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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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to reciprocity or endorsement of 2
licensure; amending s. 455.213, F.S.; providing 3
requirements for the applicable board, or the 4
Department of Business and Professional Regulation if 5
there is no board, relating to licensure by 6
reciprocity and by endorsement; defining the term 7
"basis license"; creating s. 455.2135, F.S.; requiring 8
the respective boards of occupations, or the 9
department if there is no board, to allow licensure by 10
endorsement if the applicant meets certain criteria; 11
requiring applicants of professions that require 12
fingerprints for criminal history checks to submit 13
such fingerprints before the board or department 14
issues a license by endorsement; requiring the 15
department, and authorizing the board, to review the 16
results of the crimi nal history checks according to 17
specific criteria to determine if the applicants meet 18
the requirements for licensure; requiring that the 19
costs associated with fingerprint processing be borne 20
by the applicant; requiring certain agencies or 21
vendors to collect fingerprint processing fees and 22
remit such fees to the Department of Law Enforcement; 23
providing an exemption; creating s. 456.0145, F.S.; 24
providing a short title; requiring the applicable 25
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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
health care regulatory boards, or the Department of 26
Health if there is no board, to issue a license or 27
certificate to applicants who meet specified 28
conditions; defining the term "scope of practice"; 29
requiring the department to verify certain information 30
using the National Practitioner Data Bank, as 31
applicable; specifying circumstances under which a 32
person is ineligible for a license; authorizing boards 33
or the department, as applicable, to revoke a license 34
upon a specified finding; requiring boards or the 35
department, as applicable, to issue licenses within a 36
specified timeframe; authorizing boards or the 37
department, as applicable, to require that applicants 38
successfully complete a jurisprudential examination 39
under certain circumstances; requiring the department 40
to submit an annual report to the Governor and the 41
Legislature by a specified date; providing 42
requirements for the report; requiring boards and the 43
department, as applicable, to adopt certain rules 44
within a specified timeframe; amending ss. 457.105, 45
458.313, 464.009, 464.203, 465.0075, 467.0125, 46
468.1185, 468.1705, 46 8.209, 468.513, 478.47, 480.041, 47
484.007, 486.081, 486.107, 490.006, and 491.006, F.S.; 48
revising licensure by endorsement requirements for the 49
practice of acupuncture, medicine, professional or 50
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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
practical nursing, certified nursing assistants, 51
pharmacy, midwifery, speech-language pathology and 52
audiology, nursing home administration, dietetics and 53
nutrition, electrology, massage therapy, opticianry, 54
physical therapy, physical therapist assistantship, 55
psychology and school psychology, and clinical social 56
work, marriage and family therapy, and mental health 57
counseling, respectively; repealing s. 468.213, F.S.; 58
relating to licensure by endorsement for occupational 59
therapy; amending ss. 486.031 and 486.102, F.S.; 60
conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 61
authorizing boards and the Department of Health, as 62
applicable, to continue processing applications for 63
licensure by endorsement, as authorized under the 64
Florida Statutes (2023), for a specified timeframe; 65
providing an effective date. 66
67
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 68
69
Section 1. Subsection (15) of section 455.213, Florida 70
Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (16), and a new subsection 71
(15) is added to that section to read: 72
455.213 General licensing provisions. — 73
(15)(a) Before the board, or the department if there is no 74
board, may deny an application for licensure by reciprocity or 75
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by endorsement, the board, or the department if there is no 76
board, must make a finding that the basis license in another 77
jurisdiction is or is not substantially equivalent to or is 78
otherwise insufficient for a license in this state. 79
(b) If the board, or the department if there is no board, 80
finds that the basis license in another jurisdiction is not 81
substantially equivalent to or is otherwise i nsufficient for a 82
license in this state and there are no other grounds to deny the 83
application for licensure, within 7 business days after being 84
notified of such finding, the applicant may request that the 85
finding be submitted to the secretary for review. Within 7 86
business days after receiving such request, the secretary must 87
review the finding and either agree or disagree with the 88
finding. If the secretary agrees with the finding, the 89
application for licensure may be denied. If the secretary 90
disagrees with the finding, the application for licensure must 91
be approved unless other grounds for denial exist. The decision 92
must be entered according to the secretary's finding, unless 93
other grounds for denial exist. 94
(c) If the secretary finds that the requirements of a 95
basis license in another jurisdiction are substantially 96
equivalent to or are otherwise sufficient for a license in this 97
state, the board, or the department if there is no board, must 98
make the same finding for similar applicants from the same 99
jurisdiction, unless the requirements of the basis license 100
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change. 101
(d) As used in this subsection, the term "basis license" 102
means the license or the licensure requirements of another 103
jurisdiction which are used to meet the requirements for a 104
license in this stat e. 105
Section 2. Section 455.2135, Florida Statutes, is created 106
to read: 107
455.2135 Interstate mobility. - 108
(1) When endorsement based on years of licensure is not 109
otherwise provided by law in the practice act for a profession, 110
the board, or the departmen t if there is no board, shall allow 111
licensure by endorsement for any individual applying who: 112
(a) Has held a valid, current license to practice the 113
profession issued by another state or territory of the United 114
States for at least 5 years before the date of application and 115
is applying for the same or similar license in this state; 116
(b) Submits an application either when the license in 117
another state or territory of the United States is active or 118
within 2 years after such license was last active; 119
(c) Has passed the recognized national licensing exam, if 120
such exam is established as a requirement for licensure in the 121
profession; 122
(d) Has no pending disciplinary actions and all sanctions 123
of any prior disciplinary actions have been satisfied; 124
(e) Shows proof of compliance with any federal regulation, 125
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training, or certification, if the applicant's profession 126
requires such proof, regarding licensure in the profession; 127
(f) Completes Florida -specific continuing education 128
courses or passes a juri sprudential examination specific to the 129
state laws and rules for the applicable profession as 130
established by the board, or the department if there is no 131
board, if required by the practice act; and 132
(g) Complies with any insurance or bonding requirements a s 133
required for the profession. 134
(2) If the applicant's profession requires, the applicant 135
must submit a complete set of fingerprints to the Department of 136
Law Enforcement for a statewide criminal history check. The 137
Department of Law Enforcement shall forwa rd the fingerprints to 138
the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal 139
history check. The department shall, and the board may, review 140
the results of the criminal history checks according to the 141
level 2 screening standards in s. 435.04 and deter mine whether 142
the applicant meets the licensure requirements. The costs of 143
fingerprint processing are borne by the applicant. If the 144
applicant's fingerprints are submitted through an authorized 145
agency or vendor, the agency or vendor must collect the require d 146
processing fees and remit the fees to the Department of Law 147
Enforcement. 148
(3) This section does not apply to harbor pilots licensed 149
under chapter 310. 150
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Section 3. Section 456.0145, Florida Statutes, is created 151
to read: 152
456.0145 Mobile Opportunity b y Interstate Licensure 153
Endorsement (MOBILE) Act. - 154
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the "Mobile 155
Opportunity by Interstate Licensure Endorsement Act" or the 156
"MOBILE Act." 157
(2) LICENSURE BY ENDORSEMENT. — 158
(a) An applicable board, or the depar tment if there is no 159
board, shall issue a license to practice in this state to an 160
applicant who: 161
1. Submits a complete application. 162
2. Holds an active, unencumbered license issued by another 163
state, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United 164
States in a profession with a similar scope of practice, as 165
determined by the board or department, as applicable. The term 166
"scope of practice" means the full spectrum of functions, 167
procedures, actions, and services that a health care 168
practitioner is deeme d competent and authorized to perform under 169
a license issued in this state. 170
3. Has obtained a passing score on a national licensure 171
examination, or national certification, as applicable, for which 172
profession the applicant is seeking licensure in this sta te, or 173
meets the requirements of paragraph (b). 174
4. Has actively practiced the profession for which the 175
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applicant is applying for at least 2 of the 4 years preceding 176
the date of submission of the application. 177
5. Attests that he or she is not, at the tim e of 178
submission of the application, the subject of a disciplinary 179
proceeding in a jurisdiction in which he or she holds a license 180
or by the United States Department of Defense for reasons 181
related to the practice of the profession for which he or she is 182
applying. 183
6. Has not had disciplinary action taken against him or 184
her in the 5 years preceding the date of submission of the 185
application 186
7. Meets the financial responsibility requirements of s. 187
456.048 or the applicable practice act, if required for the 188
profession for which the applicant is seeking licensure. 189
8. Submits a set of fingerprints for a background 190
screening pursuant to s. 456.0135, if required for the 191
profession for which he or she is applying. 192
193
The department shall verify information submitte d by the 194
applicant under this subsection using the National Practitioner 195
Data Bank. 196
(b) An applicant for a profession that does not require a 197
national examination or national certification is eligible for 198
licensure if an applicable board, or the departme nt if there is 199
no board, determines that the jurisdiction in which the 200
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applicant currently holds an active, unencumbered license meets 201
established minimum education requirements and, if applicable, 202
examination, work experience, and clinical supervision 203
requirements that are substantially similar to the requirements 204
for licensure in that profession in this state. 205
(c) An applicant is ineligible for a license pursuant to 206
this section if he or she: 207
1. Has a complaint, allegation, or investigation pending 208
before a licensing entity in another state, the District of 209
Columbia, or a possession or territory of the United States; 210
2. Has been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to, 211
regardless of adjudication, any felony or misdemeanor related to 212
the practice of a health care profession; 213
3. Has had a health care provider license revoked or 214
suspended in another state, the District of Columbia, or a 215
territory of the United States or has voluntarily surrendered 216
any such license in lieu of having disciplinary action taken 217
against the license; or 218
4. Has been reported to the National Practitioner Data 219
Bank, unless the applicant has successfully appealed to have his 220
or her name removed from the data bank. 221
(d) The board, or the department if there is no board, may 222
revoke a license upon finding that the applicant provided false 223
or misleading material information or intentionally omitted 224
material information in an application for licensure. 225
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(e) The board, or the department if there is no board, 226
shall issue a license to a qualified applicant within 7 days 227
after receipt of all required documentation for an application. 228
(f) The board, or the department if there is no board, 229
shall comply with the requirements of s. 456.025. 230
(3) STATE EXAMINATION. —The board, or the department if 231
there is no board, may require the applicant to successfully 232
complete a jurisprudential examination specific to relevant 233
state laws that regulate the profession, if this chapter or the 234
applicable practice act requires such examination. 235
(4) ANNUAL REPORT.—By December 31 of each year, the 236
department shall submit to the Governor, the President of the 237
Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report 238
that provides all of the following information for the previous 239
fiscal year: 240
(a) The number of applications for licensure or 241
certification received under this section, distinguished by 242
profession. 243
(b) The number of licenses or certifications issued under 244
this section. 245
(c) The number of applications submitted under this 246
section which were denied and the reason for such denials. 247
(d) The number of complaints, investigations, or other 248
disciplinary actions taken against health care practitioners who 249
are licensed or certified under this section. 250
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(5) RULES.—By December 1, 2024, eac h applicable board, or 251
the department if there is no board, shall adopt rules to 252
implement this section. 253
Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 254
457.105, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 255
457.105 Licensure qualifications and fees. — 256
(2) A person may become licensed to practice acupuncture 257
if the person applies to the department and: 258
(c) Has successfully completed a board -approved national 259
certification process, meets the requirements for licensure by 260
endorsement under s. 456.0145 is actively licensed in a state 261
that has examination requirements that are substantially 262
equivalent to or more stringent than those of this state , or 263
passes an examination administered by the department, which 264
examination tests the applicant's competency a nd knowledge of 265
the practice of acupuncture and oriental medicine. At the 266
request of any applicant, oriental nomenclature for the points 267
shall be used in the examination. The examination shall include 268
a practical examination of the knowledge and skills req uired to 269
practice modern and traditional acupuncture and oriental 270
medicine, covering diagnostic and treatment techniques and 271
procedures; and 272
Section 5. Section 458.313, Florida Statutes, is amended 273
to read: 274
458.313 Licensure by endorsement; requireme nts; fees.— 275
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(1) The department shall issue a license by endorsement to 276
any applicant who, upon applying to the department on forms 277
furnished by the department and remitting a fee set by the board 278
not to exceed $500, the board certifies has met the requirements 279
for licensure by endorsement under s. 456.0145. : 280
(a) Has met the qualifications for licensure in s. 281
458.311(1)(b)-(g) or in s. 458.311(1)(b) -(e) and (g) and (3); 282
(b) Prior to January 1, 2000, has obtained a passing 283
score, as established by rule of the board, on the licensure 284
examination of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the 285
United States, Inc. (FLEX), on the United States Medical 286
Licensing Examination (USMLE), or on the examination of the 287
National Board of Medical Examiners, or on a co mbination 288
thereof, and on or after January 1, 2000, has obtained a passing 289
score on the United States Medical Licensing Examination 290
(USMLE); and 291
(c) Has submitted evidence of the active licensed practice 292
of medicine in another jurisdiction, for at least 2 of the 293
immediately preceding 4 years, or evidence of successful 294
completion of either a board -approved postgraduate training 295
program within 2 years preceding filing of an application or a 296
board-approved clinical competency examination within the year 297
preceding the filing of an application for licensure. For 298
purposes of this paragraph, "active licensed practice of 299
medicine" means that practice of medicine by physicians, 300
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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
including those employed by any governmental entity in community 301
or public health, as de fined by this chapter, medical directors 302
under s. 641.495(11) who are practicing medicine, and those on 303
the active teaching faculty of an accredited medical school. 304
(2) The board may require an applicant for licensure by 305
endorsement to take and pass the appropriate licensure 306
examination prior to certifying the applicant as eligible for 307
licensure. 308
(3) The department and the board shall ensure that 309
applicants for licensure by endorsement meet applicable criteria 310
in this chapter through an investigative pr ocess. When the 311
investigative process is not completed within the time set out 312
in s. 120.60(1) and the department or board has reason to 313
believe that the applicant does not meet the criteria, the State 314
Surgeon General or the State Surgeon General's designe e may 315
issue a 90-day licensure delay which shall be in writing and 316
sufficient to notify the applicant of the reason for the delay. 317
The provisions of this subsection shall control over any 318
conflicting provisions of s. 120.60(1). 319
(4) The board may promulga te rules and regulations, to be 320
applied on a uniform and consistent basis, which may be 321
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. 322
(5) Upon certification by the board, the department shall 323
impose conditions, limitations, or restrictions on a license by 324
endorsement if the applicant is on probation in another 325
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jurisdiction for an act which would constitute a violation of 326
this chapter. 327
(6) The department shall not issue a license by 328
endorsement to any applicant who is under investigation in any 329
jurisdiction for an act or offense which would constitute a 330
violation of this chapter until such time as the investigation 331
is complete, at which time the provisions of s. 458.331 shall 332
apply. Furthermore, the department may not issue an unrestricted 333
license to any individual who has committed any act or offense 334
in any jurisdiction which would constitute the basis for 335
disciplining a physician pursuant to s. 458.331. When the board 336
finds that an individual has committed an act or offense in any 337
jurisdiction which would constitute the basis for disciplining a 338
physician pursuant to s. 458.331, the board may enter an order 339
imposing one or more of the terms set forth in subsection (7). 340
(7) When the board determines that any applicant for 341
licensure by endorsement has failed to meet, to the board's 342
satisfaction, each of the appropriate requirements set forth in 343
this section, it may enter an order requiring one or more of the 344
following terms: 345
(a) Refusal to certify to the department an application 346
for licensure, certification, or registration; 347
(b) Certification to the department of an application for 348
licensure, certification, or registration with restrictions on 349
the scope of practice of the licensee; or 350
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(c) Certification to the department of an application for 351
licensure, certification, or registration with placement of the 352
physician on probation for a period of time and subject to such 353
conditions as the board may specify, including, but not limited 354
to, requiring the physician to submit to treatment, attend 355
continuing education courses, submit to reexamination, or work 356
under the supervision of another physician. 357
Section 6. Section 464.009, Florida Statutes, is amended 358
to read: 359
464.009 Licensure by endorsement. — 360
(1) The department shall issue the appropriate license by 361
endorsement to practice professional or practical nursing to an 362
applicant who, upon applying to the department and remitting a 363
fee set by the board not to exceed $100, demonstrates to the 364
board that he or she meets the requirements for licensure by 365
endorsement under s. 456.0145. : 366
(a) Holds a valid license to practice professional or 367
practical nursing in another state or territory of the United 368
States, provided that, when the applicant secured his or her 369
original license, the requirements for licensure were 370
substantially equivalent to or more stringent than those 371
existing in Florida at that time; 372
(b) Meets the qualifications for licensure in s. 464.008 373
and has successfully completed a state, regional , or national 374
examination which is substantially equivalent to or more 375
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stringent than the examination given by the department; or 376
(c) Has actively practiced nursing in another state, 377
jurisdiction, or territory of the United States for 2 of the 378
preceding 3 years without having his or her license acted 379
against by the licensing authority of any jurisdiction. 380
Applicants who become licensed pursuant to this paragraph must 381
complete within 6 months after licensure a Florida laws and 382
rules course that is approved by the board. Once the department 383
has received the results of the national criminal history check 384
and has determined that the applicant has no criminal history, 385
the appropriate license by endorsement shall be issued to the 386
applicant. 387
(2) Such examinatio ns and requirements from other states 388
and territories of the United States shall be presumed to be 389
substantially equivalent to or more stringent than those in this 390
state. Such presumption shall not arise until January 1, 1980. 391
However, the board may, by ru le, specify states and territories 392
the examinations and requirements of which shall not be presumed 393
to be substantially equivalent to those of this state. 394
(3) An applicant for licensure by endorsement who is 395
relocating to this state pursuant to his or he r military-396
connected spouse's official military orders and who is licensed 397
in another state that is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact 398
shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of subsection 399
(1) and shall be issued a license by endorsement up on submission 400
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of the appropriate application and fees and completion of the 401
criminal background check required under subsection (4). 402
(4) The applicant must submit to the department a set of 403
fingerprints on a form and under procedures specified by the 404
department, along with a payment in an amount equal to the costs 405
incurred by the Department of Health for the criminal background 406
check of the applicant. The Department of Health shall submit 407
the fingerprints provided by the applicant to the Florida 408
Department of Law Enforcement for a statewide criminal history 409
check, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shall 410
forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation 411
for a national criminal history check of the applicant. The 412
Department of Health shall review the results of the criminal 413
history check, issue a license to an applicant who has met all 414
of the other requirements for licensure and has no criminal 415
history, and shall refer all applicants with criminal histories 416
back to the board for dete rmination as to whether a license 417
should be issued and under what conditions. 418
(5) The department shall not issue a license by 419
endorsement to any applicant who is under investigation in 420
another state, jurisdiction, or territory of the United States 421
for an act which would constitute a violation of this part or 422
chapter 456 until such time as the investigation is complete, at 423
which time the provisions of s. 464.018 shall apply. 424
(6) The department shall develop an electronic applicant 425
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notification process an d provide electronic notification when 426
the application has been received and when background screenings 427
have been completed, and shall issue a license within 30 days 428
after completion of all required data collection and 429
verification. This 30 -day period to issue a license shall be 430
tolled if the applicant must appear before the board due to 431
information provided on the application or obtained through 432
screening and data collection and verification procedures. 433
(7) A person holding an active multistate license i n 434
another state pursuant to s. 464.0095 is exempt from the 435
requirements for licensure by endorsement in this section. 436
Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 437
464.203, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 438
464.203 Certified nursing assis tants; certification 439
requirement.— 440
(1) The board shall issue a certificate to practice as a 441
certified nursing assistant to any person who demonstrates a 442
minimum competency to read and write and successfully passes the 443
required background screening pursua nt to s. 400.215. If the 444
person has successfully passed the required background screening 445
pursuant to s. 400.215 or s. 408.809 within 90 days before 446
applying for a certificate to practice and the person's 447
background screening results are not retained in th e 448
clearinghouse created under s. 435.12, the board shall waive the 449
requirement that the applicant successfully pass an additional 450
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background screening pursuant to s. 400.215. The person must 451
also meet one of the following requirements: 452
(c) Has been deemed by the board as eligible for licensure 453
by endorsement under s. 456.0145 Is currently certified in 454
another state or territory of the United States or in the 455
District of Columbia; is listed on that jurisdiction's certified 456
nursing assistant registry; and h as not been found to have 457
committed abuse, neglect, or exploitation in that jurisdiction . 458
Section 8. Section 465.0075, Florida Statutes, is amended 459
to read: 460
465.0075 Licensure by endorsement; requirements; fee. — 461
(1) The department shall issue a lic ense by endorsement to 462
any applicant who applies to the department and remits a 463
nonrefundable fee of not more than $100, as set by the board, 464
and whom the board certifies has met the requirements for 465
licensure by endorsement under s. 456.0145. : 466
(a) Has met the qualifications for licensure in s. 467
465.007(1)(b) and (c); 468
(b) Has obtained a passing score, as established by rule 469
of the board, on the licensure examination of the National 470
Association of Boards of Pharmacy or a similar nationally 471
recognized examination, if the board certifies that the 472
applicant has taken the required examination; 473
(c)1. Has submitted evidence of the active licensed 474
practice of pharmacy, including practice in community or public 475
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health by persons employed by a governmental entity , in another 476
jurisdiction for at least 2 of the immediately preceding 5 years 477
or evidence of successful completion of board -approved 478
postgraduate training or a board -approved clinical competency 479
examination within the year immediately preceding application 480
for licensure; or 481
2. Has completed an internship meeting the requirements of 482
s. 465.007(1)(c) within the 2 years immediately preceding 483
application; and 484
(d) Has obtained a passing score on the pharmacy 485
jurisprudence portions of the licensure examination, as required 486
by board rule. 487
(2) An applicant licensed in another state for a period in 488
excess of 2 years from the date of application for licensure in 489
this state shall submit a total of at least 30 hours of board -490
approved continuing education for the 2 calendar years 491
immediately preceding application. 492
(3) The department may not issue a license by endorsement 493
to any applicant who is under investigation in any jurisdiction 494
for an act or offense that would constitute a violation of this 495
chapter until the investigation is complete, at which time the 496
provisions of s. 465.016 apply. 497
(4) The department may not issue a license by endorsement 498
to any applicant whose license to practice pharmacy has been 499
suspended or revoked in another state or who is currently the 500
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subject of any disciplinary proceeding in another state. 501
Section 9. Subsection (1) of section 467.0125, Florida 502
Statutes, is amended to read: 503
467.0125 Licensed midwives; qualifications; endorsement; 504
temporary certificates. — 505
(1) The department shall issue a license by endorsement to 506
practice midwifery to an applicant who , upon applying to the 507
department, demonstrates to the department that she or he meets 508
all of the requirements for licensure by endorsement under s. 509
456.0145 and following criteria: 510
(a) Holds an active, unencumbered license to practice 511
midwifery in another state, jurisdiction, or territory, provided 512
the licensing requirements of that state, jurisdiction, or 513
territory at the time the license was issued were substantiall y 514
equivalent to or exceeded those established under this chapter 515
and the rules adopted hereunder. 516
(b) Has successfully completed a prelicensure course 517
conducted by an accredited and approved midwifery program. 518
(c) submits an application for licensure on a form 519
approved by the department and pays the appropriate fee. 520
Section 10. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 468.1185, 521
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 522
468.1185 Licensure. — 523
(3) The board shall certi fy as qualified for a license by 524
endorsement as a speech -language pathologist or audiologist an 525
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applicant who: 526
(a) Holds a valid license or certificate in another state 527
or territory of the United States to practice the profession for 528
which the applicatio n for licensure is made, if the criteria for 529
issuance of such license were substantially equivalent to or 530
more stringent than the licensure criteria which existed in this 531
state at the time the license was issued; or 532
(b) Holds a valid certificate of clini cal competence of 533
the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association or board 534
certification in audiology from the American Board of Audiology. 535
(4) The board may refuse to certify any applicant who is 536
under investigation in any jurisdiction for an act w hich would 537
constitute a violation of this part or chapter 456 until the 538
investigation is complete and disciplinary proceedings have been 539
terminated. 540
Section 11. Subsection (4) of section 468.1705, Florida 541
Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (3), and present 542
subsections (1), (2), and (3) of that section are amended to 543
read: 544
468.1705 Licensure by endorsement; temporary license. — 545
(1) The department shall issue a license by endorsement to 546
any applicant who, upon applying to the department and remittin g 547
a fee set by the board not to exceed $500, demonstrates to the 548
board that he or she meets the requirements for licensure by 549
endorsement under s. 456.0145. : 550
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(a) Meets one of the following requirements: 551
1. Holds a valid active license to practice nursi ng home 552
administration in another state of the United States, provided 553
that the current requirements for licensure in that state are 554
substantially equivalent to, or more stringent than, current 555
requirements in this state; or 556
2. Meets the qualifications f or licensure in s. 468.1695; 557
and 558
(b)1. Has successfully completed a national examination 559
which is substantially equivalent to, or more stringent than, 560
the examination given by the department; 561
2. Has passed an examination on the laws and rules of this 562
state governing the administration of nursing homes; and 563
3. Has worked as a fully licensed nursing home 564
administrator for 2 years within the 5 -year period immediately 565
preceding the application by endorsement. 566
(2) National examinations for licensure as a nursing home 567
administrator shall be presumed to be substantially equivalent 568
to, or more stringent than, the examination and requirements in 569
this state, unless found otherwise by rule of the board. 570
(2)(3) The department may shall not issue a license by 571
endorsement or a temporary license to any applicant who is under 572
investigation in this or another state for any act which would 573
constitute a violation of this part until such time as the 574
investigation is complete and disciplinary proceedings have been 575
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terminated. 576
Section 12. Section 468.213, Florida Statutes, is 577
repealed. 578
Section 13. Section 468.513, Florida Statutes, is amended 579
to read: 580
468.513 Dietitian/nutritionist; licensure by endorsement. — 581
(1) The department shall issue a license to practic e 582
dietetics and nutrition by endorsement to any applicant who 583
meets the requirements for licensure by endorsement under s. 584
456.0145 the board certifies as qualified , upon receipt of a 585
completed application and the fee specified in s. 468.508. 586
(2) The board shall certify as qualified for licensure by 587
endorsement under this section any applicant who: 588
(a) Presents evidence satisfactory to the board that he or 589
she is a registered dietitian; or 590
(b) Holds a valid license to practice dietetics or 591
nutrition issued by another state, district, or territory of the 592
United States, if the criteria for issuance of such license are 593
determined by the board to be substantially equivalent to or 594
more stringent than those of this state. 595
(3) The department shall not issue a license by 596
endorsement under this section to any applicant who is under 597
investigation in any jurisdiction for any act which would 598
constitute a violation of this part or chapter 456 until such 599
time as the investigation is complete and disciplinary 600
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proceedings have been terminated. 601
Section 14. Section 478.47, Florida Statutes, is amended 602
to read: 603
478.47 Licensure by endorsement. —The department shall 604
issue a license by endorsement to any applicant who , upon 605
submitting submits an application and the re quired fees as set 606
forth in s. 478.55, demonstrates to the board that he or she 607
meets the requirements for licensure by endorsement under s. 608
456.0145 and who holds an active license or other authority to 609
practice electrology in a jurisdiction whose licensu re 610
requirements are determined by the board to be equivalent to the 611
requirements for licensure in this state . 612
Section 15. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) of section 613
480.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 614
480.041 Massage therapists; qualifications; licensure; 615
endorsement.— 616
(5) The board shall adopt rules: 617
(c) Specifying licensing procedures for practitioners 618
desiring to be licensed in this state who meet the requirements 619
for licensure by endorsement under s. 456.0145 or hold an active 620
license and have practiced in any other state, territory, or 621
jurisdiction of the United States or any foreign national 622
jurisdiction which has licensing standards substantially similar 623
to, equivalent to, or more stringent than the standards of this 624
state. 625
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Section 16. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 484.007, 626
Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsection (4) and (5), 627
respectively, subsection (1) is amended, and a new subsection 628
(3) is added to that section, to read: 629
484.007 Licensure of optician s; permitting of optical 630
establishments.— 631
(1) Any person desiring to practice opticianry shall apply 632
to the department, upon forms prescribed by it, to take a 633
licensure examination. The department shall examine each 634
applicant who the board certifies meets all of the following 635
criteria: 636
(a) Has completed the application form and remitted a 637
nonrefundable application fee set by the board, in the amount of 638
$100 or less, and an examination fee set by the board, in the 639
amount of $325 plus the actual per appli cant cost to the 640
department for purchase of portions of the examination from the 641
American Board of Opticianry or a similar national organization, 642
or less, and refundable if the board finds the applicant 643
ineligible to take the examination .; 644
(b) Is not younger less than 18 years of age .; 645
(c) Is a graduate of an accredited high school or 646
possesses a certificate of equivalency of a high school 647
education.; and 648
(d)1. Has received an associate degree, or its equivalent, 649
in opticianry from an educational inst itution the curriculum of 650
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which is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized and 651
approved by the United States Department of Education or the 652
Council on Postsecondary Education or approved by the board; or 653
2. Is an individual licensed to practice th e profession of 654
opticianry pursuant to a regulatory licensing law of another 655
state, territory, or jurisdiction of the United States, who has 656
actively practiced in such other state, territory, or 657
jurisdiction for more than 3 years immediately preceding 658
application, and who meets the examination qualifications as 659
provided in this subsection; 660
3. Is an individual who has actively practiced in another 661
state, territory, or jurisdiction of the United States for more 662
than 5 years immediately preceding application and who provides 663
tax or business records, affidavits, or other satisfactory 664
documentation of such practice and who meets the examination 665
qualifications as provided in this subsection; or 666
2.4. Has registered as an apprentice with the department 667
and paid a registration fee not to exceed $60, as set by rule of 668
the board. The apprentice shall complete 6,240 hours of training 669
under the supervision of an optician licensed in this state for 670
at least 1 year or of a physician or optometrist licensed under 671
the laws of this state. These requirements must be met within 5 672
years after the date of registration. However, any time spent in 673
a recognized school may be considered as part of the 674
apprenticeship program provided herein. The board may establish 675
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administrative processing fees sufficient to cover the cost of 676
administering apprentice rules as promulgated by the board. 677
(3) The board shall certify to the department for 678
licensure by endorsement any applicant who meets the 679
requirements for licensure by endorsement und er s. 456.0145. 680
Section 17. Section 486.081, Florida Statutes, is amended 681
to read: 682
486.081 Physical therapist; license by endorsement 683
issuance of license without examination to person passing 684
examination of another authorized examining board; fee .— 685
(1) The board may cause a license by endorsement to be 686
issued through the department without examination to any 687
applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the board of 688
meeting the requirements for licensure by endorsement under s. 689
456.0145 having passed the American Registry Examination prior 690
to 1971 or an examination in physical therapy before a similar 691
lawfully authorized examining board of another state, the 692
District of Columbia, a territory, or a foreign country, if the 693
standards for licensure in physical therapy in such other state, 694
district, territory, or foreign country are determined by the 695
board to be as high as those of this state, as established by 696
rules adopted pursuant to this chapter . Any person who holds a 697
license pursuant to this sectio n may use the words "physical 698
therapist" or "physiotherapist" or the letters "P.T." in 699
connection with her or his name or place of business to denote 700
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her or his licensure hereunder. A person who holds a license 701
pursuant to this section and obtains a doctor al degree in 702
physical therapy may use the letters "D.P.T." and "P.T." A 703
physical therapist who holds a degree of Doctor of Physical 704
Therapy may not use the title "doctor" without also clearly 705
informing the public of his or her profession as a physical 706
therapist. 707
(2) At the time of making application for licensure by 708
endorsement under without examination pursuant to the terms of 709
this section, the applicant shall pay to the department a fee 710
not to exceed $175 as fixed by the board, no part of which will 711
be returned. 712
Section 18. Section 486.107, Florida Statutes, is amended 713
to read: 714
486.107 Physical therapist assistant; issuance of license 715
by endorsement without examination to person licensed in another 716
jurisdiction; fee.— 717
(1) The board may cause a li cense by endorsement to be 718
issued through the department without examination to any 719
applicant who presents evidence to the board, under oath, of 720
meeting the requirements for licensure by endorsement under s. 721
456.0145 licensure in another state, the Distric t of Columbia, 722
or a territory, if the standards for registering as a physical 723
therapist assistant or licensing of a physical therapist 724
assistant, as the case may be, in such other state are 725
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determined by the board to be as high as those of this state, as 726
established by rules adopted pursuant to this chapter . Any 727
person who holds a license pursuant to this section may use the 728
words "physical therapist assistant," or the letters "P.T.A.," 729
in connection with her or his name to denote licensure 730
hereunder. 731
(2) At the time of making application for licensure by 732
endorsement under licensing without examination pursuant to the 733
terms of this section, the applicant shall pay to the department 734
a nonrefundable fee set by the board in an amount not to exceed 735
$175 as fixed by the board, no part of which will be returned . 736
Section 19. Subsection (4) of section 490.006, Florida 737
Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (2), and present 738
subsections (1), (2), and (3) of that section are amended to 739
read: 740
490.006 Licensure by endorsement.— 741
(1) The department shall license a person as a 742
psychologist or school psychologist who, upon applying to the 743
department and remitting the appropriate fee, demonstrates to 744
the department or, in the case of psychologists, to the board 745
that the applicant meets the requirements for licensure by 746
endorsement under s. 456.0145. : 747
(a) Is a diplomate in good standing with the American 748
Board of Professional Psychology, Inc.; or 749
(b) Possesses a doctoral degree in psychology and has at 750
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least 10 years of experience as a licensed psychologist in any 751
jurisdiction or territory of the United States within the 25 752
years preceding the date of application. 753
(2) In addition to meeting the requirements for licensure 754
set forth in subsection (1), an applicant mus t pass that portion 755
of the psychology or school psychology licensure examinations 756
pertaining to the laws and rules related to the practice of 757
psychology or school psychology in this state before the 758
department may issue a license to the applicant. 759
(3) The department shall not issue a license by 760
endorsement to any applicant who is under investigation in this 761
or another jurisdiction for an act which would constitute a 762
violation of this chapter until such time as the investigation 763
is complete, at which tim e the provisions of s. 490.009 shall 764
apply. 765
Section 20. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 491.006, 766
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 767
491.006 Licensure or certification by endorsement. — 768
(1) The department shall license or grant a certificate t o 769
a person in a profession regulated by this chapter who, upon 770
applying to the department and remitting the appropriate fee, 771
demonstrates to the board that he or she meets the requirements 772
for licensure by endorsement under s. 456.0145. : 773
(a) Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of 774
the board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the 775
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practice of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, 776
and mental health counseling. 777
(b)1. Holds an active valid license to practice and has 778
actively practiced the licensed profession in another state for 779
3 of the last 5 years immediately preceding licensure; 780
2. Has passed a substantially equivalent licensing 781
examination in another state or has passed the licensure 782
examination in this state in the profession for which the 783
applicant seeks licensure; and 784
3. Holds a license in good standing, is not under 785
investigation for an act that would constitute a violation of 786
this chapter, and has not been found to have committed any act 787
that would constitute a violation of this chapter. 788
(2) The fees paid by any applicant for certification as a 789
master social worker under this section are nonrefundable. 790
(2) The department shall not issue a license or 791
certificate by endorsement to any applicant who is under 792
investigation in this or another jurisdiction for an act which 793
would constitute a violation of this chapter until such time as 794
the investigation is complete, at which time the provisions of 795
s. 491.009 shall apply . 796
Section 21. Subsection (3 ) of section 468.209, Florida 797
Statutes, is amended to read: 798
468.209 Requirements for licensure. — 799
(3) If the board determines that an applicant is qualified 800
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to be licensed by endorsement under s. 456.0145 s. 468.213, the 801
board may issue the applicant a temporary permit to practice 802
occupational therapy until the next board meeting at which 803
license applications are to be considered, but not for a longer 804
period of time. Only one temporary permit by endorsement shall 805
be issued to an applicant, and it shall n ot be renewable. 806
Section 22. Subsection (3) of section 486.031, Florida 807
Statutes, is amended to read: 808
486.031 Physical therapist; licensing requirements. —To be 809
eligible for licensing as a physical therapist, an applicant 810
must: 811
(3)(a) Have been grad uated from a school of physical 812
therapy which has been approved for the educational preparation 813
of physical therapists by the appropriate accrediting agency 814
recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary 815
Accreditation or the United States Dep artment of Education at 816
the time of her or his graduation and have passed, to the 817
satisfaction of the board, the American Registry Examination 818
prior to 1971 or a national examination approved by the board to 819
determine her or his fitness for practice as a p hysical 820
therapist as hereinafter provided; 821
(b) Have received a diploma from a program in physical 822
therapy in a foreign country and have educational credentials 823
deemed equivalent to those required for the educational 824
preparation of physical therapists in this country, as 825
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recognized by the appropriate agency as identified by the board, 826
and have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination 827
to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical 828
therapist as hereinafter provided; or 829
(c) Be entitled to licensure by endorsement or without 830
examination as provided in s. 486.081. 831
Section 23. Subsection (3) of section 486.102, Florida 832
Statutes, is amended to read: 833
486.102 Physical therapist assistant; licensing 834
requirements.—To be eligible for l icensing by the board as a 835
physical therapist assistant, an applicant must: 836
(3)(a) Have been graduated from a school giving a course 837
of not less than 2 years for physical therapist assistants, 838
which has been approved for the educational preparation of 839
physical therapist assistants by the appropriate accrediting 840
agency recognized by the Commission on Recognition of 841
Postsecondary Accreditation or the United States Department of 842
Education, at the time of her or his graduation and have passed 843
to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine her 844
or his fitness for practice as a physical therapist assistant as 845
hereinafter provided; 846
(b) Have been graduated from a school giving a course for 847
physical therapist assistants in a foreign country and have 848
educational credentials deemed equivalent to those required for 849
the educational preparation of physical therapist assistants in 850
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this country, as recognized by the appropriate agency as 851
identified by the board, and passed to the satisfaction of the 852
board an examination to determine her or his fitness for 853
practice as a physical therapist assistant as hereinafter 854
provided; 855
(c) Be entitled to licensure by endorsement without 856
examination as provided in s. 486.107; or 857
(d) Have been enrolled between July 1, 20 14, and July 1, 858
2016, in a physical therapist assistant school in this state 859
which was accredited at the time of enrollment; and 860
1. Have been graduated or be eligible to graduate from 861
such school no later than July 1, 2018; and 862
2. Have passed to the sa tisfaction of the board an 863
examination to determine his or her fitness for practice as a 864
physical therapist assistant as provided in s. 486.104. 865
Section 24. Notwithstanding the changes made to the 866
Florida Statutes (2023) by this act, a board as defined in s. 867
456.001, Florida Statutes, or the Department of Health, as 868
applicable, may continue processing applications for licensure 869
by endorsement as authorized under the Florida Statutes (2023) 870
until the rules adopted by such board or the department to 871
implement the changes made by this act take effect or until 6 872
months after the effective date of this act, whichever occurs 873
first. 874
Section 25. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 875