Full Practice Authority moves to House BIll 7053

During the FLorida House Health and Human Services Committee Representative Dr. Cary Pigman moved language addressing full practice authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses from HB 607 Health Care Practitioners and inserted the language into another bill, HB 7053: Direct Care Workers. HB 7053 is now the companion bill to Florida Senate Bill 1676: Direct Care Workers (Albritton).

The two bills now have significant differences that need to be addressed and will likely be resolved during reconciliation process. Both bills include provisions that would allow certified nursing assistants to perform nursing tests when delegated by a registered nurse, established training requirements for nursing assistants to perform these tasks, creates and Excellence in Home Health Care Program within Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration and creates surveys to ascertain the impact of the legislation.

HB 7053 would allow Advanced Registered Nurses (APRNs) to Practice to the full extent of their education and training without physician supervision after meeting certain requirements.HB 7053 would also expand scope of practice for Physicians Assistants and give APRNs full signature authority.

SB 1676 Direct Care Workers has more restrictive language and would create a pilot programs that would allow APRNs to practice without physician supervision in areas designated to have significant lack of availability of primary care providers, would restrict independent practice to primary care and create an oversight committee composed primary of physicians who would have oversight of the program.

In the coming weeks House and Senate members will work to resolve the differences in the bill and forward legislation to address Florida’s healthcare needs.

You can monitor the billS at http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/7053