This bill establishes the Florida Center for Nursing within the University of South Florida, which will oversee the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund. The center is responsible for promoting LINE funding availability, publishing administrative guidelines on its website, and providing technical assistance to eligible institutions. The bill revises the legislative intent regarding the LINE Fund, updates definitions related to the center's operations, and shifts the responsibility for reviewing and evaluating proposals from the Board of Governors to the center. Institutions awarded grant funds will now submit reports to the center instead of the Board of Governors, enhancing accountability in the funding process.

Additionally, the bill amends various sections of Florida Statutes concerning university tuition and fees, allowing university boards of trustees to establish out-of-state fees for nonresident students while ensuring that total tuition and fees cover the full instructional cost. It introduces a requirement for state universities to waive out-of-pocket expenses for certain students in specific programs, while deleting previous provisions related to fee caps and block tuition policies for nonresident undergraduate students. Overall, the bill aims to address the nursing shortage in Florida by incentivizing collaboration between nursing education programs and healthcare partners, supporting initiatives to recruit faculty and clinical preceptors, and enhancing the capacity of nursing programs. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 2512 Filed: 464.0195