Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1008 By Senator Grall 29-01094A-24 20241008__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to background screening requirements 3 for health care practitioners; amending s. 456.0135, 4 F.S.; expanding certain background screening 5 requirements to apply to all health care 6 practitioners, rather than specified practitioners; 7 requiring health care practitioners licensed before a 8 specified date to comply with the background screening 9 requirements by a specified date; amending ss. 10 457.105, 463.006, 465.007, 465.0075, 465.013, 465.014, 11 466.006, 466.0067, 466.007, 467.011, 468.1185, 12 468.1215, 468.1695, 468.209, 468.213, 468.355, 13 468.358, 468.509, 468.513, 468.803, 478.45, 483.815, 14 483.901, 483.914, 484.007, 484.045, 486.031, 486.102, 15 490.005, 490.0051, 490.006, 491.0045, 491.0046, 16 491.005, and 491.006, F.S.; revising licensure, 17 registration, or certification requirements, as 18 applicable, for acupuncturists; optometrists; 19 pharmacists; pharmacist licenses by endorsement; 20 registered pharmacy interns; pharmacy technicians; 21 dentists; health access dental licenses; dental 22 hygienists; midwives; speech-language pathologists and 23 audiologists; speech-language pathology assistants and 24 audiology assistants; nursing home administrators; 25 occupational therapists and occupational therapy 26 assistants; occupational therapist and occupational 27 therapy assistant licenses by endorsement; respiratory 28 therapists; respiratory therapist licenses by 29 endorsement; dietitian/nutritionists; 30 dietitian/nutritionist licenses by endorsement; 31 practitioners of orthotics, prosthetics, or 32 pedorthics; electrologists; clinical laboratory 33 personnel; medical physicists; genetic counselors; 34 opticians; hearing aid specialists; physical 35 therapists; physical therapist assistants; 36 psychologists and school psychologists; provisional 37 licenses for psychologists; psychologist and school 38 psychologist licenses by endorsement; intern 39 registrations for clinical social work, marriage and 40 family therapy, and mental health counseling; 41 provisional licenses for clinical social workers, 42 marriage and family therapists, and mental health 43 counselors; clinical social workers, marriage and 44 family therapists, and mental health counselors; and 45 clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, 46 and mental health counselor licenses by endorsement, 47 respectively, to include background screening 48 requirements; making conforming and technical changes; 49 amending ss. 486.025, 486.0715, 486.1065, and 491.003, 50 F.S.; conforming cross-references; providing an 51 effective date. 52 53 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 54 55 Section 1.Subsection (1) of section 456.0135, Florida 56 Statutes, is amended to read: 57 456.0135General background screening provisions. 58 (1)An application for initial licensure received on or 59 after January 1, 2013, under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 60 460, chapter 461, chapter 462, chapter 463, chapter 464, chapter 61 465 s. 465.022, chapter 466, chapter 467, part I, part II, part 62 III, part V, part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468, 63 chapter 478, or chapter 480, chapter 483, chapter 484, chapter 64 486, chapter 490, or chapter 491 must shall include fingerprints 65 pursuant to procedures established by the department through a 66 vendor approved by the Department of Law Enforcement and fees 67 imposed for the initial screening and retention of fingerprints. 68 Fingerprints must be submitted electronically to the Department 69 of Law Enforcement for state processing, and the Department of 70 Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal 71 Bureau of Investigation for national processing. Each board, or 72 the department if there is no board, must shall screen the 73 results to determine whether if an applicant meets licensure 74 requirements. For any subsequent renewal of the applicants 75 license which that requires a national criminal history check, 76 the department shall request the Department of Law Enforcement 77 to forward the retained fingerprints of the applicant to the 78 Federal Bureau of Investigation unless the fingerprints are 79 enrolled in the national retained print arrest notification 80 program. 81 Section 2.Health care practitioners as defined in s. 82 456.001, Florida Statutes, who were licensed before July 1, 83 2024, must comply with the background screening requirements of 84 s. 456.0135, Florida Statutes, by July 1, 2025. 85 Section 3.Subsection (2) of section 457.105, Florida 86 Statutes, is amended to read: 87 457.105Licensure qualifications and fees. 88 (2)A person may become licensed to practice acupuncture if 89 the person applies to the department and meets all of the 90 following criteria: 91 (a)Is 21 years of age or older, has good moral character, 92 and has the ability to communicate in English, which is 93 demonstrated by having passed the national written examination 94 in English or, if such examination was passed in a foreign 95 language, by also having passed a nationally recognized English 96 proficiency examination.; 97 (b)Has completed 60 college credits from an accredited 98 postsecondary institution as a prerequisite to enrollment in an 99 authorized 3-year course of study in acupuncture and oriental 100 medicine, and has completed a 3-year course of study in 101 acupuncture and oriental medicine, and effective July 31, 2001, 102 a 4-year course of study in acupuncture and oriental medicine, 103 which meets standards established by the board by rule, which 104 standards include, but are not limited to, successful completion 105 of academic courses in western anatomy, western physiology, 106 western pathology, western biomedical terminology, first aid, 107 and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, any person who 108 enrolled in an authorized course of study in acupuncture before 109 August 1, 1997, must have completed only a 2-year course of 110 study which meets standards established by the board by rule, 111 which standards must include, but are not limited to, successful 112 completion of academic courses in western anatomy, western 113 physiology, and western pathology.; 114 (c)Has successfully completed a board-approved national 115 certification process, is actively licensed in a state that has 116 examination requirements that are substantially equivalent to or 117 more stringent than those of this state, or passes an 118 examination administered by the department, which examination 119 tests the applicants competency and knowledge of the practice 120 of acupuncture and oriental medicine. At the request of any 121 applicant, oriental nomenclature for the points must shall be 122 used in the examination. The examination must shall include a 123 practical examination of the knowledge and skills required to 124 practice modern and traditional acupuncture and oriental 125 medicine, covering diagnostic and treatment techniques and 126 procedures.; and 127 (d)Pays the required fees set by the board by rule not to 128 exceed the following amounts: 129 1.Examination fee: $500 plus the actual per applicant cost 130 to the department for purchase of the written and practical 131 portions of the examination from a national organization 132 approved by the board. 133 2.Application fee: $300. 134 3.Reexamination fee: $500 plus the actual per applicant 135 cost to the department for purchase of the written and practical 136 portions of the examination from a national organization 137 approved by the board. 138 4.Initial biennial licensure fee: $400, if licensed in the 139 first half of the biennium, and $200, if licensed in the second 140 half of the biennium. 141 (e)Submits to background screening in accordance with s. 142 456.0135. 143 Section 4.Subsection (1) of section 463.006, Florida 144 Statutes, is amended to read: 145 463.006Licensure and certification by examination. 146 (1)Any person desiring to be a licensed practitioner under 147 pursuant to this chapter must apply to the department, submit to 148 background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135, and must 149 submit proof to the department that she or he meets all of the 150 following criteria: 151 (a)Has completed the application forms as required by the 152 board, remitted an application fee for certification not to 153 exceed $250, remitted an examination fee for certification not 154 to exceed $250, and remitted an examination fee for licensure 155 not to exceed $325, all as set by the board. 156 (b)Is at least 18 years of age. 157 (c)Has graduated from an accredited school or college of 158 optometry approved by rule of the board. 159 (d)Is of good moral character. 160 (e)Has successfully completed at least 110 hours of 161 transcript-quality coursework and clinical training in general 162 and ocular pharmacology as determined by the board, at an 163 institution that: 164 1.Has facilities for both didactic and clinical 165 instructions in pharmacology; and 166 2.Is accredited by a regional or professional accrediting 167 organization that is recognized and approved by the Commission 168 on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation or the United 169 States Department of Education. 170 (f)Has completed at least 1 year of supervised experience 171 in differential diagnosis of eye disease or disorders as part of 172 the optometric training or in a clinical setting as part of the 173 optometric experience. 174 Section 5.Subsection (1) of section 465.007, Florida 175 Statutes, is amended to read: 176 465.007Licensure by examination. 177 (1)Any person desiring to be licensed as a pharmacist 178 shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination. 179 The department shall examine each applicant who the board 180 certifies has met all of the following criteria: 181 (a)Completed the application form and remitted an 182 examination fee set by the board not to exceed $100 plus the 183 actual per applicant cost to the department for purchase of 184 portions of the examination from the National Association of 185 Boards of Pharmacy or a similar national organization. The fees 186 authorized under this section shall be established in sufficient 187 amounts to cover administrative costs. 188 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 189 456.0135. 190 (c)Submitted satisfactory proof that she or he is not less 191 than 18 years of age and: 192 1.Is a recipient of a degree from a school or college of 193 pharmacy accredited by an accrediting agency recognized and 194 approved by the United States Office of Education; or 195 2.Is a graduate of a 4-year undergraduate pharmacy program 196 of a school or college of pharmacy located outside the United 197 States, has demonstrated proficiency in English by passing both 198 the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test 199 of Spoken English (TSE), has passed the Foreign Pharmacy 200 Graduate Equivalency Examination that is approved by rule of the 201 board, and has completed a minimum of 500 hours in a supervised 202 work activity program within this state under the supervision of 203 a pharmacist licensed by the department, which program is 204 approved by the board. 205 (d)(c)Submitted satisfactory proof that she or he has 206 completed an internship program approved by the board. No such 207 board-approved program shall exceed 2,080 hours, all of which 208 may be obtained prior to graduation. 209 Section 6.Subsection (1) of section 465.0075, Florida 210 Statutes, is amended to read: 211 465.0075Licensure by endorsement; requirements; fee. 212 (1)The department shall issue a license by endorsement to 213 any applicant who applies to the department and remits a 214 nonrefundable fee of not more than $100, as set by the board, 215 and who whom the board certifies has met all of the following 216 criteria: 217 (a)Has Met the qualifications for licensure in s. 218 465.007(1)(b), and (c), and (d).; 219 (b)Has Obtained a passing score, as established by rule of 220 the board, on the licensure examination of the National 221 Association of Boards of Pharmacy or a similar nationally 222 recognized examination, if the board certifies that the 223 applicant has taken the required examination.; 224 (c)1.Has Submitted evidence of the active licensed 225 practice of pharmacy, including practice in community or public 226 health by persons employed by a governmental entity, in another 227 jurisdiction for at least 2 of the immediately preceding 5 years 228 or evidence of successful completion of board-approved 229 postgraduate training or a board-approved clinical competency 230 examination within the year immediately preceding application 231 for licensure; or 232 2.Has Completed an internship meeting the requirements of 233 s. 465.007(1)(d) s. 465.007(1)(c) within the 2 years immediately 234 preceding application.; and 235 (d)Has Obtained a passing score on the pharmacy 236 jurisprudence portions of the licensure examination, as required 237 by board rule. 238 Section 7.Section 465.013, Florida Statutes, is amended to 239 read: 240 465.013Registration of pharmacy interns.The department 241 shall register as pharmacy interns persons certified by the 242 board as being enrolled in an intern program at an accredited 243 school or college of pharmacy or who are graduates of accredited 244 schools or colleges of pharmacy and are not yet licensed in the 245 state. Applicants for registration must submit to background 246 screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. The board may refuse 247 to certify to the department or may revoke the registration of 248 any intern for good cause, including grounds enumerated in this 249 chapter for revocation of pharmacists licenses. 250 Section 8.Subsection (2) of section 465.014, Florida 251 Statutes, is amended to read: 252 465.014Pharmacy technician. 253 (2)Any person who wishes to work as a pharmacy technician 254 in this state must register by filing an application with the 255 board on a form adopted by rule of the board and submit to 256 background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. The board 257 shall register each applicant who has remitted a registration 258 fee set by the board, not to exceed $50 biennially; has 259 completed the application form and remitted a nonrefundable 260 application fee set by the board, not to exceed $50; has 261 submitted to background screening; is at least 17 years of age; 262 and has completed a pharmacy technician training program 263 approved by the Board of Pharmacy. Notwithstanding any 264 requirements in this subsection, any registered pharmacy 265 technician registered pursuant to this section before January 1, 266 2011, who has worked as a pharmacy technician for a minimum of 267 1,500 hours under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist or 268 received certification as a pharmacy technician by certification 269 program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying 270 Agencies is exempt from the requirement to complete an initial 271 training program for purposes of registration as required by 272 this subsection. 273 Section 9.Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 274 466.006, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 275 466.006Examination of dentists. 276 (1) 277 (b)1.Any person desiring to be licensed as a dentist shall 278 apply to the department to take the licensure examinations and 279 shall verify the information required on the application by 280 oath. The application must shall include two recent photographs. 281 There shall be an application fee set by the board not to exceed 282 $100 which shall be nonrefundable and. There shall also be an 283 examination fee set by the board, which shall not to exceed $425 284 plus the actual per applicant cost to the department for 285 purchase of some or all of the examination from the American 286 Board of Dental Examiners or its successor entity, if any, 287 provided the board finds the successor entitys clinical 288 examination complies with the provisions of this section. The 289 examination fee may be refunded refundable if the applicant is 290 found ineligible to take the examinations. 291 2.Applicants for licensure must also submit to background 292 screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. 293 Section 10.Section 466.0067, Florida Statutes, is amended 294 to read: 295 466.0067Application for health access dental license.The 296 Legislature finds that there is an important state interest in 297 attracting dentists to practice in underserved health access 298 settings in this state and further, that allowing out-of-state 299 dentists who meet certain criteria to practice in health access 300 settings without the supervision of a dentist licensed in this 301 state is substantially related to achieving this important state 302 interest. Therefore, notwithstanding the requirements of s. 303 466.006, the board shall grant a health access dental license to 304 practice dentistry in this state in health access settings as 305 defined in s. 466.003 to an applicant who meets all of the 306 following criteria: 307 (1)Files an appropriate application approved by the 308 board.; 309 (2)Pays an application license fee for a health access 310 dental license, laws-and-rule exam fee, and an initial licensure 311 fee. The fees specified in this subsection may not differ from 312 an applicant seeking licensure pursuant to s. 466.006.; 313 (3)Has submitted to background screening in accordance 314 with s. 456.0135 and has not been convicted of or pled nolo 315 contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any felony or 316 misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care 317 profession.; 318 (4)Submits proof of graduation from a dental school 319 accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the 320 American Dental Association or its successor agency.; 321 (5)Submits documentation that she or he has completed, or 322 will obtain before licensure, continuing education equivalent to 323 this states requirement for dentists licensed under s. 466.006 324 for the last full reporting biennium before applying for a 325 health access dental license.; 326 (6)Submits proof of her or his successful completion of 327 parts I and II of the dental examination by the National Board 328 of Dental Examiners and a state or regional clinical dental 329 licensing examination that the board has determined effectively 330 measures the applicants ability to practice safely.; 331 (7)Currently holds a valid, active dental license in good 332 standing which has not been revoked, suspended, restricted, or 333 otherwise disciplined from another of the United States, the 334 District of Columbia, or a United States territory.; 335 (8)Has never had a license revoked from another of the 336 United States, the District of Columbia, or a United States 337 territory.; 338 (9)Has never failed the examination specified in s. 339 466.006, unless the applicant was reexamined pursuant to s. 340 466.006 and received a license to practice dentistry in this 341 state.; 342 (10)Has not been reported to the National Practitioner 343 Data Bank, unless the applicant successfully appealed to have 344 his or her name removed from the data bank.; 345 (11)Submits proof that he or she has been engaged in the 346 active, clinical practice of dentistry providing direct patient 347 care for 5 years immediately preceding the date of application, 348 or in instances when the applicant has graduated from an 349 accredited dental school within the preceding 5 years, submits 350 proof of continuous clinical practice providing direct patient 351 care since graduation.; and 352 (12)Has passed an examination covering the laws and rules 353 of the practice of dentistry in this state as described in s. 354 466.006(4)(a). 355 Section 11.Subsection (1) of section 466.007, Florida 356 Statutes, is amended to read: 357 466.007Examination of dental hygienists. 358 (1)1.Any person desiring to be licensed as a dental 359 hygienist shall apply to the department to take the licensure 360 examinations and shall verify the information required on the 361 application by oath. The application must shall include two 362 recent photographs of the applicant. There shall be a 363 nonrefundable application fee set by the board not to exceed 364 $100 and an examination fee set by the board which shall not to 365 exceed be more than $225. The examination fee may be refunded if 366 the applicant is found ineligible to take the examinations. 367 2.Applicants for licensure must also submit to background 368 screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. 369 Section 12.Subsection (5) is added to section 467.011, 370 Florida Statutes, to read: 371 467.011Licensed midwives; qualifications; examination.The 372 department shall issue a license to practice midwifery to an 373 applicant who meets all of the following criteria: 374 (5)Submits to background screening in accordance with s. 375 456.0135. 376 Section 13.Subsections (2) and (3) of section 468.1185, 377 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 378 468.1185Licensure. 379 (2)The board shall certify for licensure any applicant who 380 has met all of the following criteria: 381 (a)Satisfied the education and supervised clinical 382 requirements of s. 468.1155. 383 (b)Satisfied the professional experience requirement of s. 384 468.1165. 385 (c)Passed the licensure examination required by s. 386 468.1175. 387 (d)For an applicant for an audiologist license who has 388 obtained a doctoral degree in audiology, has satisfied the 389 education and supervised clinical requirements of paragraph (a) 390 and the professional experience requirements of paragraph (b). 391 (e)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 392 456.0135. 393 (3)The board shall certify as qualified for a license by 394 endorsement as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist an 395 applicant who: 396 (a)Holds a valid license or certificate in another state 397 or territory of the United States to practice the profession for 398 which the application for licensure is made, if the criteria for 399 issuance of such license were substantially equivalent to or 400 more stringent than the licensure criteria which existed in this 401 state at the time the license was issued; or 402 (b)Holds a valid certificate of clinical competence of the 403 American Speech-Language and Hearing Association or board 404 certification in audiology from the American Board of Audiology; 405 and 406 (c)Submits to background screening in accordance with s. 407 456.0135. 408 Section 14.Subsections (1) and (2) of section 468.1215, 409 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 410 468.1215Speech-language pathology assistant and audiology 411 assistant; certification. 412 (1)The department shall issue a certificate as a speech 413 language pathology assistant to each applicant who the board 414 certifies has met all of the following criteria: 415 (a)Completed the application form and remitted the 416 required fees, including a nonrefundable application fee. 417 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 418 456.0135. 419 (c)Earned a bachelors degree from a college or university 420 accredited by a regional association of colleges and schools 421 recognized by the Department of Education which includes at 422 least 24 semester hours of coursework as approved by the board 423 at an institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized 424 by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 425 (2)The department shall issue a certificate as an 426 audiology assistant to each applicant who the board certifies 427 has met all of the following criteria: 428 (a)Completed the application form and remitted the 429 required fees, including a nonrefundable application fee. 430 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 431 456.0135. 432 (c)Earned a high school diploma or its equivalent. 433 Section 15.Present subsections (2), (3), and (4) of 434 section 468.1695, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 435 subsections (3), (4), and (5), respectively, a new subsection 436 (2) is added to that section, and present subsection (2) of that 437 section is amended, to read: 438 468.1695Licensure by examination. 439 (2)Applicants for licensure must also submit to background 440 screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. 441 (3)(2)The department shall examine each applicant who the 442 board certifies has completed the application form, submitted to 443 background screening, and remitted an examination fee set by the 444 board not to exceed $250 and who: 445 (a)1.Holds a baccalaureate degree from an accredited 446 college or university and majored in health care administration, 447 health services administration, or an equivalent major, or has 448 credit for at least 60 semester hours in subjects, as prescribed 449 by rule of the board, which prepare the applicant for total 450 management of a nursing home; and 451 2.Has fulfilled the requirements of a college-affiliated 452 or university-affiliated internship in nursing home 453 administration or of a 1,000-hour nursing home administrator-in 454 training program prescribed by the board; or 455 (b)1.Holds a baccalaureate degree from an accredited 456 college or university; and 457 2.a.Has fulfilled the requirements of a 2,000-hour nursing 458 home administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board; 459 or 460 b.Has 1 year of management experience allowing for the 461 application of executive duties and skills, including the 462 staffing, budgeting, and directing of resident care, dietary, 463 and bookkeeping departments within a skilled nursing facility, 464 hospital, hospice, assisted living facility with a minimum of 60 465 licensed beds, or geriatric residential treatment program and, 466 if such experience is not in a skilled nursing facility, has 467 fulfilled the requirements of a 1,000-hour nursing home 468 administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board. 469 Section 16.Subsections (1) and (2) of section 468.209, 470 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 471 468.209Requirements for licensure. 472 (1)An applicant applying for a license as an occupational 473 therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant shall apply to 474 the department on forms furnished by the department. The 475 department shall license each applicant who the board certifies 476 meets all of the following criteria: 477 (a)Has completed the file a written application form and 478 remitted, accompanied by the application for licensure fee 479 prescribed in s. 468.221. 480 (b)Has submitted to background screening in accordance 481 with s. 456.0135., on forms provided by the department, showing 482 to the satisfaction of the board that she or he: 483 (c)(a)Is of good moral character. 484 (d)(b)Has successfully completed the academic requirements 485 of an educational program in occupational therapy recognized by 486 the board, with concentration in biologic or physical science, 487 psychology, and sociology, and with education in selected manual 488 skills. Such a program shall be accredited by the American 489 Occupational Therapy Associations Accreditation Council for 490 Occupational Therapy Education, or its successor. 491 (e)(c)Has successfully completed a period of supervised 492 fieldwork experience at a recognized educational institution or 493 a training program approved by the educational institution where 494 she or he met the academic requirements. For an occupational 495 therapist, a minimum of 6 months of supervised fieldwork 496 experience is required. For an occupational therapy assistant, a 497 minimum of 2 months of supervised fieldwork experience is 498 required. 499 (f)(d)Has passed an examination conducted or adopted by 500 the board as provided in s. 468.211. 501 (2)An applicant who has practiced as a state-licensed or 502 American Occupational Therapy Association-certified occupational 503 therapy assistant for 4 years and who, before January 24, 1988, 504 completed a minimum of 24 weeks of supervised occupational 505 therapist-level fieldwork experience may take the examination to 506 be licensed as an occupational therapist without meeting the 507 educational requirements for occupational therapists made 508 otherwise applicable under paragraph (1)(d) (1)(b). 509 Section 17.Subsection (3) is added to section 468.213, 510 Florida Statutes, to read: 511 468.213Licensure by endorsement. 512 (3)Applicants for licensure by endorsement must submit to 513 background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. 514 Section 18.Section 468.355, Florida Statutes, is amended 515 to read: 516 468.355Licensure requirements.To be eligible for 517 licensure by the board, an applicant must be an active 518 certified respiratory therapist or an active registered 519 respiratory therapist as designated by the National Board for 520 Respiratory Care, or its successor, and submit to background 521 screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. 522 Section 19.Subsection (4) of section 468.358, Florida 523 Statutes, is amended to read: 524 468.358Licensure by endorsement. 525 (4)Applicants for licensure shall not be granted by 526 endorsement under as provided in this section must submit 527 without the submission of a proper application, remit and the 528 payment of the requisite application fee, and submit to 529 background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135 fees 530 therefor. 531 Section 20.Present subsections (2), (3), and (4) of 532 section 468.509, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 533 subsections (3), (4), and (5), respectively, a new subsection 534 (2) is added to that section, and present subsection (2) of that 535 section is amended, to read: 536 468.509Dietitian/nutritionist; requirements for 537 licensure. 538 (2)Applicants for licensure must also submit to background 539 screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. 540 (3)(2)The department shall examine any applicant who the 541 board certifies has completed the application form, submitted to 542 background screening, and remitted the application and 543 examination fees specified in s. 468.508 and who: 544 (a)1.Possesses a baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree 545 with a major course of study in human nutrition, food and 546 nutrition, dietetics, or food management, or an equivalent major 547 course of study, from a school or program accredited, at the 548 time of the applicants graduation, by the appropriate 549 accrediting agency recognized by the Commission on Recognition 550 of Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department 551 of Education; and 552 2.Has completed a preprofessional experience component of 553 not less than 900 hours or has education or experience 554 determined to be equivalent by the board; or 555 (b)1.Has an academic degree, from a foreign country, that 556 has been validated by an accrediting agency approved by the 557 United States Department of Education as equivalent to the 558 baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree conferred by a 559 regionally accredited college or university in the United 560 States; 561 2.Has completed a major course of study in human 562 nutrition, food and nutrition, dietetics, or food management; 563 and 564 3.Has completed a preprofessional experience component of 565 not less than 900 hours or has education or experience 566 determined to be equivalent by the board. 567 Section 21.Subsection (1) of section 468.513, Florida 568 Statutes, is amended to read: 569 468.513Dietitian/nutritionist; licensure by endorsement. 570 (1)The department shall issue a license to practice 571 dietetics and nutrition by endorsement to any applicant who 572 submits to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135 573 and the board certifies as qualified, upon receipt of a 574 completed application and the fee specified in s. 468.508. 575 Section 22.Subsection (2) of section 468.803, Florida 576 Statutes, is amended to read: 577 468.803License, registration, and examination 578 requirements. 579 (2)An applicant for registration, examination, or 580 licensure must apply to the department on a form prescribed by 581 the board for consideration of board approval. Each initial 582 applicant shall submit fingerprints to the department in 583 accordance with s. 456.0135 and any other procedures specified 584 by the department for state and national criminal history checks 585 of the applicant. The board shall screen the results to 586 determine if an applicant meets licensure requirements. The 587 board shall consider for examination, registration, or licensure 588 each applicant whom the board verifies meets all of the 589 following criteria: 590 (a)Has submitted the completed application and completed 591 the fingerprinting requirements and has paid the applicable 592 application fee, not to exceed $500. The application fee is 593 nonrefundable.; 594 (b)Is of good moral character.; 595 (c)Is 18 years of age or older.; and 596 (d)Has completed the appropriate educational preparation. 597 Section 23.Subsection (1) of section 478.45, Florida 598 Statutes, is amended to read: 599 478.45Requirements for licensure. 600 (1)An applicant applying for licensure as an electrologist 601 shall apply to the department on forms furnished by the 602 department. The department shall license each applicant who the 603 board certifies meets all of the following criteria: 604 (a)Has completed the file a written application form and 605 remitted, accompanied by the application for licensure fee 606 prescribed in s. 478.55. 607 (b)Has submitted to background screening in accordance 608 with s. 456.0135., on a form provided by the board, showing to 609 the satisfaction of the board that the applicant: 610 (c)(a)Is at least 18 years old. 611 (d)(b)Is of good moral character. 612 (e)(c)Possesses a high school diploma or a high school 613 equivalency diploma. 614 (f)(d)Has not committed an act in any jurisdiction which 615 would constitute grounds for disciplining an electrologist in 616 this state. 617 (g)(e)Has successfully completed the academic requirements 618 of an electrolysis training program, not to exceed 120 hours, 619 and the practical application thereof as approved by the board. 620 Section 24.Section 483.815, Florida Statutes, is amended 621 to read: 622 483.815Application for clinical laboratory personnel 623 license.An application for a clinical laboratory personnel 624 license shall be made under oath on forms provided by the 625 department and shall be accompanied by payment of fees as 626 provided by this part. Applicants for licensure must also submit 627 to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. A 628 license may be issued authorizing the performance of procedures 629 of one or more categories. 630 Section 25.Present paragraphs (b) through (k) of 631 subsection (4) of section 483.901, Florida Statutes, are 632 redesignated as paragraphs (c) through (l), respectively, a new 633 paragraph (b) is added to that subsection, and paragraph (a) of 634 that subsection is amended, to read: 635 483.901Medical physicists; definitions; licensure. 636 (4)LICENSE REQUIRED.An individual may not engage in the 637 practice of medical physics, including the specialties of 638 diagnostic radiological physics, therapeutic radiological 639 physics, medical nuclear radiological physics, or medical health 640 physics, without a license issued by the department for the 641 appropriate specialty. 642 (a)The department shall adopt rules to administer this 643 section which specify license application and renewal fees, 644 continuing education requirements, background screening 645 requirements, and standards for practicing medical physics. The 646 department shall require a minimum of 24 hours per biennium of 647 continuing education offered by an organization approved by the 648 department. The department may adopt rules to specify continuing 649 education requirements for persons who hold a license in more 650 than one specialty. 651 (b)Applicants for a medical physicist license must submit 652 to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. 653 Section 26.Subsections (2) and (3) of section 483.914, 654 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 655 483.914Licensure requirements. 656 (2)The department shall issue a license, valid for 2 657 years, to each applicant who meets all of the following 658 criteria: 659 (a)Has completed an application. 660 (b)Has submitted to background screening in accordance 661 with s. 456.0135. 662 (c)Is of good moral character. 663 (d)(c)Provides satisfactory documentation of having 664 earned: 665 1.A masters degree from a genetic counseling training 666 program or its equivalent as determined by the Accreditation 667 Council of Genetic Counseling or its successor or an equivalent 668 entity; or 669 2.A doctoral degree from a medical genetics training 670 program accredited by the American Board of Medical Genetics and 671 Genomics or the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists. 672 (e)(d)Has passed the examination for certification as: 673 1.A genetic counselor by the American Board of Genetic 674 Counseling, Inc., the American Board of Medical Genetics and 675 Genomics, or the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors; or 676 2.A medical or clinical geneticist by the American Board 677 of Medical Genetics and Genomics or the Canadian College of 678 Medical Geneticists. 679 (3)The department may issue a temporary license for up to 680 2 years to an applicant who meets all requirements for licensure 681 except for the certification examination requirement imposed 682 under paragraph (2)(e) (2)(d) and is eligible to sit for that 683 certification examination. 684 Section 27.Subsection (1) of section 484.007, Florida 685 Statutes, is amended to read: 686 484.007Licensure of opticians; permitting of optical 687 establishments. 688 (1)Any person desiring to practice opticianry shall apply 689 to the department, upon forms prescribed by it, to take a 690 licensure examination. The department shall examine each 691 applicant who the board certifies meets all of the following 692 criteria: 693 (a)Has completed the application form and remitted a 694 nonrefundable application fee set by the board, in the amount of 695 $100 or less, and an examination fee set by the board, in the 696 amount of $325 plus the actual per applicant cost to the 697 department for purchase of portions of the examination from the 698 American Board of Opticianry or a similar national organization, 699 or less, and refundable if the board finds the applicant 700 ineligible to take the examination.; 701 (b)Submits to background screening in accordance with s. 702 456.0135. 703 (c)Is not less than 18 years of age.; 704 (d)(c)Is a graduate of an accredited high school or 705 possesses a certificate of equivalency of a high school 706 education.; and 707 (e)1.(d)1.Has received an associate degree, or its 708 equivalent, in opticianry from an educational institution the 709 curriculum of which is accredited by an accrediting agency 710 recognized and approved by the United States Department of 711 Education or the Council on Postsecondary Education or approved 712 by the board; 713 2.Is an individual licensed to practice the profession of 714 opticianry pursuant to a regulatory licensing law of another 715 state, territory, or jurisdiction of the United States, who has 716 actively practiced in such other state, territory, or 717 jurisdiction for more than 3 years immediately preceding 718 application, and who meets the examination qualifications as 719 provided in this subsection; 720 3.Is an individual who has actively practiced in another 721 state, territory, or jurisdiction of the United States for more 722 than 5 years immediately preceding application and who provides 723 tax or business records, affidavits, or other satisfactory 724 documentation of such practice and who meets the examination 725 qualifications as provided in this subsection; or 726 4.Has registered as an apprentice with the department and 727 paid a registration fee not to exceed $60, as set by rule of the 728 board. The apprentice shall complete 6,240 hours of training 729 under the supervision of an optician licensed in this state for 730 at least 1 year or of a physician or optometrist licensed under 731 the laws of this state. These requirements must be met within 5 732 years after the date of registration. However, any time spent in 733 a recognized school may be considered as part of the 734 apprenticeship program provided herein. The board may establish 735 administrative processing fees sufficient to cover the cost of 736 administering apprentice rules adopted as promulgated by the 737 board. 738 Section 28.Subsection (2) of section 484.045, Florida 739 Statutes, is amended to read: 740 484.045Licensure by examination. 741 (2)The department shall license each applicant who the 742 board certifies meets all of the following criteria: 743 (a)Has completed the application form and remitted the 744 required fees. 745 (b)Has submitted to background screening in accordance 746 with s. 456.0135. 747 (c)Is of good moral character. 748 (d)(c)Is 18 years of age or older. 749 (e)(d)Is a graduate of an accredited high school or its 750 equivalent. 751 (f)1.(e)1.Has met the requirements of the training 752 program; or 753 2.a.Has a valid, current license as a hearing aid 754 specialist or its equivalent from another state and has been 755 actively practicing in such capacity for at least 12 months; or 756 b.Is currently certified by the National Board for 757 Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences and has been 758 actively practicing for at least 12 months. 759 (g)(f)Has passed an examination, as prescribed by board 760 rule. 761 (h)(g)Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of 762 the board, knowledge of state laws and rules relating to the 763 fitting and dispensing of prescription hearing aids. 764 Section 29.Section 486.031, Florida Statutes, is amended 765 to read: 766 486.031Physical therapist; licensing requirements.To be 767 eligible for licensing as a physical therapist, an applicant 768 must meet all of the following criteria: 769 (1)Be at least 18 years old.; 770 (2)Be of good moral character. 771 (3)Have submitted to background screening in accordance 772 with s. 456.0135.; and 773 (4)(a)(3)(a)Have been graduated from a school of physical 774 therapy which has been approved for the educational preparation 775 of physical therapists by the appropriate accrediting agency 776 recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or 777 its successor entity, Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary 778 Accreditation or the United States Department of Education at 779 the time of her or his graduation and have passed, to the 780 satisfaction of the board, the American Registry Examination 781 prior to 1971 or a national examination approved by the board to 782 determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical 783 therapist as hereinafter provided; 784 (b)Have received a diploma from a program in physical 785 therapy in a foreign country and have educational credentials 786 deemed equivalent to those required for the educational 787 preparation of physical therapists in this country, as 788 recognized by the appropriate agency as identified by the board, 789 and have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination 790 to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical 791 therapist as hereinafter provided; or 792 (c)Be entitled to licensure without examination as 793 provided in s. 486.081. 794 Section 30.Section 486.102, Florida Statutes, is amended 795 to read: 796 486.102Physical therapist assistant; licensing 797 requirements.To be eligible for licensing by the board as a 798 physical therapist assistant, an applicant must meet all of the 799 following criteria: 800 (1)Be at least 18 years old.; 801 (2)Be of good moral character. 802 (3)Have submitted to background screening in accordance 803 with s. 456.0135.; and 804 (4)(a)(3)(a)Have been graduated from a school giving a 805 course of not less than 2 years for physical therapist 806 assistants, which has been approved for the educational 807 preparation of physical therapist assistants by the appropriate 808 accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher 809 Education Accreditation, or its successor entity, Commission on 810 Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation or the United States 811 Department of Education, at the time of her or his graduation 812 and have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination 813 to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical 814 therapist assistant as hereinafter provided; 815 (b)Have been graduated from a school giving a course for 816 physical therapist assistants in a foreign country and have 817 educational credentials deemed equivalent to those required for 818 the educational preparation of physical therapist assistants in 819 this country, as recognized by the appropriate agency as 820 identified by the board, and passed to the satisfaction of the 821 board an examination to determine her or his fitness for 822 practice as a physical therapist assistant as hereinafter 823 provided; 824 (c)Be entitled to licensure without examination as 825 provided in s. 486.107; or 826 (d)Have been enrolled between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 827 2016, in a physical therapist assistant school in this state 828 which was accredited at the time of enrollment; and 829 1.Have been graduated or be eligible to graduate from such 830 school no later than July 1, 2018; and 831 2.Have passed to the satisfaction of the board an 832 examination to determine his or her fitness for practice as a 833 physical therapist assistant as provided in s. 486.104. 834 Section 31.Present paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of 835 subsection (1) of section 490.005, Florida Statutes, are 836 redesignated as paragraphs (c), (d), and (e), respectively, a 837 new paragraph (b) is added to that subsection, and subsection 838 (2) is amended, to read: 839 490.005Licensure by examination. 840 (1)Any person desiring to be licensed as a psychologist 841 shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination. 842 The department shall license each applicant whom the board 843 certifies has met all of the following requirements: 844 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 845 456.0135. 846 (2)Any person desiring to be licensed as a school 847 psychologist shall apply to the department to take the licensure 848 examination. The department shall license each applicant who the 849 department certifies has met all of the following requirements: 850 (a)Satisfactorily completed the application form and 851 submitted a nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $250 and 852 an examination fee sufficient to cover the per applicant cost to 853 the department for development, purchase, and administration of 854 the examination, but not to exceed $250 as set by department 855 rule. 856 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 857 456.0135. 858 (c)Submitted satisfactory proof to the department that the 859 applicant: 860 1.Has received a doctorate, specialist, or equivalent 861 degree from a program primarily psychological in nature and has 862 completed 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate 863 study, in areas related to school psychology as defined by rule 864 of the department, from a college or university which at the 865 time the applicant was enrolled and graduated was accredited by 866 an accrediting agency recognized and approved by the Council for 867 Higher Education Accreditation or its successor organization or 868 from an institution that is a member in good standing with the 869 Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. 870 2.Has had a minimum of 3 years of experience in school 871 psychology, 2 years of which must be supervised by an individual 872 who is a licensed school psychologist or who has otherwise 873 qualified as a school psychologist supervisor, by education and 874 experience, as set forth by rule of the department. A doctoral 875 internship may be applied toward the supervision requirement. 876 3.Has passed an examination provided by the department. 877 Section 32.Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection 878 (1) of section 490.0051, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 879 paragraphs (c) and (d), respectively, and a new paragraph (b) is 880 added to that subsection, to read: 881 490.0051Provisional licensure; requirements. 882 (1)The department shall issue a provisional psychology 883 license to each applicant whom the board certifies has met all 884 of the following criteria: 885 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 886 456.0135. 887 Section 33.Subsection (1) of section 490.006, Florida 888 Statutes, is amended to read: 889 490.006Licensure by endorsement. 890 (1)The department shall license a person as a psychologist 891 or school psychologist who, upon applying to the department, 892 submitting to background screening in accordance with s. 893 456.0135, and remitting the appropriate fee, demonstrates to the 894 department or, in the case of psychologists, to the board that 895 the applicant: 896 (a)Is a diplomate in good standing with the American Board 897 of Professional Psychology, Inc.; or 898 (b)Possesses a doctoral degree in psychology and has at 899 least 10 years of experience as a licensed psychologist in any 900 jurisdiction or territory of the United States within the 25 901 years preceding the date of application. 902 Section 34.Subsections (1), (2), (4), and (6) of section 903 491.0045, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 904 491.0045Intern registration; requirements. 905 (1)An individual who has not satisfied the postgraduate or 906 post-masters level experience requirements, as specified in s. 907 491.005(1)(d), (3)(d), or (4)(d) s. 491.005(1)(c), (3)(c), or 908 (4)(c), must register as an intern in the profession for which 909 he or she is seeking licensure before commencing the post 910 masters experience requirement or an individual who intends to 911 satisfy part of the required graduate-level practicum, 912 internship, or field experience, outside the academic arena for 913 any profession, and must register as an intern in the profession 914 for which he or she is seeking licensure before commencing the 915 practicum, internship, or field experience. 916 (2)The department shall register as a clinical social 917 worker intern, marriage and family therapist intern, or mental 918 health counselor intern each applicant who the board certifies 919 has met all of the following criteria: 920 (a)Completed the application form and remitted a 921 nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $200, as set by 922 board rule.; 923 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 924 456.0135. 925 (c)1.Completed the education requirements as specified in 926 s. 491.005(1)(d), (3)(d), or (4)(d) s. 491.005(1)(c), (3)(c), or 927 (4)(c) for the profession for which he or she is applying for 928 licensure, if needed; and 929 2.Submitted an acceptable supervision plan, as determined 930 by the board, for meeting the practicum, internship, or field 931 work required for licensure that was not satisfied in his or her 932 graduate program. 933 (d)(c)Identified a qualified supervisor. 934 (4)An individual who fails to comply with this section may 935 not be granted a license under this chapter, and any time spent 936 by the individual completing the experience requirement as 937 specified in s. 491.005(1)(d), (3)(d), or (4)(d) s. 938 491.005(1)(c), (3)(c), or (4)(c) before registering as an intern 939 does not count toward completion of the requirement. 940 (6)Any registration issued after March 31, 2017, expires 941 60 months after the date it is issued. The board may make a one 942 time exception to the requirements of this subsection in 943 emergency or hardship cases, as defined by board rule, if the 944 candidate has passed the theory and practice examination 945 described in s. 491.005(1)(e), (3)(e), and (4)(e) s. 946 491.005(1)(d), (3)(d), and (4)(d). 947 Section 35.Subsection (2) of section 491.0046, Florida 948 Statutes, is amended to read: 949 491.0046Provisional license; requirements. 950 (2)The department shall issue a provisional clinical 951 social worker license, provisional marriage and family therapist 952 license, or provisional mental health counselor license to each 953 applicant who the board certifies has met all of the following 954 criteria: 955 (a)Completed the application form and remitted a 956 nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $100, as set by 957 board rule.; and 958 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 959 456.0135. 960 (c)Earned a graduate degree in social work, a graduate 961 degree with a major emphasis in marriage and family therapy or a 962 closely related field, or a graduate degree in a major related 963 to the practice of mental health counseling.; and 964 (d)(c)Met the following minimum coursework requirements: 965 1.For clinical social work, a minimum of 15 semester hours 966 or 22 quarter hours of the coursework required by s. 967 491.005(1)(c)2.b. s. 491.005(1)(b)2.b. 968 2.For marriage and family therapy, 10 of the courses 969 required by s. 491.005(3)(c) s. 491.005(3)(b), as determined by 970 the board, and at least 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours of 971 the course credits must have been completed in the area of 972 marriage and family systems, theories, or techniques. 973 3.For mental health counseling, a minimum of seven of the 974 courses required under s. 491.005(4)(c)1.a., b., or c. s. 975 491.005(4)(b)1.a.-c. 976 Section 36.Subsections (1) through (4) of section 491.005, 977 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 978 491.005Licensure by examination. 979 (1)CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK.Upon verification of 980 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by 981 board rule, the department shall issue a license as a clinical 982 social worker to an applicant whom the board certifies has met 983 all of the following criteria: 984 (a)Submitted an application and paid the appropriate fee. 985 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 986 456.0135. 987 (c)1.Received a doctoral degree in social work from a 988 graduate school of social work which at the time the applicant 989 graduated was accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by 990 the United States Department of Education or received a masters 991 degree in social work from a graduate school of social work 992 which at the time the applicant graduated: 993 a.Was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; 994 b.Was accredited by the Canadian Association for Social 995 Work Education; or 996 c.Has been determined to have been a program equivalent to 997 programs approved by the Council on Social Work Education by the 998 Foreign Equivalency Determination Service of the Council on 999 Social Work Education. An applicant who graduated from a program 1000 at a university or college outside of the United States or 1001 Canada must present documentation of the equivalency 1002 determination from the council in order to qualify. 1003 2.The applicants graduate program emphasized direct 1004 clinical patient or client health care services, including, but 1005 not limited to, coursework in clinical social work, psychiatric 1006 social work, medical social work, social casework, 1007 psychotherapy, or group therapy. The applicants graduate 1008 program must have included all of the following coursework: 1009 a.A supervised field placement which was part of the 1010 applicants advanced concentration in direct practice, during 1011 which the applicant provided clinical services directly to 1012 clients. 1013 b.Completion of 24 semester hours or 32 quarter hours in 1014 theory of human behavior and practice methods as courses in 1015 clinically oriented services, including a minimum of one course 1016 in psychopathology, and no more than one course in research, 1017 taken in a school of social work accredited or approved pursuant 1018 to subparagraph 1. 1019 3.If the course title which appears on the applicants 1020 transcript does not clearly identify the content of the 1021 coursework, the applicant provided additional documentation, 1022 including, but not limited to, a syllabus or catalog description 1023 published for the course. 1024 (d)(c)Completed at least 2 years of clinical social work 1025 experience, which took place subsequent to completion of a 1026 graduate degree in social work at an institution meeting the 1027 accreditation requirements of this section, under the 1028 supervision of a licensed clinical social worker or the 1029 equivalent who is a qualified supervisor as determined by the 1030 board. An individual who intends to practice in Florida to 1031 satisfy clinical experience requirements must register pursuant 1032 to s. 491.0045 before commencing practice. If the applicants 1033 graduate program was not a program which emphasized direct 1034 clinical patient or client health care services as described in 1035 subparagraph (c)2. (b)2., the supervised experience requirement 1036 must take place after the applicant has completed a minimum of 1037 15 semester hours or 22 quarter hours of the coursework 1038 required. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the 1039 clinical social work experience requirement. A licensed mental 1040 health professional must be on the premises when clinical 1041 services are provided by a registered intern in a private 1042 practice setting. 1043 (e)(d)Passed a theory and practice examination designated 1044 by board rule. 1045 (f)(e)Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board rule, 1046 knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 1047 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 1048 health counseling. 1049 (2)CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK. 1050 (a)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1)(c) 1051 (1)(b), coursework which was taken at a baccalaureate level 1052 shall not be considered toward completion of education 1053 requirements for licensure unless an official of the graduate 1054 program certifies in writing on the graduate schools stationery 1055 that a specific course, which students enrolled in the same 1056 graduate program were ordinarily required to complete at the 1057 graduate level, was waived or exempted based on completion of a 1058 similar course at the baccalaureate level. If this condition is 1059 met, the board shall apply the baccalaureate course named toward 1060 the education requirements. 1061 (b)An applicant from a masters or doctoral program in 1062 social work which did not emphasize direct patient or client 1063 services may complete the clinical curriculum content 1064 requirement by returning to a graduate program accredited by the 1065 Council on Social Work Education or the Canadian Association of 1066 Schools of Social Work, or to a clinical social work graduate 1067 program with comparable standards, in order to complete the 1068 education requirements for examination. However, a maximum of 6 1069 semester or 9 quarter hours of the clinical curriculum content 1070 requirement may be completed by credit awarded for independent 1071 study coursework as defined by board rule. 1072 (3)MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY.Upon verification of 1073 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by 1074 board rule, the department shall issue a license as a marriage 1075 and family therapist to an applicant whom the board certifies 1076 has met all of the following criteria: 1077 (a)Submitted an application and paid the appropriate fee. 1078 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 1079 456.0135. 1080 (c)1.Attained one of the following: 1081 a.A minimum of a masters degree in marriage and family 1082 therapy from a program accredited by the Commission on 1083 Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. 1084 b.A minimum of a masters degree with a major emphasis in 1085 marriage and family therapy or a closely related field from a 1086 university program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of 1087 Counseling and Related Educational Programs and graduate courses 1088 approved by the board. 1089 c.A minimum of a masters degree with an emphasis in 1090 marriage and family therapy or a closely related field, with a 1091 degree conferred before September 1, 2027, from an 1092 institutionally accredited college or university and graduate 1093 courses approved by the board. 1094 2.If the course title that appears on the applicants 1095 transcript does not clearly identify the content of the 1096 coursework, the applicant provided additional documentation, 1097 including, but not limited to, a syllabus or catalog description 1098 published for the course. The required masters degree must have 1099 been received in an institution of higher education that, at the 1100 time the applicant graduated, was fully accredited by an 1101 institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for 1102 Higher Education Accreditation or its successor organization or 1103 was a member in good standing with Universities Canada, or an 1104 institution of higher education located outside the United 1105 States and Canada which, at the time the applicant was enrolled 1106 and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained a standard 1107 of training substantially equivalent to the standards of 1108 training of those institutions in the United States which are 1109 accredited by an institutional accrediting body recognized by 1110 the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor 1111 organization. Such foreign education and training must have been 1112 received in an institution or program of higher education 1113 officially recognized by the government of the country in which 1114 it is located as an institution or program to train students to 1115 practice as professional marriage and family therapists or 1116 psychotherapists. The applicant has the burden of establishing 1117 that the requirements of this provision have been met, and the 1118 board shall require documentation, such as an evaluation by a 1119 foreign equivalency determination service, as evidence that the 1120 applicants graduate degree program and education were 1121 equivalent to an accredited program in this country. An 1122 applicant with a masters degree from a program that did not 1123 emphasize marriage and family therapy may complete the 1124 coursework requirement in a training institution fully 1125 accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and 1126 Family Therapy Education recognized by the United States 1127 Department of Education. 1128 (d)(c)Completed at least 2 years of clinical experience 1129 during which 50 percent of the applicants clients were 1130 receiving marriage and family therapy services, which must be at 1131 the post-masters level under the supervision of a licensed 1132 marriage and family therapist with at least 5 years of 1133 experience, or the equivalent, who is a qualified supervisor as 1134 determined by the board. An individual who intends to practice 1135 in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience requirements must 1136 register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before commencing practice. If 1137 a graduate has a masters degree with a major emphasis in 1138 marriage and family therapy or a closely related field which did 1139 not include all of the coursework required by paragraph (c) (b), 1140 credit for the post-masters level clinical experience may not 1141 commence until the applicant has completed a minimum of 10 of 1142 the courses required by paragraph (c) (b), as determined by the 1143 board, and at least 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours of the 1144 course credits must have been completed in the area of marriage 1145 and family systems, theories, or techniques. Within the 2 years 1146 of required experience, the applicant shall provide direct 1147 individual, group, or family therapy and counseling to cases 1148 including those involving unmarried dyads, married couples, 1149 separating and divorcing couples, and family groups that include 1150 children. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the 1151 clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health 1152 professional must be on the premises when clinical services are 1153 provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting. 1154 (e)(d)Passed a theory and practice examination designated 1155 by board rule. 1156 (f)(e)Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board rule, 1157 knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 1158 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 1159 health counseling. 1160 1161 For the purposes of dual licensure, the department shall license 1162 as a marriage and family therapist any person who meets the 1163 requirements of s. 491.0057. Fees for dual licensure may not 1164 exceed those stated in this subsection. 1165 (4)MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.Upon verification of 1166 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by 1167 board rule, the department shall issue a license as a mental 1168 health counselor to an applicant whom the board certifies has 1169 met all of the following criteria: 1170 (a)Submitted an application and paid the appropriate fee. 1171 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 1172 456.0135. 1173 (c)1.Attained a minimum of an earned masters degree from 1174 a mental health counseling program accredited by the Council for 1175 the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs 1176 which consists of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours 1177 of clinical and didactic instruction, including a course in 1178 human sexuality and a course in substance abuse. If the masters 1179 degree is earned from a program related to the practice of 1180 mental health counseling which is not accredited by the Council 1181 for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational 1182 Programs, then the coursework and practicum, internship, or 1183 fieldwork must consist of at least 60 semester hours or 80 1184 quarter hours and meet all of the following requirements: 1185 a.Thirty-three semester hours or 44 quarter hours of 1186 graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3 semester 1187 hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level coursework in each of 1188 the following 11 content areas: counseling theories and 1189 practice; human growth and development; diagnosis and treatment 1190 of psychopathology; human sexuality; group theories and 1191 practice; individual evaluation and assessment; career and 1192 lifestyle assessment; research and program evaluation; social 1193 and cultural foundations; substance abuse; and legal, ethical, 1194 and professional standards issues in the practice of mental 1195 health counseling. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation 1196 work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied 1197 toward this requirement. 1198 b.A minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of 1199 graduate-level coursework addressing diagnostic processes, 1200 including differential diagnosis and the use of the current 1201 diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the American 1202 Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of 1203 Mental Disorders. The graduate program must have emphasized the 1204 common core curricular experience. 1205 c.The equivalent, as determined by the board, of at least 1206 700 hours of university-sponsored supervised clinical practicum, 1207 internship, or field experience that includes at least 280 hours 1208 of direct client services, as required in the accrediting 1209 standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and 1210 Related Educational Programs for mental health counseling 1211 programs. This experience may not be used to satisfy the post 1212 masters clinical experience requirement. 1213 2.Provided additional documentation if a course title that 1214 appears on the applicants transcript does not clearly identify 1215 the content of the coursework. The documentation must include, 1216 but is not limited to, a syllabus or catalog description 1217 published for the course. 1218 1219 Education and training in mental health counseling must have 1220 been received in an institution of higher education that, at the 1221 time the applicant graduated, was fully accredited by an 1222 institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for 1223 Higher Education Accreditation or its successor organization or 1224 was a member in good standing with Universities Canada, or an 1225 institution of higher education located outside the United 1226 States and Canada which, at the time the applicant was enrolled 1227 and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained a standard 1228 of training substantially equivalent to the standards of 1229 training of those institutions in the United States which are 1230 accredited by an institutional accrediting body recognized by 1231 the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor 1232 organization. Such foreign education and training must have been 1233 received in an institution or program of higher education 1234 officially recognized by the government of the country in which 1235 it is located as an institution or program to train students to 1236 practice as mental health counselors. The applicant has the 1237 burden of establishing that the requirements of this provision 1238 have been met, and the board shall require documentation, such 1239 as an evaluation by a foreign equivalency determination service, 1240 as evidence that the applicants graduate degree program and 1241 education were equivalent to an accredited program in this 1242 country. Beginning July 1, 2025, an applicant must have a 1243 masters degree from a program that is accredited by the Council 1244 for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational 1245 Programs, the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation 1246 Council, or an equivalent accrediting body which consists of at 1247 least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours to apply for 1248 licensure under this paragraph. 1249 (d)(c)Completed at least 2 years of clinical experience in 1250 mental health counseling, which must be at the post-masters 1251 level under the supervision of a licensed mental health 1252 counselor or the equivalent who is a qualified supervisor as 1253 determined by the board. An individual who intends to practice 1254 in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience requirements must 1255 register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before commencing practice. If 1256 a graduate has a masters degree with a major related to the 1257 practice of mental health counseling which did not include all 1258 the coursework required under sub-subparagraphs (c)1.a and b. 1259 (b)1.a. and b., credit for the post-masters level clinical 1260 experience may not commence until the applicant has completed a 1261 minimum of seven of the courses required under sub-subparagraphs 1262 (c)1.a and b. (b)1.a. and b., as determined by the board, one of 1263 which must be a course in psychopathology or abnormal 1264 psychology. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the 1265 clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health 1266 professional must be on the premises when clinical services are 1267 provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting. 1268 (e)(d)Passed a theory and practice examination designated 1269 by board rule. 1270 (f)(e)Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board rule, 1271 knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 1272 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 1273 health counseling. 1274 Section 37.Subsection (1) of section 491.006, Florida 1275 Statutes, is amended to read: 1276 491.006Licensure or certification by endorsement. 1277 (1)The department shall license or grant a certificate to 1278 a person in a profession regulated by this chapter who, upon 1279 applying to the department and remitting the appropriate fee, 1280 demonstrates to the board that he or she: 1281 (a)Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of the 1282 board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 1283 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 1284 health counseling. 1285 (b)Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 1286 456.0135. 1287 (c)1.Holds an active valid license to practice and has 1288 actively practiced the licensed profession in another state for 1289 3 of the last 5 years immediately preceding licensure; 1290 2.Has passed a substantially equivalent licensing 1291 examination in another state or has passed the licensure 1292 examination in this state in the profession for which the 1293 applicant seeks licensure; and 1294 3.Holds a license in good standing, is not under 1295 investigation for an act that would constitute a violation of 1296 this chapter, and has not been found to have committed any act 1297 that would constitute a violation of this chapter. 1298 1299 The fees paid by any applicant for certification as a master 1300 social worker under this section are nonrefundable. 1301 Section 38.Section 486.025, Florida Statutes, is amended 1302 to read: 1303 486.025Powers and duties of the Board of Physical Therapy 1304 Practice.The board may administer oaths, summon witnesses, take 1305 testimony in all matters relating to its duties under this 1306 chapter, establish or modify minimum standards of practice of 1307 physical therapy as defined in s. 486.021, including, but not 1308 limited to, standards of practice for the performance of dry 1309 needling by physical therapists, and adopt rules pursuant to ss. 1310 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this chapter. The board may 1311 also review the standing and reputability of any school or 1312 college offering courses in physical therapy and whether the 1313 courses of such school or college in physical therapy meet the 1314 standards established by the appropriate accrediting agency 1315 referred to in s. 486.031(4)(a) s. 486.031(3)(a). In determining 1316 the standing and reputability of any such school and whether the 1317 school and courses meet such standards, the board may 1318 investigate and personally inspect the school and courses. 1319 Section 39.Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 1320 486.0715, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1321 486.0715Physical therapist; issuance of temporary permit. 1322 (1)The board shall issue a temporary physical therapist 1323 permit to an applicant who meets the following requirements: 1324 (b)Is a graduate of an approved United States physical 1325 therapy educational program and meets all the eligibility 1326 requirements for licensure under chapter ch. 456, s. 486.031(1) 1327 (4)(a) s. 486.031(1)-(3)(a), and related rules, except passage 1328 of a national examination approved by the board is not required. 1329 Section 40.Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 1330 486.1065, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1331 486.1065Physical therapist assistant; issuance of 1332 temporary permit. 1333 (1)The board shall issue a temporary physical therapist 1334 assistant permit to an applicant who meets the following 1335 requirements: 1336 (b)Is a graduate of an approved United States physical 1337 therapy assistant educational program and meets all the 1338 eligibility requirements for licensure under chapter ch. 456, s. 1339 486.102(1)-(4)(a) s. 486.102(1)-(3)(a), and related rules, 1340 except passage of a national examination approved by the board 1341 is not required. 1342 Section 41.Subsections (15), (16), and (17) of section 1343 491.003, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1344 491.003Definitions.As used in this chapter: 1345 (15)Registered clinical social worker intern means a 1346 person registered under this chapter who is completing the 1347 postgraduate clinical social work experience requirement 1348 specified in s. 491.005(1)(d) s. 491.005(1)(c). 1349 (16)Registered marriage and family therapist intern 1350 means a person registered under this chapter who is completing 1351 the post-masters clinical experience requirement specified in 1352 s. 491.005(3)(d) s. 491.005(3)(c). 1353 (17)Registered mental health counselor intern means a 1354 person registered under this chapter who is completing the post 1355 masters clinical experience requirement specified in s. 1356 491.005(4)(d) s. 491.005(4)(c). 1357 Section 42.This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.