July 1, 2024 the Florida Department of Health introduced several new Florida Laws to affect mental health professionals, some of which impact licensees in the fields of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling.
HB 975 states that effective July 1, 2025, criminal background checks conducted for all healthcare practitioners must include fingerprinting screened by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This includes both prospective licensure applicants and practitioners licensed before July 1, 2025, when they next renew their licenses after that date.
For 491 licensees, this means when our licenses expire March 31, 2027 we will need to abide by the fingerprinting rule. Anyone seeking first time Florida licenses under a 491 profession after July 1, 2025 will need to include fingerprinting as part of the requirement for initial licensure.
SB 1600 creates the “Mobile Opportunity by Interstate Licensure Endorsement Act” (MOBILE Act) within Chapter 456, to establish a new process for licensure by endorsement. The new bill mandates applicants comply with the fingerprinting-based criminal history established by HB 975, outlines grounds for ineligibility for licensure (such as criminal convictions or pending disciplinary proceedings), and directs the Department to utilize the National Practitioner Data Bank to verify applicant credentials.
SB 7016 aims to grow Florida’s health care workforce. One such method under this bill is reducing barriers for psychologists/ psychiatric nurses to work in Baker Act facilities. It removes the post-licensure clinical requirements for clinical psychologists and psychiatric nurses to work in Baker Act facilities, includes a three-year clinical experience requirement for more advanced acts performed by a clinical psychologist, and requires a psychiatric nurse to practice within an established protocol.
HB 7021 amends Florida’s mental health and substance abuse laws by revising standards for involuntary mental health treatment service. In the bill, definitions within Chapter 394 are revised and responsibilities of involved parties are refined. Once fully implemented, components of written notice related to filing petitions for involuntary services will be revised, as will be requirements for voluntary treatment, orders for involuntary treatment, and procedures for court. Additionally, this bill removes limitations on APRNs and PAs serving physical health needs of individuals receiving psychiatric care, and authorizes psychiatric nurses to release a patient from a receiving facility when certain criteria are met.