Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida S1480: Temporary Certificates for Practice in Areas of Critical Need
Status: Passed one chamber, March 6, 2026
Revising the conditions under which the Board of Medicine, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Board of Nursing, respectively, are authorized to issue temporary certificates for practice in areas of critical need; authorizing certificateholders to continue primary care services after such areas lose their critical need designation under certain circumstances, etc.
What the bill says
An act relating to temporary certificates for practice in areas of critical need; amending ss. 458.315, 459.0076, and 464.0121, F.S.; revising the conditions under which the Board of Medicine, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Board of Nursing, respectively, are authorized to issue temporary certificates for practice in areas of critical need; authorizing certificateholders to continue primary care services after such areas lose their critical need designation under certain circumstances; providing an effective date.
From the introduced text, January 28, 2026:
A bill to be entitled An act relating to temporary certificates for practice in areas of critical need; amending ss. 458.315, 459.0076, and 464.0121, F.S.; revising the conditions under which the Board of Medicine, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Board of Nursing, respectively, are authorized to issue temporary certificates for practice in areas of critical need; authorizing certificateholders to continue primary care services after such areas lose their critical need designation under certain circumstances; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1.âParagraph (c) of subsection (3) of section 458.315, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 458.315âTemporary certificate for practice in areas of critical need.â (3)âThe board may issue a temporary certificate under this section subject to the following restrictions: (c)1.âAny certificate issued under this section is valid only so long as one of the following conditions applies: a.âThe State Surgeon General determines that the reason for which it was issued remains a critical need to the state. b.âThe certificate was issued for practice in an area of critical need that has since lost its designation and the certificateholder maintains an active primary care treatment relationship in the area with one or more patients. In such case, the certificateholder may continue providing primary care services to patients in such area …