SB0878 • 2026

Clinical Laboratory Personnel

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Yarborough
Last action: 2026-03-05
Official status: Senate - Laid on Table, refer to HB 1347 -SJ 590
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed information on the consequences for failing to comply with the bill's requirements, nor does it specify how existing license holders will be affected by these changes.

Clinical Laboratory Personnel Licensing Requirements

This bill updates the requirements for clinical laboratory personnel to get licensed in Florida by requiring proof of qualification and background checks.

What This Bill Does

Requires applicants for a clinical laboratory license to provide proof that they meet the qualifications set out in the law and pay required fees.
Updates existing rules about background checks for all applicants seeking a clinical laboratory license.
Specifies that certain federal standards (42 C.F.R. s. 493.1489 and 42 C.F.R. s. 493.1423) are recognized as meeting Florida's minimum qualifications for high or moderate complexity testing.

Who It Names or Affects

Clinical laboratory personnel who need to get licensed in Florida.
The department responsible for issuing these licenses.

Terms To Know

licensure: A process where a government agency gives permission to someone to work in a specific profession or field.
background screening: An investigation into an applicant's history, often including criminal records and employment history.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if someone fails to provide proof of qualification or pays the required fees.
It is unclear how this will affect existing license holders who do not meet these new requirements.

Bill History

2026-03-05 Senate
• Read 2nd time -SJ 590 • Substituted HB 1347 -SJ 590 • Laid on Table, refer to HB 1347 -SJ 590
2026-03-02 Senate
• Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/05/26
2026-02-25 Senate
• Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
2026-02-24 Senate
• Favorable by- Rules; YEAS 22 NAYS 0
2026-02-19 Senate
• On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/24/26, 12:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
2026-02-18 Senate
• Favorable by Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; YEAS 9 NAYS 0 • Now in Rules
2026-02-13 Senate
• On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, 02/18/26, 8:30 am, 412 Knott Building
2026-02-12 Senate
• Now in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
2026-02-11 Senate
• Favorable by Health Policy; YEAS 11 NAYS 0
2026-02-06 Senate
• On Committee agenda-- Health Policy, 02/11/26, 3:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
2026-01-13 Senate
• Introduced
2025-12-16 Senate
• Referred to Health Policy; Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; Rules
2025-12-11 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Clinical Laboratory Personnel; Requiring that an applicant who qualifies for licensure under specified provisions provide proof of such qualification and pay the required fees to be eligible for licensure; requiring that applicants for licensure as a technologist or technician who meet specified criteria be deemed to have satisfied minimum qualifications for licensure to perform high or moderate complexity testing as a technologist or technician, as applicable, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 878

By
Senator Yarborough

4-01276-26 2026878__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to clinical laboratory personnel;
3 amending s. 483.815, F.S.; requiring that an applicant
4 who qualifies for licensure under specified provisions
5 provide proof of such qualification and pay the
6 required fees to be eligible for licensure; amending
7 s. 483.823, F.S.; requiring that applicants for
8 licensure as a technologist or technician who meet
9 specified criteria be deemed to have satisfied minimum
10 qualifications for licensure to perform high or
11 moderate complexity testing as a technologist or
12 technician, as applicable; providing an effective
13 date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Section 483.815, Florida Statutes, is amended to
18 read:
19 483.815 Application for clinical laboratory personnel
20 license.—
21
(1)
An application for a clinical laboratory personnel
22 license
must

shall
be made under oath on forms provided by the
23 department and
must

shall
be accompanied by payment of fees as
24 provided by this part. Applicants for licensure must also submit
25 to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135. A
26 license may be issued authorizing the performance of procedures
27 of one or more categories.
28
(2)

An applicant who qualifies for licensure under s.

29
483.823(3) or (4) must provide proof of such qualification,

30
submit to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135,

31
and pay the fees required under s. 483.807 to be eligible for

32
licensure.

33 Section 2. Subsections (3) and (4) are added to section
34 483.823, Florida Statutes, to read:
35 483.823 Qualifications of clinical laboratory personnel.—
36
(3)

Except as otherwise provided in s. 483.812, a

37
technologist or technician applicant for licensure who satisfies

38
the requirements in 42 C.F.R. s. 493.1489 to perform high

39
complexity testing is deemed to have satisfied the minimum

40
qualifications for licensure under this part to perform high

41
complexity testing as a technologist or technician in this

42
state.

43
(4)

Except as otherwise provided in s. 483.812, a

44
technician applicant for licensure who satisfies the

45
requirements in 42 C.F.R. s. 493.1423 to perform moderate

46
complexity testing is deemed to have satisfied the minimum

47
qualifications for licensure under this part to perform moderate

48
complexity testing as a technician in this state.

49 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.