[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6301124,"mediaKeyId","2490055-dd9fe6bacc36ff3f8b3bf5851250adb8","parentId",2490055,"title","Senate advances bill to expand nursing‑home reporting, require medical‑director credentials and patient surveys","audioSeconds",574,"startMs",3061000,"endMs",3635000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2490055-dd9fe6bacc36ff3f8b3bf5851250adb8&start=3061&end=3635","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2490055-dd9fe6bacc36ff3f8b3bf5851250adb8/thumbnail_3061000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6301124/Florida/Senate-advances-bill-to-expand-nursinghome-reporting-require-medicaldirector-credentials-and-patient-surveys","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6301124-c11e13db55669437dd201b51f23ab689/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175140&Signature=PJCWSowaqBtr0e6hKEeyF7k573ck4rLjeCgxptuUMSqLG~Z5l1weSwIKncyGdQQjYOIO-uJxCpWBNMzp4LMqpRsPDQ7G5mv84ZgFy9nCcg3N02XAMdLbIY8-L1XvBalenL6K5mfJVH5t6TilcU--ZsuNt8C-ZSTvKNVKJpjRI8kjITG2saRSYvSKkii8y1c9lTsfGLy8jj55xfD5Jxky2pW2noGEnEGoXDNhe9mUNcYoGz4ReFo39g15cga5WTCxwqSAA2lw352n5R7zXHoVHuXu6Cj~doCdeLZX1-h~foXaw5fJJFGdReqAC40M6-YJhGGa5BRzqvwhQFrqlV~hIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Florida State Legislature","date","2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 170, a measure aimed at strengthening transparency and quality oversight of nursing homes, was reported favorably by the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy after debate over implementation timelines and costs for medical‑director certification.

Sponsor Senator Burton told the committee the bill would require the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to develop a user‑friendly consumer satisfaction survey to capture resident and family satisfaction; require nursing‑home medical directors to hold certification from the American Medical Directors Association or an equivalent credential recognized by AHCA; mandate biannual patient‑safety culture surveys; require nursing homes to maintain electronic health records and submit admit/transfer/discharge data to the Florida Health Information Exchange Program; and authorize a $10,000 fine against facilities or their home offices that fail to submit financial data to the Florida Nursing Home Uniform Reporting System.

Why it matters: Sponsor Burton said the state makes substantial investments through the Medicaid Quality Incentive Program and needs better data to track whether payments are improving care. “We have wonderful nursing homes in the state of Florida,” Burton said in closing, “and I think this bill takes a big step forward in moving us even further along in the process of having the best, the best of the best, in nursing homes here in Florida.”

Questions and debate
Senator Davis asked how AHCA’s rule‑making timeline would align with the bill’s requirements and who would bear the cost of medical‑director certification. Senator Burton responded that the bill does not specify a timeline or assign costs; she said agencies and providers would need to work out timing and that certification is a cost of doing business for facilities that employ medical directors.

Support and administrative reporting
AARP and the Florida Health Care Association were recorded as waiving in support. The bill’s amendment clarified that the fine for failing to file the Florida Nursing Home Uniform Reporting System applies to both facilities and home offices and that it supersedes any other fine under the cited statutory section.

Votes and next steps
After debate and adoption of the clarifying amendment the committee called the roll and recorded support; the committee clerk announced the bill “will be reported favorably.” The sponsor and other senators said they would seek follow‑up with AHCA on implementation timing and reporting expectations.

Ending note: The bill moves to subsequent legislative steps with an acknowledgment from the sponsor that rule‑making, timelines and certification costs were matters to be resolved between the industry and AHCA.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Health Policy Committee Meeting 3/4/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 170, a measure aimed at strengthening transparency and quality oversight of nursing homes, was reported favorably by the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy after debate over implementation timelines and costs.","taxTitle","Health Policy, Standing Committees, Senate, Legislative, Florida","taxId",25568,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6301134,"Senate panel advances bill tightening standards for nursing education after low NCLEX pass rates",2723,73000,2796000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2490055-dd9fe6bacc36ff3f8b3bf5851250adb8&start=73&end=2796","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2490055-dd9fe6bacc36ff3f8b3bf5851250adb8/thumbnail_73000.jpg","/articles/6301134/Florida/Senate-panel-advances-bill-tightening-standards-for-nursing-education-after-low-NCLEX-pass-rates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6301134-c819bdde69a831270c31d388f540fccc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175140&Signature=d9vFeKsT9qsgnf097oA2scsshFbTtBs8KcHL8MQ-z2krJDtu5s4~EVwM6tDT3Kdbl2czwthlYj2oj5FzgqR9J7HNukj9SM9i2WtZizvJsE7kgsrUM9x4vh3P8nLufptRZaMDorxb4TLSVzIL0yMzifN89VukpcDLz8XUi4PVOc9I0HovOF224Jyh0rFqkuMqcM2sl~izXCsmd5J0SoOpmrL8SvQ~1--hlCLsJuNYarpHhz49pQnhLBIaeLzRswLuHz7r2jKE1spFl6Kcv54dY12GBINtZ5DqfemdMrrBVukmAQs7nZm~XF-zdJSCgJQHiW-wnZkT9~7wiuamHvMr6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 526, a measure to tighten accountability for Florida nursing education programs, was reported favorably by the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy after a two‑hour hearing and an adopted amendment that restored a two‑year probationary period for struggling programs.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Lori Harrell, told the committee that Florida’s graduates have been performing poorly on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). “For the last 10 years we have had terrible scores, awful scores, so bad that this year we were 50 out of 50 in people who are passing the NCLEX,” Harrell said as she explained the measure’s main provisions.

The bill would require practical nursing and registered‑nursing programs to establish admission criteria, use an exit exam before students attempt the NCLEX, and create remediation programs for students who fail the exit exam. It also would authorize the Department of Health to perform on‑site inspections, require programs to obtain accreditation within five years of enrolling their first students, and permit the Board of Nursing to deny applications from programs that have had adverse actions taken in other jurisdictions. The measure would subject program directors to discipline and create termination grounds for programs that fail to file required annual reports.

Why it matters: Florida’s NCLEX pass rate in the hearing was presented as well below the national average. Sponsor Harrell and supporters framed the bill as aiming to protect students and patients by ensuring graduates can pass the licensure exam and obtain employment, rather than leaving students with debt and no license.

Key provisions and how proponents and opponents described them
- Exit exam and remediation: The bill mandates an exit exam for students approaching graduation and requires programs to offer remediation for students who fail that exam; the bill text, as described in the hearing, does not make the exit exam the sole bar to graduation. Harrell said the exit exam and remediation are intended to increase NCLEX passage and reduce students leaving programs with debt and no license.

- Denial and termination authority: The bill would allow the Board of Nursing to deny a program’s application if the program previously faced adverse action in another state and to terminate programs for failure to submit required annual reports. Harrell said this targets “fly‑by‑night groups” and schools that change names after losing approvals.

- Inspections and accreditation: The measure authorizes on‑site inspections by the Department of Health to verify compliance, and it retains the existing five‑year deadline for programs to obtain accreditation; an earlier Board of Nursing extension authority would be removed under the bill’s language, according to the sponsor.

- Probation period: A late amendment restored a two‑year probation period for programs with poor performance after the sponsor initially proposed reducing probation from two years to one; Senator Harrell said she reinstated two years after further consultation with stakeholders.

Concerns raised at the hearing
- Access and closures: Senator Berman asked whether denying programs with adverse actions in other states could reduce access to nursing education in underserved areas. Harrell replied that the Board of Nursing could consider extenuating circumstances but expressed that Florida should not import programs with disciplinary histories.

- Impact on nontraditional students: Senator Davis and several witnesses, including Bob Harris of the Florida Association of Independent Nursing Schools and Dr. Tamisha Scott, a private‑school owner, warned that tighter sanctions and penalties could lead to school closures that disproportionately affect nontraditional students (working adults, parents, career‑changers). Harris said the bill “will have the impact of closing the opportunities for those students to become nurses.”

- Program director penalties and definitional gaps: Witnesses argued the bill could deter experienced program directors because it adds potential penalties, including discipline that could affect an individual’s nursing license. Bob Harris also said the bill lacks a clear definition of “adverse action,” which could cause unintended program closures.

Supporters’ argument and data cited
Senator Harrell and supporters pointed to state and national pass‑rate figures presented in the hearing. Harrell said the national average passage is about 91 percent and that Florida’s recent passage rate was roughly 84 percent. Harrell also cited counts of nursing programs in Florida: “We currently have 314 RN programs in the state of Florida. 314 currently. We have a 94 LPN programs in Florida,” she said, to underscore program scale and the need for accountability.

Industry witnesses described both problems and progress. Alan Mortham, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools, told senators that private postsecondary schools produce a large share of Florida’s nurses and that their sector has raised pass rates in recent years without new statewide regulation. Mortham said private schools produced 5,596 NCLEX test‑takers in 2024 compared with 3,059 from public institutions and argued some regulatory functions are already handled by existing oversight bodies.

Votes and next steps
After debate and the adopted amendment to restore a two‑year probation period, the committee called the roll. The committee recorded unanimous support on the record and “Senate Bill 526 will be reported favorably.”

What remains unresolved
Witnesses and several senators asked for greater clarity in the bill on definitions (notably “adverse action”), whether and how exit exams would factor into graduation decisions, how remediation would be funded or required by public schools as well as private ones, and how the state would balance tighter oversight with keeping education available to nontraditional students.

Ending note: The sponsor said she is open to further changes as the bill moves through the process. Sponsor Senator Lori Harrell closed by saying the bill’s goal is “more nurses pass[ing] the test and then you can help pay back a hundred thousand dollars you owe on your nursing education.”","Senate Bill 526, a measure to tighten accountability for Florida nursing education programs, was reported favorably by the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy after a two‑hour hearing and an adopted amendment that restored a two‑year probationary period for struggling programs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6301129,"Committee advances voluntary non‑opioid advance directive bill to let patients opt out of opioids",301,2818000,3119000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2490055-dd9fe6bacc36ff3f8b3bf5851250adb8&start=2818&end=3119","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2490055-dd9fe6bacc36ff3f8b3bf5851250adb8/thumbnail_2818000.jpg","/articles/6301129/Florida/Committee-advances-voluntary-nonopioid-advance-directive-bill-to-let-patients-opt-out-of-opioids","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6301129-fb5062319f7d7098261c68f9b35cac5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175140&Signature=hJ1DQ9lqqrUfCALPGfeb2ciknhmRESIQIWFVqM-eGm638sXccIfUlXazHDz4DrNhzyznR-oOZ7RDFh~GpaG9ch-Foh76o~FKYF1opT0Kk8kiVRv7gATOqDJRe3qk8DaQirfcm7GFjivM0ULIgdrPIITFRroMMKXWCnyfiKsHEhY8IpLEy~JRbO9r0GhZ42te0bIpzEdlieiRU7ap5UxcBmLu7ebVsSlzXgUMN2YUsrc~rpGKpQGJxopIqYX0dI0pxzYvAX9dqpT9zjbQz9eP9kLPMNeElGMTgYvUVhjlrDClR0hS1TFCiPUVSBkTBHdnpZIn0CPlFQ4tCejTQFrUvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 714, which would create a voluntary non‑opioid advance directive allowing patients to record a preference not to be offered or administered opioids, advanced out of the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy on unanimous voice vote.

Senator Lori Harrell, the bill sponsor, told the committee the proposed directive would let patients “notify healthcare professionals of their desire not to be offered or administered to administrate, opioids in their treatment, even in situations where the patient is incapacitated or unable to communicate.” The bill asks the Department of Health to develop a form that a patient and physician could sign and, if requested by the patient, file in the patient’s electronic medical record.

Nut graf: Backers described the directive as an additional tool to protect patients who do not want opioids in their care plans; the measure would not alter other advance directives, would be revocable by the patient and would not prevent clinicians from discussing treatment options.

Provisions and protections
- The bill directs the Department of Health to develop a voluntary form for patients to record a preference to avoid opioids and authorizes filing it in the patient’s electronic medical record. Sponsor Harrell said that as electronic‑record integration grows, patients should also provide copies to their clinicians.

- Liability shield: The bill includes civil and criminal liability protection for health‑care professionals who administer opioids in emergency situations without actual knowledge of the patient’s non‑opioid directive.

- Scope: Harrell emphasized the measure is voluntary, does not change other advance directives and can be rescinded at any time. “It’s just another toolbox and a tool of Floridians to protect their health and safety,” Harrell said in closing.

Questions and committee action
Senator Erin Burman asked how patients would be notified that the non‑opioid directive is available; Harrell said it would be part of the usual materials provided when people consider advance directives and could be offered by attorneys or advisors who handle surrogate decisions.

With no appearance cards for or against and no substantive debate, the committee called the roll and recorded support. The committee clerk reported: “By your vote Senate Bill 7 14 will be reported favorably.”

Ending note: Sponsors and committee members said the bill is voluntary and intended to add a tool for patients and clinicians; no implementation timeline or education campaign was specified during the hearing.","Senate Bill 714 would create a voluntary non‑opioid advance directive form to record a patient's preference to avoid opioids, allow inclusion in electronic medical records, and provide criminal and civil liability protection for clinicians who unknowingly give opioids in emergencies; the committee voted to report the bill favorably.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate advances bill to expand nursing‑home reporting, require medical‑director credentials and patient surveys

Senate panel advances bill tightening standards for nursing education after low NCLEX pass rates

Committee advances voluntary non‑opioid advance directive bill to let patients opt out of opioids