Chapter 483, Florida Statutes, decrees the establishment of a Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel.
The Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel (BCLP) oversees clinical laboratory personnel in the state of Florida. The Board is charged with protecting the public health, safety and welfare of the people of the state by establishing the rules for licensure.
The Board’s seven members are appointed by the Governor and approved by the state senate of Florida to serve four-year terms. Five of the seven members are licensed clinical laboratory practitioners and the remaining two, referred to as “consumer members,” have never been licensed as clinical laboratory personnel and have no connection to the laboratory profession.
The Board has the authority to:
- Establish rules for clinical laboratory personnel licensure
- Set the necessary qualifications for clinical laboratory science personnel, including higher education and training programs
- Determine acceptable certifying examinations
- Oversee clinical laboratory training program and continuing education providers
- Issue licenses to clinical laboratory personnel
- Determine and collect fees for initial license, license renewals, and delinquent licenses
- Enforce penalties, including license suspension and fines up to $10,000, for violations of Board rules governing ethics in clinical laboratory practice
