962.
143
(a) The center shall proactively promote to eligible
144
institutions the availability of matching funds through the LINE
145
Fund before the opening of the annual application period.
146
(b) The center shall provide technical assistance to
147
eligible institutions before, during, and after the award
148
process to maximize the success of the program statewide.
149
(c) To administer the application, evaluation, and
150
distribution of LINE Fund grants under s. 1009.8962, the center
151
shall develop and make publicly available on its website the
152
guidelines for the LINE Fund administration, including:
153
1. Any application procedures and deadlines.
154
2. The criteria for program eligibility and funding
155
priorities.
156
3. A preapproval process to assist applicants with planning
157
for the annual application process.
158
4. A process to ensure the fair evaluation of all submitted
159
proposals and determination of award recipients.
160
5. The process that each type of eligible institution must
161
follow to certify the receipt of the pledged contributions from
162
any partner organizations before receiving any matching state
163
funds.
164
6. Reporting and accountability standards for grant
165
recipients that apply for or receive LINE funds, including
166
actions the center may consider when an institution materially
167
fails to comply with any program requirements or standards.
168
(6) (5) No later than each January 10, the center shall
169
submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
170
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives providing
171
details of its activities during the preceding calendar year in
172
pursuit of its goals and in the execution of its duties under
173
subsection (2), including a nursing education program report.
174
The center shall annually update the report no later than
175
February 10, to include data related to the NCLEX examination.
176
Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (18) of
177
section 1009.26, Florida Statutes, as amended by section 7 of
178
chapter 2025-199, Laws of Florida, are amended to read:
179
1009.26 Fee waivers.—
180
(18)(a) For every course in a Program of Strategic
181
Emphasis, or in a state-approved teacher preparation program
182
identified by the Board of Governors, as identified in
183
subparagraph 3., in which a student is enrolled and has out-of
184
pocket expenses for tuition and fees after all other federal,
185
state, and institutional gift aid is applied , a state university
186
shall waive 100 percent of the tuition and fees of the student’s
187
out-of-pocket expenses for an equivalent course in such program
188
for a student who:
189
1. Is a resident for tuition purposes under s. 1009.21.
190
2. Has earned at least 60 semester credit hours towards a
191
baccalaureate degree within 2 academic years after initial
192
enrollment at a Florida public postsecondary institution.
193
3. Enrolls in one of 10 Programs of Strategic Emphasis as
194
adopted by the Board of Governors or a state-approved teacher
195
preparation program. The Board of Governors shall adopt eight
196
Programs of Strategic Emphasis in science, technology,
197
engineering, or math; beginning with the 2022-2023 academic
198
year, two Programs of Strategic Emphasis in the critical
199
workforce gap analysis category; and beginning with the 2023
200
2024 academic year, two state-approved teacher preparation
201
programs for which a student may be eligible to receive the
202
tuition and fee waiver authorized by this subsection. The
203
programs identified by the board must reflect the priorities of
204
the state and be offered at a majority of state universities at
205
the time the Board of Governors approves the list.
206
(c) Upon enrollment in a Program of Strategic Emphasis or a
207
state-approved teacher preparation program, the tuition and fees
208
waived under this subsection must be reported for state funding
209
purposes under ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535 and must be disbursed
210
to the student. The amount disbursed to the student must be
211
equal to the award amount the student has received under s.
212
1009.534(3) or s. 1009.535(2).
213
Section 3. Subsections (2) through (10) of section
214
1009.8962, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
215
1009.8962 Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE)
216
Fund.—
217
(2) Recognizing that the state has a persistent and growing
218
nursing shortage and shortages in other related health science
219
professions , it is the intent of the Legislature to address this
220
critical workforce need by incentivizing collaboration between
221
nursing education and related health science programs and health
222
care partners through the establishment of the LINE Fund. This
223
fund is intended to meet local, regional, and state workforce
224
demand by recruiting faculty and clinical preceptors, increasing
225
the capacity of high-quality nursing education and related
226
health science programs, and increasing the number of nursing
227
education and related health science program graduates who are
228
prepared and licensed to enter the workforce.
229
(3) As used in this section, the term:
230
(a) “Center” means the Florida Center for Nursing within
231
the University of South Florida, established by s. 464.0195.
232
(b) (a) “Health care partner” means a health care provider
233
as defined in s. 768.38(2) that is licensed to operate in this
234
state . The center may also consider any of the following types
235
of organizations that are connected to nursing education or the
236
nursing workforce as a “health care partner” for the purpose of
237
evaluating an institution’s proposal and a pledged contribution
238
for matching LINE funds.
239
1. An organization that manufactures or sells durable
240
medical equipment or simulation equipment that demonstrably
241
enhances or supplements a nursing student’s education.
242
2. An organization that provides educational materials or
243
instruction related to preparation to pass a nationally
244
recognized nursing licensure examination.
245
3. A health care organization active in this state which
246
employs or uses licensed nurses to deliver direct patient care.
247
4. A nonprofit organization or fund with a 501(c)(3)
248
designation registered in this state for at least 2 years before
249
the date of the initial LINE grant application which is
250
organized primarily, or which makes other reportable charitable
251
contributions, to support the health care workforce of this
252
state through training or the continuing education of health
253
care professionals.
254
5. A direct-support organization of an eligible applicant
255
whose match contribution supports an eligible purpose of the
256
grant.
257
(c) (b) “Institution” means a school district career center
258
under s. 1001.44; a charter technical career center under s.
259
1002.34; a Florida College System institution; a state
260
university; an independent nonprofit college or university
261
located and chartered in this state and accredited by an agency
262
or association that is recognized by the database created and
263
maintained by the United States Department of Education to grant
264
baccalaureate degrees; or an independent school, college, or
265
university with an accredited program as defined in s. 464.003
266
which is located in this state and licensed by the Commission
267
for Independent Education pursuant to s. 1005.31, or an
268
institution authorized under s. 1009.521, which has a nursing
269
education program that meets or exceeds the following:
270
1. For a certified nursing assistant program, a completion
271
rate of no more than 10 percent below the current national
272
average of at least 70 percent for the prior year .
273
2. For a licensed practical nurse, associate of science in
274
nursing, and bachelor of science in nursing program, a first
275
time passage rate on the National Council of State Boards of
276
Nursing Licensing Examination of no more than 10 percent below
277
the current national average, of at least 75 percent for the
278
prior year based on a minimum of 10 testing participants.
279
(d) “Related health science” means a program that prepares
280
graduates to provide direct patient care or diagnostic services
281
that advance patient care in a health care setting, as defined
282
in s. 408.802, which are outlined in the State Board of
283
Education’s Career and Technical Education Health Science
284
curriculum framework, and which are identified by the Department
285
of Education pursuant to subsection (10).
286
(e) (c) “Student” means a person who is a resident for
287
tuition purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 and enrolled in a
288
nursing education or a related health science education degree
289
or certificate program at an institution that is part of the
290
State Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education Health
291
Science curriculum framework .
292
(4) The LINE Fund shall be administered by the center Board
293
of Governors for state universities and the Department of
294
Education for all other institutions .
295
(5) Subject to available funds and the approval of an
296
application by the center , for every dollar contributed to an
297
institution by a health care partner, the fund shall provide a
298
dollar-to-dollar match to the participating institution to
299
implement the activities outlined in the institution’s approved
300
proposal. Subject to available funds, the fund may also provide
301
a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating institution for
302
every dollar contributed to an institution or its direct-support
303
organization by an individual or entity that does not meet the
304
definition of a health care partner, provided the contribution
305
supports an eligible purpose of the LINE Fund. Contributions
306
from health care partners shall receive priority awarding
307
matching .
308
(6)(a) Funds may be used for student scholarships ; ,
309
recruitment of additional faculty and clinical preceptors;
310
increasing program enrollment, program completion, and licensure
311
exam passage rates; , equipment ; , and simulation centers ,
312
internships, and clinical preceptorships; and other related
313
activities determined by the center to advance high-quality
314
nursing education programs and to expand the qualified nursing
315
workforce and related health science professions throughout the
316
state.
317
(b) Funds may not be used for the construction of new
318
buildings but may be used to expand, retrofit, or upgrade
319
existing facilities if the proposal will result in increased
320
program enrollments or improved or modernized educational or
321
simulation space for nursing education or related health science
322
students .
323
(7)(a) To participate, an institution must submit a timely
324
and completed proposal to the center Board of Governors or
325
Department of Education, in a standardized format developed
326
under s. s. 464.0195(5) prescribed by the Board of Governors or
327
Department of Education, as applicable .
328
(b) The proposal must identify the specific a health care
329
partner located and licensed to operate in the state whose
330
monetary or nonmonetary contributions will be matched by the
331
fund on a dollar-to-dollar basis if the proposal is approved by
332
the center .
333
1. Examples of allowable nonmonetary LINE Fund
334
contributions from health care partners include, but are not
335
limited to, the value of the donated use of health care partner
336
employees as nursing program instructors or clinical preceptors;
337
the value of the donated use of a health care partner’s space or
338
equipment by a nursing education program; or the value of
339
donated goods and services, such as educational or simulation
340
equipment, licensure exam preparation materials and instruction,
341
or other similar quantifiable donated goods and services deemed
342
by the center to be good faith contributions that support the
343
goals of the LINE Fund.
344
2. To accept nonmonetary contributions as health care
345
partner matching funds, the applicant and the center must
346
quantify the value of the contribution in dollars and certify
347
that the proposed contribution directly supports the goals of
348
the LINE Fund outlined in subsection (1).
349
(c) Proposals for related health science programs other
350
than nursing may be considered, but may not be prioritized over
351
nursing programs. The proposal for such programs must be part of
352
the State Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education
353
Health Science curriculum framework and include evidence that a
354
material regional workforce demand exists for that related
355
health science program.
356
(8) (a) The center Board of Governors or Department of
357
Education, as applicable, must review and evaluate each
358
completed and timely submitted proposal according to the
359
following minimum criteria , where applicable :
360
1. (a) Whether funds committed by the health care partner
361
will contribute to an eligible purpose.
362
2. (b) How the institution plans to use the funds, including
363
how such funds will be utilized to increase student enrollment ,
364
and program completion , or licensure exam test-takers or passage
365
rates .
366
3. (c) How the health care partner will onboard and retain
367
graduates or otherwise improve the likelihood that graduates
368
will successfully join the state or local workforce .
369
4. (d) How the funds will expand the institution’s nursing
370
education and related health science programs to meet local,
371
regional, or state workforce demands. If applicable, this shall
372
include
373
5. How the proposal will enhance opportunities to pursue
374
and complete advanced education nursing education programs .
375
6. and how How the funds will increase the number of
376
faculty and clinical preceptors and planned efforts to utilize
377
the clinical placement process established in s. 14.36.
378
(b) The center may assign priority consideration for grant
379
applications that will improve services in underserved
380
geographic areas or for programs and partnerships that address
381
the greatest workforce needs or gaps identified under s.
382
464.0195.
383
(c) After reviewing and evaluating each timely submitted
384
proposal, the center must notify each applicant regarding which
385
of the following categories each of the institution’s proposals
386
has been classified into, and provide a brief explanation for
387
the center’s principal reason or reasons for reaching its
388
determination:
389
1. Approved;
390
2. Provisionally Approved;
391
3. Approved, Pending Available Funding; or
392
4. Denied for Funding.
393
(d) As used in this subsection, the term:
394
1. “Approved” means that the center agrees that the
395
institution’s proposal meets the criteria and intent of this
396
section, and the proposal will receive matching LINE funding
397
upon certification of the receipt of the health care partner’s
398
contribution.
399
2. “Provisionally Approved” means that the center agrees
400
that the institution’s proposal makes a good faith effort to
401
meet the criteria and intent of this section, but the center
402
determined that additional information or amendments to the
403
proposal are necessary to bring the proposal into full
404
compliance with the requirements of this section.
405
a. The center may offer technical assistance to the
406
applying institution to ensure its resubmitted application meets
407
the full program requirements for funding.
408
b. A Provisionally Approved proposal, if timely
409
resubmitted, may immediately move to an Approved proposal if the
410
center determines that the resubmitted proposal meets the full
411
requirements of this section, that sufficient LINE funds are
412
available to match the proposal, and that the proposal addresses
413
a high priority need for the state, such as serving underserved
414
geographic areas or closing identified workforce gaps.
415
3. “Approved, Pending Available Funding” means that the
416
center agrees that the institution’s proposal, or resubmitted
417
proposal, meets the criteria and intent of this section, but the
418
proposal will not receive matching LINE funds unless additional
419
LINE funding becomes available later in the fiscal year. The
420
availability of LINE Fund dollars to match proposals classified
421
as Approved, Pending Available Funding may result from:
422
a. The failure of another approved awardee to timely
423
certify the actual receipt of a health care partner’s pledged
424
contributions.
425
b. Additional savings identified by the center from
426
previously appropriated LINE funds.
427
c. A balance in the LINE Fund due to a lack of approved
428
proposals from a type of nursing education program, health
429
science program, or institution for which a specified amount of
430
LINE funds was identified in the General Appropriations Act for
431
a particular fiscal year. The center may set a date on or after
432
February 1 of each year when the center determines that an
433
insufficient number of approved or provisionally approved
434
proposals exist from the institutions provided priority
435
consideration by the Legislature in that fiscal year. After the
436
noticed date, the center may redistribute any remaining LINE
437
funds to highly ranked Approved, Pending Available Funding
438
proposals from any type of program or institution that can
439
certify, before June 30, the receipt of its health care
440
partner’s contribution.
441
4. “Denied for Funding” means that the institution’s
442
proposal does not meet the full criteria or intent of this
443
section or that the institution has not timely certified the
444
receipt of an allowable health care partner’s contribution.
445
(9)(a) Each institution with an approved proposal must
446
certify to the center in a manner prescribed under s.
447
464.0195(5) the shall notify the Board of Governors or
448
Department of Education, as applicable, upon receipt of the
449
health care partner’s contribution partner provided funds
450
identified in the approved proposal. The center may Board of
451
Governors or Department of Education, as applicable, shall
452
release grant funds, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to the
453
amount of the contribution certified as funds received by the
454
institution , including certifications made on a rolling or
455
periodic basis .
456
(b) If deemed to meet the long-term goals of the LINE Fund,
457
the center may award funds for an approved proposal for up to 3
458
academic years immediately following the academic year within
459
which the initial approval is granted. If the center approves a
460
multiyear award to an institution, it must notify the recipient
461
that the award amount in subsequent years is subject to a LINE
462
Fund appropriation and the continued certification of the health
463
care partner’s contribution to match the multiyear award of
464
state funds.
465
(c) (b) Annually, by February 1, each institution awarded
466
grant funds in the previous fiscal year shall submit a report to
467
the center which Board of Governors or Department of Education,
468
as applicable, that demonstrates the expansion as outlined in
469
the proposal and the use of funds. At minimum, the report must
470
include, by program level, the number of additional nursing
471
education and related health science students enrolled; if
472
scholarships were awarded using grant funds, the number of
473
students who received scholarships and the average award amount;
474
and the outcomes of students as reported by the Office of
475
Reimagining Education and Career Help pursuant to s.
476
14.36(3)(l).
477
(10) (a) The Department of Education shall serve as the lead
478
entity for identifying and maintaining related health science
479
programs eligible for participation in the LINE Fund.
480
(b) In carrying out this subsection, the department shall
481
apply the State Board of Education’s Career and Technical
482
Education Health Science framework as the basis for determining
483
program eligibility.
484
(c) No later than October 1, 2026, the department shall
485
compile and publish an initial list of LINE-eligible related
486
health science programs. In developing the list, the department
487
shall:
488
1. Compile the current Career and Technical Education
489
Health Science pathways and programs;
490
2. Identify aligned health science programs offered
491
through:
492
a. District technical colleges and career centers; and
493
b. Florida College System institutions offering Career and
494
Technical Education-aligned health science certificates and
495
degrees;
496
3. Establish and apply alignment criteria, including
497
credential type and applicable licensure or certification
498
outcomes; and
499
4. Publish and maintain an approved list of LINE-eligible
500
health science programs for use in administering the LINE Fund.
501
(d) The department shall review and update the list
502
annually to reflect updates to the Career and Technical
503
Education Health Science framework and changes to eligible
504
program offerings.
505
(e) The Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help
506
shall provide workforce and labor market demand data, including
507
information on statewide and regional health care workforce
508
shortages, projected job growth, and occupational demand, to the
509
department to support data-informed prioritization of LINE
510
funding. The office may not determine program eligibility The
511
Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the State Board
512
of Education shall adopt rules to administer the fund, establish
513
dates for the submission and review of proposals, award funds,
514
and other regulations and rules necessary to implement this
515
section .
516
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.