The bill CS/HB 1427 amends section 464.019 of the Florida Statutes, which regulates the approval of nursing education programs, by introducing stricter application requirements and accountability measures. Educational institutions must now provide detailed information about the program director and any disciplinary actions taken against the applicant in other jurisdictions. The Board of Nursing is empowered to deny applications based on adverse actions in other states and can revoke program approvals. Additionally, the bill imposes enhanced requirements for annual reports, including documentation of graduate passage rates and compliance with established standards. Notably, it deletes previous provisions that allowed for the extension of probationary status for underperforming programs, thereby increasing accountability.

Key provisions of the bill include the requirement for nursing programs placed on probation to submit a written remediation plan and appear before the board within six months. Programs must remain on probation until they achieve a satisfactory graduate passage rate, and institutions with existing programs on probation are prohibited from submitting new applications. If a program's graduate passage rate falls below 30 percent, it is mandated to reimburse tuition for students who do not pass the licensing examination. The bill also requires nursing programs on probation to disclose their status to students and provide remediation at no additional cost. The Florida Center for Nursing will conduct annual evaluations of nursing programs, and the Board of Nursing is tasked with adopting rules for program applications and annual reports, with the bill set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 1427 Filed: 202.18, 212.20, 215.971, 218.67, 288.007, 288.019, 288.065, 319.32, 339.0801, 395.6061, 420.9073, 420.9075, 1013.62, 1013.64, 163.3187, 212.205, 257.191, 257.193, 265.283, 443.191, 571.26, 571.265
H 1427 c1: 395.6061, 409.906, 458.347, 459.022, 466.001, 466.004, 466.006, 466.009, 466.011, 466.016, 466.017, 466.018, 466.026, 921.0022
H 1427 e1: 395.6061, 409.906, 458.347, 459.022, 466.001, 466.004, 466.006, 466.009, 466.011, 466.016, 466.017, 466.018, 466.026