HB 237 Florida House · 2026 Regular Session

Use of Professional Nursing Titles

Summary

Use of Professional Nursing Titles; Authorizes persons who hold specified degrees to use certain titles & abbreviations; requires certain doctoral degree holders to specify their profession when using specified title.

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Oct 21, 2025 Last action Mar 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

H 237 Filed → H 237 c1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to clarify that only licensed professionals with doctoral degrees can use specific titles like 'Doctor of Nursing Practice' and 'Ph.D.', and to require nurses with doctoral degrees to specify their profession when using the title 'doctor' in clinical settings. The original version incorrectly suggested that any licensed professional could use these titles regardless of degree, and the amendment adds clearer restrictions to prevent confusion about professional qualifications.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed to specifically require both licensure under the chapter and possession of a doctoral degree for using the specified titles, rather than just licensure.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed eligibility criteria from requiring only a state or multistate license to requiring both licensure under the chapter and a doctoral degree to use titles like D.N.P. and Ph.D.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that nurses with doctoral degrees must clearly specify their profession when using the title 'doctor' in clinical settings.

Modified title usage language from allowing use of titles to requiring use 'in a manner consistent with the doctoral degree such person has obtained'.

Floor votes · House Feb 4, 2026

How they voted

112–0

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 118

Feb 4, 2026

D Democratic34

33 Yea 1

97% Yea

R Republican84

79 Yea 5

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 9, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

CS passed; YEAS 111, NAYS 0

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Health & Human Services Committee

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda

lower

Jan 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

Now in Health & Human Services Committee

lower

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

Referred to Health & Human Services Committee

lower

Jan 15, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee

lower

Jan 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with CS by Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Added to Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee agenda

lower

Oct 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Now in Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee

lower

Oct 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Health & Human Services Committee

lower

Oct 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors