Video & Transcript Research : 'RN'

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FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services Feb 4th, 2026

Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public comment first on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and the iBudget waiver. Testimony on the HIV program warned that proposed Department of Health changes could disrupt care for thousands of clients, create confusion, and force people off life-saving medications; a senator suggested affected clients explore medically needy and FQHC/340B options. Testimony on iBudget urged support for a roughly 7% rate adjustment for direct support professionals, citing rising costs and the need to sustain the developmental disabilities workforce. The committee then considered several bills. SB 428 expanded Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7 and was reported favorably. SB 68 required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligning reporting dates with the House was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1718 lengthened the time an adult may stay in an out-of-home placement before being treated as a visitor, reduced background screening burdens for foster families, made the Step Into Success program permanent, and created a best-practices program; it was also reported favorably. The committee next approved SB 606, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials and requires related compliance records, and SB 96, which expands the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program to veterans up to 400% of the federal poverty level; an amendment removed the bill’s specific $500,000 appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process. SB 340 required nursing education to include a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure, and SB 1480 created a grandfathering process for certain area-of-critical-need health care providers if federal designations change, both of which were reported favorably. The committee adjourned after all bills passed their roll calls.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Health Policy Jan 20th, 2026

Health Policy

Bills: S0428, S0606, S0192, S0162, S0340
Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met with a quorum and took up several health-related bills, with a strong focus on drowning prevention and patient safety. SB 428 by Senator Yarborough would expand Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7. Supporters, including a pediatric emergency physician and YMCA leadership, cited Florida’s high child drowning rates and argued that swim lessons reduce risk and should be available to more children. Senator Harrell noted the need to consider increasing the program’s funding as eligibility expands. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 606 by Senator Smith, which adds drowning prevention and safe bathing education to postpartum materials provided by hospitals, birthing centers, and, after amendment, no longer home birth providers. A parent who lost a child to drowning testified in support, and senators emphasized the preventability of such deaths. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 340 by Senator Harrell would require nursing students to complete a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure; after a strike-all amendment shifted the requirement from nursing programs to the students themselves, the bill received support from advocates and was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also considered SB 162 by Senator Davis, which would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies for using smoke evacuation systems during procedures that generate surgical smoke. The sponsor said the equipment is relatively inexpensive and already common in many facilities, while opponents and some senators questioned the medical evidence, enforcement, and possible impacts on rural and smaller facilities. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably, with some members voting no. SB 192, presented by Senator Trumbull on behalf of Senator Martin, would remove the $1,500 cap on advances chiropractic physicians may collect for examinations or treatment; the Florida Chiropractic Society supported the change as pro-small-business, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also received an OPAGA presentation comparing Florida’s health care practitioner regulation system with other states, focusing on board autonomy, rulemaking oversight, board composition, appointments, term limits, and funding mechanisms.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Fiscal Policy Feb 12th, 2026

Fiscal Policy

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy met and reported a series of bills favorably, covering health care, public safety, insurance, coastal resilience, juvenile justice, drowning prevention, transportation designations, and beach management. Senator Harrell presented CS/SB 68, requiring hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, designated pediatric readiness personnel, and participation in a national readiness assessment; it passed. Harrell also presented CS/SB 340, requiring nursing students to complete two hours of human trafficking identification training before licensure; it also passed. Senator Sharif’s CS/SB 32 and SB 210, creating a new injunction for protection against serious violence by a known person and the related public records bill, were both reported favorably. Senator Garcia’s CS/CS/SB 302 on nature-based coastal resiliency, Senator Jones’s SB 418 on law enforcement interaction with individuals with autism and the Blue Envelope Program, and Senator Martin’s CS/SB 1734 updating juvenile probation and detention officer definitions and related cost-share language were also approved. The committee then took up several drowning-prevention measures. CS/SB 606 by Senator Smith would add drowning prevention and safe bathing education to postpartum materials and direct the Department of Health to create standardized materials; an amendment removed a records-retention requirement, and the bill passed. SB 428 by Senator Yarborough would expand the state swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7; it received strong support from advocates, including a young swim instructor and autism advocates, and passed. The committee also approved CS/SB 246, a specialty license plate bill that was amended to include the UFC plate and a First Responders’ Resiliency Foundation plate, and CS/SB 1028, which revises Citizens Property Insurance and clearinghouse procedures to prioritize admitted carriers and prohibit public funds for the clearinghouse; that bill drew discussion about market competition, Citizens’ exposure, and potential impacts on policyholders. Additional measures reported favorably included SB 628, designating a portion of South Navy Boulevard in Pensacola as Warrior Sacrifice Way to honor the sailors killed in the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola attack, and CS/SB 636 on beach management, which would create a proactive pathway for coastal communities to obtain erosion-related designations and align with federal programs. Beach industry testimony supported the bill’s intent but raised concerns about perpetual easements and funding shortfalls. At the end of the meeting, members recorded additional votes on selected bills, and the committee adjourned.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Feb 12th, 2025

Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • When we look at our RN programs, I'm going to present the RN programs divided by program type.
  • All right, let me start with my RN...
  • We have few. test takers, excuse me, NCLEX RN test takers.
  • All right, let me start with my RN. Fantastic. All right. Let me start with my RN pass takers then.
  • It's a great opportunity to grow our own RNs right there.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to focus on nursing education funding, workforce supply, and Florida’s low NCLEX pass rates. The chair emphasized that Florida ranks last nationally in nursing exam pass rates and said the committee wants to use budget decisions and a forthcoming nursing bill to improve outcomes. The Florida Center for Nursing at USF presented preliminary workforce and education data showing RN supply is moving toward equilibrium with demand through 2037, while LPN shortages are projected to worsen, especially in some regions. The center also reported on enrollment, retention, faculty vacancies, and NCLEX trends, noting Florida still underperforms the national average but has shown some recent improvement, including higher RN pass rates in 2024 despite fewer test takers. The center highlighted that students who test sooner after graduation tend to pass at higher rates. A panel of nursing education leaders from public universities, state colleges, technical colleges, and private institutions described how prior state pipeline and line-item funding helped expand enrollment, simulation labs, faculty hiring, student support services, and partnerships with hospitals. UNF, Galen College, College of Central Florida, Keiser University, and Lorenzo Walker Technical College each reported strategies such as expanded simulation, mental health and social work support, test-prep and remediation, and efforts to grow faculty pipelines. Several speakers said faculty recruitment and retention remain major barriers because of salary competition with hospitals, faculty debt, and aging faculty. Technical college representatives also stressed the need to strengthen LPN pathways, English-language support, and LPN-to-RN bridge programs. Members asked for ideas to improve NCLEX outcomes and discussed possible policy options, including student loan forgiveness, critical shortage supplements for faculty, incentives for students to test soon after graduation, and possible changes to timing or regulation around NCLEX eligibility. Several witnesses supported more flexible or recurring funding, while noting that one-time line funding has been useful for simulation, scholarships, and faculty support but is harder to sustain. The committee adjourned after the discussion, with the chair saying the ideas would be considered in future funding and policy decisions.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

February 19, 2025 - 09:30 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • So those will all fall under the RN category.
  • For example, an RN who may have failed the RN examination can have an opportunity to take the PN examination
  • , or a candidate who was part of an RN program but does not complete the RN education but has met the
  • I have post-licensure RN-to-BSN.
  • At HCI College, our RN program is $52,000.
Summary: The subcommittee met to examine Florida’s nursing education pipeline and the state’s persistently low NCLEX passage rates. Chair Tuck opened by noting the projected nurse shortage and Florida’s ranking near the bottom nationally for first-time NCLEX pass rates. The Department of Health explained the Board of Nursing’s approval process for nursing programs, including application requirements, probation standards, and termination for programs that repeatedly fail passage-rate benchmarks. The Florida Center for Nursing then presented statewide data showing Florida has more test takers than most states, but still trails the national average; the gap has narrowed in recent years, though Florida remains below average. Members focused heavily on why the state continues to underperform, with discussion of faculty shortages, clinical placement constraints, accreditation, student preparedness, and the large share of newer private for-profit programs among those placed on probation. Committee members asked about how probation works, what happens when programs improve, and whether the board requires corrective plans. They also questioned the relationship between program type and outcomes, the effect of Operation Nightingale, and how many students fail and retest. The Florida Center for Nursing said first-attempt pass rates are the standard measure and that students who fail are expected to remediate and retest, though costs vary. The center also said Florida’s data shows accredited programs outperform approved or probationary ones, and that the state’s nursing workforce challenges are tied to broader issues such as faculty vacancies, clinical site competition, and student demographics, including many students balancing work, family, and language barriers. A panel of nursing school leaders from public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit institutions then described strategies used to improve outcomes. These included transparent recruitment, early orientation, tutoring, success coaching, stronger faculty development, curriculum mapping to NCLEX standards, higher course benchmarks, mandatory remediation, simulation labs, and commercial NCLEX prep tools such as ATI, Kaplan, and HESI. Several panelists said their programs had improved after probation or had very high passage rates, and they emphasized that student success depends on academic preparation, clinical experience, and support services. Members also asked about tuition, program length, translation into other languages, and faculty recruitment; panelists said costs vary widely, faculty hiring is difficult because hospitals pay more, and some schools are considering medical Spanish and immersion options rather than full curriculum translation.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Nurse practitioners are initially licensed as an RN first.
  • That is accurate, so they could work as an RN.
  • Every advanced practice licensed RN in the state of California is an RN first.
  • I've been an RN for 25 years or longer. And our board president is an RN right now.
  • My mother was an LVN who became an RN, and at the... There was an LVN who became an RN.
Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate Business and Professions sunset oversight hearing focused first on the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), with committee chairs emphasizing oversight, consumer protection, workforce access, and economic mobility. BRN leaders reported improvements since the last review, including faster licensing timelines, streamlined enforcement, higher consumer satisfaction, growth in pre-licensure enrollment, and expanded data collection. Members questioned the board about nurse practitioner scope and supervision, international and military pathways to licensure, online nursing education and clinical requirements, rural workforce shortages, and the 30-unit LVN-to-RN option. BRN staff explained California’s tiered advanced practice system, the NCLEX and certification requirements, English proficiency rules, clinical hour standards, and the board’s role in approving programs and supporting schools through nursing education consultants. Several members and the board president also discussed the need to retain new graduates, improve diversity in the workforce, and better support nontraditional students and rural placements. Public comment on the BRN sunset review was extensive and largely supportive of the board, while also urging policy changes. Nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, and nursing education groups generally supported the BRN report and especially backed clarification of APRN-to-RN delegation authority under issue 13. Other commenters asked for clearer implementation of AB 890, more flexibility for clinical nurse specialists, streamlined renewals for nurse midwives, and changes to federal loan limits affecting graduate nursing education. Higher education representatives and private nursing schools raised concerns about duplicative BRN documentation, clinical placement bottlenecks, and barriers faced by out-of-state and online programs seeking to serve California students. The California Medical Association and some physician groups opposed easing transition-to-practice requirements for out-of-state nurse practitioners and cautioned against changes to specialty and delegation rules, while the California Nurses Association and others stressed the importance of community college pathways, new graduate support, and workforce retention. The hearing then moved to the Physical Therapy Board of California. Board leadership reported that the board oversees more than 41,000 active licensees, has seen about 15% growth since 2021, and continues to maintain high exam pass rates among California physical therapy and physical therapist assistant programs. The board described its mission as consumer protection through licensing, enforcement, continuing competency oversight, and stakeholder engagement. The vice president’s remote testimony encountered technical problems, so the executive officer continued with a brief overview of the board’s work and its commitment to efficient service and public protection. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

December 4, 2025 - 08:30 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • THE RN PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OFFER MULTIPLE DEGREE TYPES.
  • SEPARATING THAT OUT TO THE RN PROGRAMS YOU CAN BE THE GROWTH OF THE RN PROGRAM AS INDICATED BY THE YELLOW
  • THIS IS A VERY TYPICAL TREND WITH OUR NCLEX RN DATA.
  • FROM 2020 TO 2024 FLORIDA RANKS 52ND OR 53RD OUT OF 55 JURISDICTIONS FOR NCLEX RNS.
  • AND LICENSED RNS AND ARE IN PRACTICAL NURSES.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

Senate Executive Departments and Administration (03/04/2026)

Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:
  • for people to become RNs, the motivation for people to become RNs, how<00:14:57.440> can<00:14
  • In fact, um RNs, evidence does say.
  • RNs, specifically BSN prepared RNs, specifically BSN prepared RNs, um um um have<00:20:26.360>
  • replacing RNs with LPNs? replacing RNs with LPNs?
  • have no reason to advance to be an RN. have no reason to advance to be an RN.
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Response to resident emergencies 3/18/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • She said that because assisted living does not have an RN on site 24/7 and the RN is on call, that setup
  • onsite 24/7, but nights and weekends it is an RN on call.
  • an R RN on site 247, they're on call. an R RN on site 247, they're on call. that<00:19:13.600>
  • That's a weekends it's an RN on call.
  • Um, because we're not asking them to be a licensed RN.
Keywords: 1183, house
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs (01/21/2026)

Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, but I I generally RNs themselves.
  • The hangup is really in the RNs, the registered nurses.
  • ,<06:08:19.360> the hangup is really in the RNs, the hangup is really in the RNs, the registered
  • We do have RNs, but helps us with that.
  • So, if I had to meet what an RN offers.
Keywords: 1189, house, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Human Services - 03/19/25

Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Changes in condition are still required to be reported to the RN per scope of practice, and an RN would
  • still required to be reported to the RN still required to be reported to the RN per<01:42:13.119
  • living communities struggle to find RNs living communities struggle to find RNs when<01:44:24.000
  • <01:46:05.280> public speak to you today as an RN public speak to you today as an RN public
  • <01:49:24.560> in<01:49:24.800> a An RN received this education in a An RN received
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII Feb 25th, 2025

Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Transcript Highlights:
  • is it because we've built more nursing schools, we've allowed more alternative pathways to RNs, you
  • I think new pathways, growing in enrollments in RN programs, probably some retirements as well in the
  • OK, let me see here. currently to renew an RN license which is a two-year renewal that's $68.
  • Okay but the initial application to be an RN. Okay the initial application to become licensed.
  • Licensed as an RN. It was last changed in 1922 it was decreased from $100 to $75.
Keywords: 1184, house, all