Statement By: FANA President Jose Castillo III, PhD, MSNA, CRNA, APRN
Re: Passage of CS/CS/HB 607 APRNs Autonomous Practice
“This afternoon the Florida House of Representatives took up and approved HB 607 – a historic legislative measure which allows some Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to practice without physician protocols or supervision.
“Although we are disappointed that the legislation did not include Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), we are pleased that some of Florida’s APRNs will be able to practice autonomously.
“On behalf of more than 5400 Florida CRNAs we thank Speaker Jose Oliva for his unwavering support, and Representative Pigman and his colleagues for being such staunch supporters of this effort and for passing it out of the Florida House.
“Passage of this bill demonstrates Florida’s commitment to modernizing the way healthcare is being delivered in our state by ensuring that Floridians have full access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas that are often underserved.
“The Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists sees this bill as a first step, and our members will continue to advocate for passage of a more comprehensive bill that includes all APRNs and CRNAs. Once again, our goal has always been to provide Floridians with more access to health care while driving down health care costs. We look forward to continuing this dialogue as we head into the 2021 Legislative Session.”
