(1) The department shall renew a license upon receipt of the renewal application and fee.

(2) The department shall adopt rules establishing a procedure for the biennial renewal of licenses.

(3) The board shall by rule prescribe up to 30 hours of continuing education biennially as a condition for renewal of a license or certificate.

(a) A nurse who is certified by a health care specialty program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification is exempt from continuing education requirements. The criteria for programs must be approved by the board.

(b) Notwithstanding the exemption in paragraph (a), as part of the maximum 30 hours of continuing education hours required under this subsection, advanced practice registered nurses licensed under s. 464.012 must complete at least 3 hours of continuing education on the safe and effective prescription of controlled substances. Such continuing education courses must be offered by a statewide professional association of physicians in this state accredited to provide educational activities designated for the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award Category 1 credit, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and may be offered in a distance learning format.

(c) Notwithstanding the exemption in paragraph (a), as part of the maximum biennial continuing education hours required under this subsection, the board shall require each person licensed or certified under this chapter to complete a 2-hour continuing education course on human trafficking, as defined in s. 787.06(2). The continuing education course must consist of data and information on the types of human trafficking, such as labor and sex, and the extent of human trafficking; factors that place a person at greater risk of being a victim of human trafficking; public and private social services available for rescue, food, clothing, and shelter referrals; hotlines for reporting human trafficking which are maintained by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and the United States Department of Homeland Security; validated assessment tools for identifying a human trafficking victim and general indicators that a person may be a victim of human trafficking; procedures for sharing information related to human trafficking with a patient; and referral options for legal and social services. All licensees must complete this course for every biennial licensure renewal on or after January 1, 2019.

History.—ss. 1, 6, ch. 79-225; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 9, 17, 18, ch. 86-284; s. 11, ch. 88-219; s. 1, ch. 89-170; s. 58, ch. 91-137; s. 5, ch. 91-156; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 176, ch. 94-119; s. 8, ch. 96-274; s. 81, ch. 97-264; s. 3, ch. 2014-92; s. 14, ch. 2016-224; s. 6, ch. 2017-23; s. 57, ch. 2018-106.