Back to All NewsNew Bill Would Grant Independent Practice to Nurse Practitioners in Florida
Posted By American Med Spa Association, Monday, December 16, 2019
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A new bill introduced in Florida for the 2020 legislative session would allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to practice without the need for physician supervision. The bill is cosponsored by representatives Cary Pigman and Kimberly Daniels. Although this bill is prefiled in advance of the 2020 session, it has already received a favorable report from the Health Quality Subcommittee. You can review the text of House Bill 607 (HB 607) in full here.
HB 607 would bring major changes to Florida’s current NP practice laws. Currently, NPs in Florida require a written protocol with a supervising physician to practice. HB 607 would allow NPs who have practiced under physician supervision for a certain number of hours and meet several other requirements to apply to practice independently.
In order to apply for independent practice, the NP must:
HB 607 would create an independent practice advisory council and require that any independent practitioner report adverse incidents in writing within 15 days. The bill also would add a number of professional conduct requirements in addition to the existing nursing conduct requirements. These include a prohibition on splitting professional fees or paying or receiving kickbacks, engaging in sexual relationships with patients, making deceptive or untrue statements, soliciting patients using certain means, failing to keep proper records, exploiting patients for financial gain, performing services without authorization, delegating responsibilities to inappropriate persons, conspiring to intimidate another advance practice nurse, advertising a specialty not actually held, and providing fraudulent expert testimony.
The national trend has been moving towards allowing NPs to practice as independent health care providers and not dependent on the supervision of physicians. HB 607 is right in line with this trend and, if passed, would make Florida NPs independent health care providers in their own right.
We will be monitoring HB 607 as it works its way through Florida’s legislative process this year. Given the early favorable committee treatment, this bill seems to have some support.
HB 607 would bring major changes to Florida’s current NP practice laws. Currently, NPs in Florida require a written protocol with a supervising physician to practice. HB 607 would allow NPs who have practiced under physician supervision for a certain number of hours and meet several other requirements to apply to practice independently.
In order to apply for independent practice, the NP must:
HB 607 would create an independent practice advisory council and require that any independent practitioner report adverse incidents in writing within 15 days. The bill also would add a number of professional conduct requirements in addition to the existing nursing conduct requirements. These include a prohibition on splitting professional fees or paying or receiving kickbacks, engaging in sexual relationships with patients, making deceptive or untrue statements, soliciting patients using certain means, failing to keep proper records, exploiting patients for financial gain, performing services without authorization, delegating responsibilities to inappropriate persons, conspiring to intimidate another advance practice nurse, advertising a specialty not actually held, and providing fraudulent expert testimony.
The national trend has been moving towards allowing NPs to practice as independent health care providers and not dependent on the supervision of physicians. HB 607 is right in line with this trend and, if passed, would make Florida NPs independent health care providers in their own right.
We will be monitoring HB 607 as it works its way through Florida’s legislative process this year. Given the early favorable committee treatment, this bill seems to have some support.
