SB 356 – Keep Our Graduates Working Act

On Wednesday, January 15, SB 356 by Senator Travis Hutson (R-Palm Coast) was heard in the Senate Rules Committee and was reported favorably with 16 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.

The bill removes the state authority to take disciplinary action against a healthcare practitioner who defaults on a student loan or who fails to comply with the terms of a service scholarship. Under the bill, a healthcare practitioner may not have his or her license suspended or revoked by the Department of Health (DOH) solely because of a loan default or failure to complete service scholarship obligations.

Additionally, the bill specifies that a state authority may not suspend or revoke a license that it has issued to a person who is in default on or delinquent in the payment of his or her student loans solely on the basis of such default or delinquency. The bill defines the term “state authority” to mean any department, board, or agency with the authority to grant a license to any person in this state.

SB 356 will now move to the Senate floor.

AIF supports efforts to protect Florida’s workforce from professional license revocation exclusively due to loan default.