HB0301 • 2026

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Autonomous Practice

Education Healthcare

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Shoaf ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Salzman
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: Senate - Died in Rules
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the rules set by the board, nor does it confirm that other duties of APRNs related to primary care are unaffected.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Autonomous Practice

This bill allows certain advanced practice registered nurses to provide mental health services independently under specific conditions.

What This Bill Does

Allows psychiatric mental health advanced practice registered nurses (PMH-APRNs) to offer mental health services without direct supervision from a doctor, as defined by board rule.

Who It Names or Affects

Advanced practice registered nurses who are certified in psychiatric mental health
Patients seeking mental health services from PMH-APRNs

Terms To Know

Autonomous Practice: The ability to provide healthcare services independently without direct supervision by a doctor.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN): A nurse with advanced education and training who can diagnose, treat, and manage health conditions.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only affects PMH-APRNs and does not change other types of APRN practices.
It is unclear how this will impact the availability or cost of mental health services for patients.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Rules
2026-02-10 Senate
• Received
2026-02-09 Senate
• Referred to Rules
2026-02-04 House
• Read 2nd time • Added to Third Reading Calendar • Read 3rd time • Passed; YEAS 88, NAYS 18
2026-02-04 Senate
• In Messages
2026-01-29 House
• Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/4/2026)
2026-01-21 House
• Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee • Reported out of Health & Human Services Committee • Bill released to House Calendar • Added to Second Reading Calendar
2026-01-16 House
• Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda
2026-01-15 House
• Reported out of Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee • Now in Health & Human Services Committee
2026-01-14 House
• Favorable by Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2026-01-12 House
• Added to Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee agenda
2025-11-12 House
• Referred to Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee • Referred to Health & Human Services Committee • Now in Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
2025-11-03 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Autonomous Practice; Authorizes certain advanced practice registered nurses to engage in autonomous practice to provide mental health services.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 301 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb301-00
Page 1 of 2
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 advanced practice registered nurse 2
autonomous practice; amending s. 464.0123, F.S.; 3
authorizing certain advanced practice registered 4
nurses to engage in autonomous practice to provide 5
mental health services under certain circumstances; 6
providing an effective date. 7
8
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9
10
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 11
464.0123, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 12
464.0123 Autonomous practice by an advanced practice 13
registered nurse.— 14
(3) PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS.— 15
(a) An advanced practice registered nurse who is 16
registered under this section may: 17
1. Engage in autonomous practice only in primary care 18
practice, including family medicine, general pediatrics, and 19
general internal medicine, as defined by board rule. If an 20
advanced practice registered nurse is certified as a psychiatric 21
mental health advanced practice nurse, he or she may engage in 22
autonomous practice to provide mental health services, as 23
defined by board rule. 24
2. For certified nurse midwives, engage in autonomous 25

HB 301 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb301-00
Page 2 of 2
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

practice in the performance of the acts listed in s. 26
464.012(4)(c). 27
3. Perform the general functions of an advanced practice 28
registered nurse under s. 464.012(3) related to primary care. 29
4. For a patient who requires the services of a health 30
care facility, as defined in s. 408.032(8): 31
a. Admit the patient to the facility. 32
b. Manage the care received by the patient in the 33
facility. 34
c. Discharge the patient from the facility, unless 35
prohibited by federal law or rule. 36
5. Provide a signature, certification, stamp, 37
verification, affidavit, or endorsement that is otherwise 38
required by law to be provided by a physician, except an 39
advanced practice registered nurse registered under this section 40
may not issue a physician certification under s. 381.986. 41
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 42