In accordance with Florida Statutes section 408.822, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has announced a rule development workshop to develop Rule 59A-35.060, which specifies the parameters for a survey designed to collect data on registered nurses and direct care workers. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, February 15 at 3:00 PM ET at AHCA and by telephone.

The survey of the direct care workforce is required at every license renewal for all licensed nursing homes, home health agencies, hospices, and homemaker and companion service providers. A licensee's administrator or designee must complete the survey and attest to the accuracy of the information provided to the best of their knowledge. Licensees who fail to submit a completed survey will be denied licensure.

The survey was prompted by House Bill 607, which HCAF championed during the 2020 Florida Legislative Session because it contained language allowing registered nurses (RNs) to delegate certain tasks to certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and home health aides.

According to state statutes, each licensee will be asked to provide the following information:

• Number of RNs and direct care workers employed by the licensee;
• Turnover and vacancy rates of RNs and direct care workers and contributing factors;
• Average wage for RN and each category of direct care worker for employees and contractors of the licensee;
• Employment benefits for RNs and direct care workers and the average cost to the employer and employee; and
• Type and availability of training for RNs and direct care workers.

Following the final adoption of the rule, AHCA must review and analyze the data received at least monthly and publish the analysis on its website.

In-Person Workshop

Agency for Health Care Administration
2727 Mahan Drive
Building #3, Conference Room B
Tallahassee, FL 32308

Open Voice Conference Line

(888) 585-9008
Conference Room Number: 998-518-088#

Once published, the agenda and related materials can be found here. For more information or to request a copy of the preliminary draft rule, please call Jeremy Roberts at (850) 412-4432 or email Jeremy.roberts@ahca.myflorida.com.