Florida Senate - 2023 SB 274
By Senator Avila
39-00236B-23 2023274__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to nursing education pathway for
3 military combat medics; providing a short title;
4 amending s. 464.0195, F.S.; revising a primary goal of
5 the Florida Center for Nursing to provide that
6 development of a statewide plan for nursing manpower
7 must include the encouragement and coordination of the
8 development of partnerships with hospitals which
9 provide opportunities for nursing students to obtain
10 clinical experience; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.;
11 defining the term “accredited program”; requiring that
12 the Articulation Coordinating Committee convene a
13 workgroup to establish a process for determining
14 postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
15 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
16 that must be awarded in accredited nursing education
17 programs for military training and education required
18 for service in specified positions; providing for the
19 composition of and the provision of administrative
20 support to the workgroup; requiring that the workgroup
21 ensure that the award of credit for military training
22 and education does not impair a nursing education
23 program’s ability to comply with requirements relating
24 to the approval of nursing education programs;
25 requiring the workgroup to provide, by a specified
26 date, recommendations regarding the determination
27 process to the Board of Governors and State Board of
28 Education for approval; requiring that, upon approval
29 of the recommendations, the Articulation Coordinating
30 Committee facilitate the review of military training
31 and education received by individuals who served in
32 specified positions and the determination of minimum
33 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
34 awarded for specified military training and education;
35 requiring that the Articulation Coordinating
36 Committee, within a specified timeframe and annually
37 thereafter, approve a prioritized list of
38 postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
39 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
40 that must be awarded for such training and education;
41 requiring the Board of Governors and State Board of
42 Education to adopt the prioritized list; requiring
43 that the minimum postsecondary credit or career
44 education clock hours be delineated in a required
45 statewide articulation agreement; requiring state
46 universities, Florida College System institutions, and
47 career centers to award postsecondary credit or career
48 education clock hours in nursing education programs
49 based on the prioritized list; authorizing the award
50 of additional postsecondary credit or career education
51 clock hours; providing that such postsecondary credit
52 or career education clock hours are transferable;
53 providing an effective date.
54
55 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
56
57 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Pathway for
58 Military Combat Medics Act.”
59 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
60 464.0195, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
61 464.0195 Florida Center for Nursing; goals.—
62 (2) The primary goals for the center shall be to:
63 (a) Develop a strategic statewide plan for nursing manpower
64 in this state by:
65 1. Conducting a statistically valid biennial data-driven
66 gap analysis of the supply and demand of the health care
67 workforce. Demand must align with the Labor Market Estimating
68 Conference created in s. 216.136. The center shall:
69 a. Establish and maintain a database on nursing supply and
70 demand in the state, to include current supply and demand.
71 b. Analyze the current and future supply and demand in the
72 state and the impact of this state’s participation in the Nurse
73 Licensure Compact under s. 464.0095.
74 2. Developing recommendations to increase nurse faculty and
75 clinical preceptors, support nurse faculty development, and
76 promote advanced nurse education.
77 3. Developing best practices in the academic preparation
78 and continuing education needs of qualified nurse educators,
79 nurse faculty, and clinical preceptors.
80 4. Collecting data on nurse faculty, employment,
81 distribution, and retention.
82 5. Piloting innovative projects to support the recruitment,
83 development, and retention of qualified nurse faculty and
84 clinical preceptors.
85 6. Encouraging and coordinating the development of
86 academic-practice partnerships, including partnerships with
87 hospitals which provide opportunities for nursing students to
88 obtain clinical experience, to support nurse faculty employment
89 and advancement.
90 7. Developing distance learning infrastructure for nursing
91 education and advancing faculty competencies in the pedagogy of
92 teaching and the evidence-based use of technology, simulation,
93 and distance learning techniques.
94 Section 3. Subsection (3) is added to section 1004.096,
95 Florida Statutes, to read:
96 1004.096 Postsecondary credit for military training and
97 education courses.—
98 (3)(a) For purposes of this subsection, the term
99 “accredited program” has the same meaning as in s. 464.003.
100 (b) By July 15, 2023, the Articulation Coordinating
101 Committee shall convene a workgroup that is responsible for
102 establishing a process for determining postsecondary course
103 equivalencies and the minimum postsecondary credit or career
104 education clock hours that must be awarded in an accredited
105 program for military training and education required for service
106 as an Army Combat Medic Specialist, a Navy or Fleet Marine Force
107 Hospital Corpsman, an Air Force or Space Force Aerospace Medical
108 Service Technician, or a Coast Guard Health Services Technician.
109 1. The composition of the workgroup and the provision of
110 administrative support to the workgroup must be as provided in
111 paragraphs (2)(a) and (b). The workgroup shall ensure that the
112 award of postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
113 does not impair an accredited program’s ability to comply with
114 the requirements identified in s. 464.019.
115 2. The workgroup shall provide its recommendations
116 regarding the process for awarding postsecondary credit or
117 career education clock hours to the Board of Governors and the
118 State Board of Education by December 1, 2023, for approval at
119 the next meeting of each board to allow for adequate public
120 notice.
121 3.a. Upon approval of the workgroup’s recommendations by
122 the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education, the
123 Articulation Coordinating Committee shall facilitate the review
124 of the military training and education received by individuals
125 who served as an Army Combat Medic Specialist, a Navy or Fleet
126 Marine Force Hospital Corpsman, an Air Force or Space Force
127 Aerospace Medical Service Technician, or a Coast Guard Health
128 Services Technician for postsecondary course equivalencies and
129 the minimum postsecondary credit or career education clock hours
130 that must be awarded for that training and education.
131 b. Within 1 year after such approval, the Articulation
132 Coordinating Committee shall approve a prioritized list of
133 postsecondary course equivalencies, and the minimum
134 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must
135 be awarded in an accredited program for such military training
136 and education. The list must be updated annually. The Board of
137 Governors and the State Board of Education shall adopt the list
138 approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee at their
139 next respective meetings. For the purpose of statewide
140 application, postsecondary course equivalencies and the minimum
141 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours that must
142 be awarded in an accredited program for such military training
143 and education must be delineated by the State Board of Education
144 and the Board of Governors in the statewide articulation
145 agreement required by s. 1007.23(1).
146 4. State universities, Florida College System institutions,
147 and career centers shall award postsecondary credit or career
148 education clock hours for such military training and education
149 based on the list adopted pursuant to sub-subparagraph 3.b. if
150 the credit or career education clock hours are applicable toward
151 the student’s degree or certificate and may award additional
152 postsecondary credit or career education clock hours as
153 appropriate. Postsecondary credit or career education clock
154 hours awarded under this subsection are transferable from one
155 state university, Florida College System institution, or career
156 center to another.
157 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.