PCS for HB 1325 (2026): An act relating to the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund
Summary
PCS for HB 1325 (2026), a bill to be entitled “An act relating to the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund.” The title lists authorizing dollar-to-dollar matches of funds for certain contributions by persons or entities to an institution. It also lists revising Board of Governors and State Board of Education duties to adopt regulations and rules to administer the program. The text states that the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer the fund. Section 2 states that the act takes effect July 1, 2026.
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“PCS for HB 1325 (2026): An act relating to the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund.”
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
PCS for HB 1325 2026
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Linking Industry to Nursing
3 Education Fund; amending s. 1009.8962, F.S.; revising
4 legislative intent to incentivize collaboraton with
5 other persons and entities that contribute monetary or
6 nonmonetary contributions; authorizing dollar-to-
7 dollar matches of funds for certain contributions by
8 persons or entities to an institution; revising Board
9 of Governors and State Board of Education duties to
10 adopt regulations and reules, respectively, to
11 administer the program; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Section 1009.8962, Florida Statutes, is amended
16 to read:
17 1009.8962 Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE)
18 Fund.—
19 (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
20 "Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund Act."
21 (2) Recognizing that the state has a persistent and
22 growing nursing shortage, it is the intent of the Legislature to
23 address this critical workforce need by incentivizing
24 collaboration between nursing education programs, and health
25 care partners, and other persons and entities, that contribute
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PCS for HB 1325 2026
26 monetary or nonmonetary contributions, through the establishment
27 of the LINE Fund. This fund is intended to meet local, regional,
28 and state workforce demand by recruiting faculty and clinical
29 preceptors, increasing the capacity of high-quality nursing
30 education programs, and increasing the number of nursing
31 education program graduates who are prepared to enter the
32 workforce.
33 (3) As used in this section, the term:
34 (a) "Health care partner" means a health care provider as
35 defined in s. 768.38(2).
36 (b) "Institution" means a school district career center
37 under s. 1001.44; a charter technical career center under s.
38 1002.34; a Florida College System institution; a state
39 university; an independent nonprofit college or university
40 located and chartered in this state and accredited by an agency
41 or association that is recognized by the database created and
42 maintained by the United States Department of Education to grant
43 baccalaureate degrees; or an independent school, college, or
44 university with an accredited program as defined in s. 464.003
45 which is located in this state and licensed by the Commission
46 for Independent Education pursuant to s. 1005.31, or an
47 institution authorized under s. 1009.521, which has a nursing
48 education program that meets or exceeds the following:
49 1. For a certified nursing assistant program, a completion
50 rate of at least 70 percent for the prior year.
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51 2. For a licensed practical nurse, associate of science in
52 nursing, and bachelor of science in nursing program, a first-
53 time passage rate on the National Council of State Boards of
54 Nursing Licensing Examination of at least 75 percent for the
55 prior year based on a minimum of 10 testing participants.
56 (c) "Student" means a person who is a resident for tuition
57 purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 and enrolled in a nursing
58 education program at an institution.
59 (4) The LINE Fund shall be administered by the Board of
60 Governors for state universities and the Department of Education
61 for all other institutions.
62 (5) Subject to available funds, for every monetary or
63 nonmonetary contribution dollar contributed to an institution by
64 a health care partner or other person or entity, the fund shall
65 provide a dollar-to-dollar match to the participating
66 institution. Monetary and nonmonetary contributions from health
67 care partners shall receive priority when awarding matching
68 funds to institutions.
69 (6)(a) Funds may be used for student scholarships,
70 recruitment of additional faculty, equipment, and simulation
71 centers to advance high-quality nursing education programs
72 throughout the state.
73 (b) Funds may not be used for the construction of new
74 buildings.
75 (7)(a) To participate, an institution must submit a timely
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76 and completed proposal to the Board of Governors or Department
77 of Education, in a format prescribed by the Board of Governors
78 or Department of Education, as applicable.
79 (b) The proposal must identify a health care partner
80 located and licensed to operate in the state or other person or
81 entity whose monetary contributions will be matched by the fund
82 on a dollar-to-dollar basis.
83 (c) A proposal may not be comprised solely of nonmonetary
84 contributions.
85 (8) The Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
86 applicable, must review and evaluate each completed and timely
87 submitted proposal according to the following minimum criteria:
88 (a) Whether monetary and nonmonetary contributions funds
89 committed by the health care partner or other person or entity
90 will contribute to an eligible purpose.
91 (b) How the institution plans to use the funds or
92 nonmonetary contribution, including how such funds or
93 nonmonetary contribution will be utilized to increase student
94 enrollment and program completion.
95 (c) How the health care partner will onboard and retain
96 graduates.
97 (d) How the funds or nonomonetary contribution will expand
98 the institution's nursing education programs to meet local,
99 regional, or state workforce demands. If applicable, this shall
100 include advanced education nursing programs and how the funds or
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101 nonmonetary contribution will increase the number of faculty and
102 clinical preceptors and planned efforts to utilize the clinical
103 placement process established in s. 14.36.
104 (9)(a) Each institution with an approved proposal shall
105 notify the Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
106 applicable, upon receipt of the health care partner provided
107 funds or nonmonetary contribution identified in the proposal.
108 The Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
109 applicable, shall release grant funds, on a dollar-for-dollar
110 basis, up to the amount of funds or the fair market value of the
111 nonmonetary contribution received by the institution.
112 (b) Annually, by February 1, each institution awarded
113 grant funds in the previous fiscal year shall submit a report to
114 the Board of Governors or Department of Education, as
115 applicable, that demonstrates the expansion as outlined in the
116 proposal and the use of funds. At minimum, the report must
117 include, by program level, the number of additional nursing
118 education students enrolled; if scholarships were awarded using
119 grant funds, the number of students who received scholarships
120 and the average award amount; and the outcomes of students as
121 reported by the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help
122 pursuant to s. 14.36(3)(l).
123 (10) The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and
124 the State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer the
125 fund, establish dates for the submission and review of
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126 proposals, award funds, determine under what circumstances
127 nonmonetary contributions may be considered, how the fair market
128 value of such nonmonetary contributions may be determined, and
129 other regulations and rules necessary to implement this section.
130 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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