HB2362 - 522R - Senate Fact Sheet

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Second Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2362

nurse licensure compact

Purpose

Modifies the current nurse licensure compact (Compact) by establishing uniform licensure requirements for a multistate license, allowing Party States to obtain and submit criminal background checks, creating an Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (Commission) and granting the Commission rulemaking authority.

Background

The Arizona State Board of Nursing (Board) was established in 1921 to regulate the practice of nursing in Arizona through licensure, the investigations of complaints and the approval of nursing education programs. The Board is comprised of 11 Governor-appointed members who serve five-year terms (A.R.S. § 32-1602). According to its website, the Board regulates over 120,000 active licensed or certified nursing professionals, of which 82,747 are registered nurses and 10,636 are licensed practical nurses.

Arizona is currently part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, allowing nurses to have one multistate license, with the ability to practice in both their home state and other compact states. Currently, 24 other states have enacted compact legislation, including neighboring states such as New Mexico, Texas, Colorado and Utah. The original compact has been in place since 1998. Since then, the compact has undergone significant revisions, resulting in new model legislation adopted to supersede the current enacted statute. House Bill 2362 adopts new model legislation. The provisions below reflect the changes between the old and new compacts.

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

Findings and Declaration of Purpose

1. States the Party States find the uniformity of nurse licensure requirements throughout the states promotes public safety and public health benefits.

2. Adds to the general purposes of the Compact:

a) decreasing redundancies in the consideration and issuance of nurse licenses; and

b) providing opportunities for interstate practice by nurses who meet uniform licensure requirements.

Definitions

3. Redefines adverse action as any administrative, civil, equitable or criminal action permitted by a state’s laws that is imposed by a licensing board or other authority against a nurse, including actions against an individual’s license or multistate licensure privilege such as revocation, suspension, probation, monitoring of the licensee or limitation on the licensee’s practice, or any other encumbrance on licensure affecting a nurse’s authorization to practice, including issuance or a cease and desist action.

4. Adds the definition of encumbrance, meaning a revocation or suspension of, or any limitation on, the full and unrestricted practice of nursing imposed by a licensing board.

5. Adds the definition of multistate license, meaning a license to practice as a registered or a licensed practical/vocational nurse issued by a home state licensing board that authorizes the licensed nurse to practice in all Party States under a multistate licensure privilege.

6. Modifies the definition of multistate licensure privilege, meaning a legal authorization associated with a multistate license that allows the practice of nursing as either a registered nurse or a licensed practical/vocational nurse in a remote state.

7. Adds the definition of single-state license, meaning a nurse license issued by a Party State that authorizes practice only within the issuing state and that does not include a multistate licensure privilege to practice in any other Party State.

General Provisions and Jurisdiction

8. States a multistate license to practice registered or licensed practical/vocational nursing issued by a home state to a resident in that state will be recognized by each Party State as authorizing a nurse to practice as a registered nurse or as a licensed practical/vocational nurse, under a multistate licensure privilege, in each Party State.

9. Requires a state to implement procedures for considering the criminal history records of applicants for initial multistate licensure or licensure by endorsement, and requires the procedures to include the submission of fingerprints or other biometric-based information by applicants for the purpose of obtaining an applicant’s criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the agency responsible for retaining that state’s criminal records.

10. Requires each Party State to require, in order for an applicant to obtain or retain a multistate license in the home state, the applicant to:

a) either:

i. have graduated or be eligible to graduate from a licensing board-approved registered nurse or licensed practical/vocational nurse pre-licensure education program; or

ii. have graduated from a foreign registered nurse or licensed practical/vocational nurse pre-licensure education program that has been approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country and has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a licensing board-approved pre-licensure education program.

b) if a graduate of a foreign pre-licensure education program not taught in English or if English is not the individual’s native language, successfully pass an English proficiency examination that includes the components of reading, speaking, writing and listening;

c) successfully pass an NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN Examination or recognized predecessor, as applicable;

d) be eligible for or hold an active, unencumbered license;

e) submit, in connection with an application for initial licensure or licensure by endorsement, fingerprints or other biometric data for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information from the FBI and the agency responsible for retaining that state’s criminal records;

f) have not been convicted or found guilty, or to have entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony offense under applicable state or federal criminal law;

g) have not been convicted or found guilty, or have entered into an agreed disposition, of a misdemeanor offense related to the practice of nursing as determined on a case-by-case basis;

h) not be currently enrolled in an alternative program;

i) not be subject to self-disclosure requirements regarding current participation in an alternative program; and

j) have a valid U.S. social security number.

11. Authorizes all Party States, in accordance with existing state due process law, to take adverse action against a nurse’s multistate licensure privilege, including cease and desist actions.

12. States the practice of nursing:

a) is not limited to patient care, but includes all nursing practice as defined by the state practice laws of the Party State in which the client is located; and

b) in a Party State under a multistate licensure privilege will subject a nurse to the jurisdiction of the licensing board, the courts and the laws of the Party State in which the client is located at the time service is provided.

13. States the Compact does not affect the requirements established by a Party State for the issuance if a single-state license.

14. Allows any nurse holding a home state multistate license on the effective date of the Compact to retain and renew the multistate license issued by the nurse’s then-current home state, provided that:

a) a nurse who changes the nurse’s primary state of residence after the Compact’s effective date must meet all applicable requirements to obtain a multistate license from a new home state; and

b) a nurse who fails to satisfy the multistate licensure requirements due to a disqualifying event occurring after the Compact’s effective date shall be ineligible to retain or renew a multistate license, and the nurse’s multistate license shall be revoked or deactivated in accordance with applicable rules adopted by the Commission.

15. Removes the provision stating this Compact does not affect additional requirements imposed by states for advanced practice registered nursing.

16. Removes requirement that a multistate licensure privilege to practice registered nursing granted by a Party State to be recognized by other Party States as a license to practice registered nursing if one is required by state law as a precondition for qualifying for advanced practice registered nurse authorization.

Applications for Licensure in a Party State

17. Requires, on application for a multistate license, the licensing board in the issuing Party State to ascertain, through the coordinated licensure information system, whether the applicant is currently participating in an alternative program.

18. Removes the provision stating when a nurse changes primary state of residence by moving from a non-Party state to a Party State and obtains a license from the new home state, the individual state license issued by the non-Party state is not affected and will remain in full force if so provided by the laws of the non-Party state.

Additional Authorities Invested in Party State Licensing Boards

19. Adds to the powers of a licensing board the authority to:

a) issue cease and desist orders or impose an encumbrance on a nurse’s authority to practice within that Party State; and

b) obtain and submit, for each nurse licensure applicant, fingerprint or other biometric-based information to the FBI for criminal background checks, receive the results of the FBI record search on criminal background checks and use the results in making licensure decisions.

20. Requires, if adverse action is taken by the home state against a nurse’s multistate license, the nurse’s multistate licensure privilege to practice in all other Party States to be deactivated until all encumbrances have been removed from the multistate license.

21. Requires all home state disciplinary orders that impose adverse action against a nurse’s multistate license to include a statement that the nurse’s multistate licensure privilege is deactivated in all Party States during the pendency of the order.

Coordinated Licensure Information System (CLIS) and Exchange of Information

22. States the Commission, instead of compact administrators, in consultation with the Administrator of the CLIS, is requires to formulate necessary and proper procedures for the identification, collection and exchange of information under the Compact.

23. Requires all licensing boards to promptly report to the CLIS nurse participation in alternative programs known to the licensing board regardless of whether such participation is deemed nonpublic or confidential under state law and requires participation in nonpublic or confidential alternative programs, in addition to current significant investigative information, be transmitted through the CLIS only to Party State licensing boards.

24. Requires the Compact Administrator of a Party State to provide all investigative documents and information requested by another Party State.

25. Removes the provision requiring the licensing board of a remote state to promptly report to the administrator of the CLIS any remote state actions, including the factual and legal basis for such action, if known.

26. Removes the requirement that a remote state licensing board to promptly report any significant current investigative information yet to result in a remote state action, and removes the requirement that the CLIS administrator promptly notify the home state of any such reports.

Establishment of the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators

27. States the Party States hereby create and establish a joint public entity known as the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (Commission) as follows:

a) the Commission is an instrumentality of the Party States;

b) venue is proper, and judicial proceedings by or against the Commission are required to be brought solely and exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction where the principal office of the Commission is located; the Commission is allowed to waive venue and jurisdictional defenses to the extent it adopts or consents to participate in alternative dispute resolution proceedings; and

c) nothing in the Compact shall be construed to be a waiver of sovereign immunity.

28. Establishes Commission membership, voting and meeting requirements.

29. Requires each Party State to have and be limited to one administrator, and requires the head of the state licensing board or designee to be the administrator of the Compact for each Party State.

30. Allows any administrator to be removed or suspended from office as provided by the laws of the state from which the administrator is appointed.

31. Requires any vacancy occurring in the Commission to be filled in accordance with the laws of the Party State in which the vacancy exists.

32. Entitles each administrator to one vote with regard to the adoption of rules and the creation of bylaws, and requires each administrator to otherwise have an opportunity to participate in the business and affairs of the Commission.

33. Requires each administrator to vote in person or by such other means as provided in the bylaws, and allows the bylaws to provide for an administrator’s participation in meetings by telephone or other means of communication.

34. Requires the Commission meet at least once during each calendar year, and requires additional meetings be held as set forth in the Commission bylaws or rules.

35. Requires all meetings be open to the public, and requires public notice of meetings be given.

36. Allows the Commission to convene in a closed, nonpublic meeting if the Commission must discuss any of the following:

a) noncompliance of a Party State with its obligations under the Compact;

b) the employment, compensation, discipline or other personnel matters, practices or procedures related to specific employees or other matters related to the Commission’s internal personnel practices and procedures;

c) current, threatened or reasonably anticipated litigation;

d) negotiation of contracts for the purchase or sale of goods, services or real estate;

e) accusing any person of a crime or formally censuring any person;

f) disclosure of trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential;

g) disclosure of information of a personal nature if disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

h) disclosure of investigatory records compiled for law enforcement purposes;

i) disclosure of information related to any reports prepared by or on behalf of the Commission for the purpose of investigation of compliance with the Compact; and

j) matters specifically exempted from disclosure by federal or state statute.

37. Requires a majority vote of the administrators to close a Commission meeting in whole or in part, and requires, as soon as practicable, the Commission to make public a copy of the vote to close the meeting revealing the vote of each administrator, with no proxy votes allowed.

38. Requires the Commission’s legal counsel or designee, if a meeting or portion of a meeting is closed, to certify that the meeting may be closed and to reference each relevant exempting provision consistent with Arizona’s open meeting laws.

39. Requires the Commission to keep minutes that fully and clearly describe all matters discussed in a meeting and provide a full and accurate summary of actions taken and the reasons therefor, including a description of the views expressed.

40. Requires all documents considered in connection with an action to be identified in the minutes, and requires all minutes and documents of a closed meeting to remain under seal, subject to release by a majority vote of the Commission or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

41. Requires the Commission, by a majority vote, to prescribe bylaws or rules to govern its conduct as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and exercise the powers of the Compact, including:

a) establishing the Fiscal Year of the Commission;

b) providing reasonable standards and procedures for the establishment and meetings of other committees and for governing any general or specific delegation of any authority or function of the Commission;

c) providing reasonable procedures for calling and conducting Commission meetings, ensuring reasonable advance notice of all meetings and providing an opportunity for attendance of such meetings by interested parties, with enumerated exceptions designed to protect the public’s interest, the privacy of individuals and proprietary information, including trade secrets;

d) establishing the titles, duties and authority and reasonable procedures for the election of the officers of the Commission;

e) providing reasonable standards and procedures for the establishment of the personnel policies and programs of the Commission, exclusively governing the Commission’s personnel policies and programs; and

f) providing a mechanism for winding up the operations of the Commission and the equitable disposition of any surplus monies that may exist after the termination of the Compact after the payment or reserving of all of its debts and obligations.

42. Requires the Commission to publish its bylaws and rules, and any amendments thereto, in a convenient form on the Commission’s website.

43. Requires the Commission to maintain its financial records in accordance with the bylaws.

44. Requires the Commission to meet and take actions as are consistent with the provisions of the Compact and the bylaws.

45. Requires the Commission to have the power to:

a) adopt uniform rules, having the force and effect of law and binding in all Party States, facilitate and coordinate the implementation and administration of the Compact;

b) bring and prosecute legal proceedings or actions in the name of the Commission, provided that the standing of any licensing board to sue or be sued under applicable law shall not by affected;

c) purchase and maintain insurance and bonds;

d) borrow, accept or contract for services of personnel, including employees of a Party State or nonprofit organizations;

e) cooperate with other organizations that administer state compacts related to the regulation of nursing, including sharing administrative or staff expenses, office space or other resources;

f) hire employees, elect or appoint officers, fix compensation, define duties, grant such individuals appropriate authority to carry out the purposes of this compact and establish the Commission’s personnel policies and programs relating to conflicts of interest, qualifications of personnel and other related personnel matters;

g) accept any and all appropriate donations, grants and gifts of money, equipment, supplies, materials and services, and to receive, utilize and dispose of the same if at all times the Commission avoids any appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest;

h) lease, purchase, accept appropriate gifts or donations of, or otherwise to own, hold, improve or use, any property, whether real, personal or mixed if at all times the Commission avoids any appearance of impropriety;

i) sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, lease, exchange, abandon or otherwise dispose of any property, whether real, personal or mixed;

j) establish a budget and make expenditures;

k) borrow money;

l) appoint committees, including advisory committees composed of administrators, state nursing regulators, state legislators or their representatives, and consumer representatives, and other such interested persons;

m) provide and receive information from, and to cooperate with, law enforcement agencies;

n) adopt and use an official seal; and

o) perform such other functions as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of the Compact consistent with the state regulation of nurse licensure and practice.

46. Outlines the financing of the Commission as follows:

a) requires the Commission to pay, or provide for the payment of, the reasonable expenses of its establishment, organization and ongoing activities;

b) allows the Commission to levy on and collect an annual assessment from each Party State to cover the cost of its operations, activities and staff in its annual budget as approved each year, and requires the aggregate annual assessment amount, if any, be allocated based on a formula to be determined by the Commission which shall adopt a rule that is binding on all other Party States;

c) prohibits the Commission from incurring obligations of any kind before securing the monies adequate to meet the same and from pledging the credit of any of the Party States, except by and with the authority of such Party State; and

d) requires the Commission to keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements, which are subject to the audit and accounting procedures established under the Commission’s bylaws, and requires all receipts and disbursements handled by the Commission be audited annually by a certified or licensed public accountant; and

e) requires the report of the annual audit be included in and become part of the Commission’s annual report.

47. Outlines qualified immunity, defense and indemnification as follows:

a) immunizes the administrators, officers, executive director, employees and representatives of the Commission from suit and liability, either personally or in their official capacity, for any claim for damage to or loss of property or personal injury or other civil liability caused by or arising out of any actual or alleged act, error or omission that occurred, or that the person against whom the claim is made had a reasonable basis for believing occurred, within the scope of Commission employment, duties or responsibilities, except in cases of intentional, willful or wanton misconduct of that person;

b) requires the Commission to defend any administrator, officer, executive director, employee or representative of the Commission in any civil action seeking to impose liability arising out of any actual or alleged act, error or omission that occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties or responsibilities, or that the person against whom the claim is made had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of employment, duties or responsibilities;

c) states a person is not prohibited from retaining that person’s own counsel if the actual or alleged act, error or omission did not result from that person’s intentional, willful or wanton misconduct; and

d) requires the Commission to indemnify and hold harmless any administrator, officer, executive director, employee or representative of the Commission for the amount of any settlement or judgement obtained against that person arising out of any actual or alleged act, error or omission that occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties or responsibilities, or that such person had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties or responsibilities if the actual or alleged act, error or omission did not result from the intentional, willful or wanton misconduct of that person.

Rulemaking

48. Removes the provision allowing Party State nurse licensing boards to promulgate uniform rules and regulations, and instead requires the Commission to exercise its rulemaking powers pursuant to criteria set forth and rules adopted thereunder.

49. Requires the rules and amendments to become binding as of the date specified in each rule or amendment and to have the same force and effect as other Compact provisions.

50. Requires rules or amendments be adopted at a regular or special meeting of the Commission.

51. Requires the Commission to file a notice of proposed rulemaking before the adoption of a final rule or rules at least 60 days in advance of the meeting at which the rule will be considered and voted on, and requires the notice of proposed rulemaking be posted:

a) on the Commission’s website; and

b) on the website of each licensing board or the publication in which each state would otherwise publish proposed rules.

52. Requires the notice of proposed rulemaking include:

a) the proposed time, date and location of the meeting in which the rule will be considered and voted on;

b) the text of the proposed rule or amendment and the reason for the proposed rule;

c) a request for comments on the proposed rule from any interested person; and

d) the manner in which interested persons may submit notice to the Commission of their intention to attend the public hearing and any written comments.

53. Requires the Commission, before adoption of the proposed rule, to allow persons to submit written data, facts, opinions and arguments, and requires the Commission make the aforementioned information available to the public.

54. Requires the Commission to grant an opportunity for a public hearing before a rule or amendment is adopted and to publish the place, time and date of the scheduled public hearing.

55. States the following apply to hearings on the proposed rules and amendments:

a) requires hearings be conducted in a manner providing each person who wishes to comment a fair and reasonable opportunity to comment orally or in writing, and requires all hearings to be recorded and to be made available on request; and

b) states a separate hearing is not required on each rule, and allows rules to be grouped for the convenience of the Commission at the public hearings.

56. Allows the Commission to proceed with the adoption of the proposed rule if no one appears at the public hearing.

57. Requires the Commission to consider all written and oral comments following the scheduled hearing date or by the close of business on the scheduled hearing date if the hearing was not held.

58. Requires the Commission, by majority vote of all administrators, to take final action on the proposed rule and to determine the effective date of the rule, if any, based on the rulemaking record and the full text of the rule.

59. Allows the Commission, on determination that an emergency exists, to consider and adopt an emergency rule without prior notice or an opportunity for comment or hearing, and requires the usual rulemaking procedures provided in the Compact be retroactively applied to the rule as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than 90 days after the effective date of the rule.

60. Stipulates an emergency rule is one that must be adopted immediately in order to do any of the following:

a) meet an imminent threat to public health, safety or welfare;

b) prevent a loss of Commission or Party State funds; or

c) meet a deadline for the adoption of an administrative rule that is required by federal law or rule.

61. Allows the Commission to direct revisions to a previously adopted rule or amendment for purposes of correcting typographical errors, errors in format, errors in consistency or grammatical errors, and requires public notice of any revisions be posted on the Commission’s website.

62. Requires the revision be subject to challenge by any person for a period of 30 days after posting, and allows the challenge to be only on grounds that the revision results in a material change to the rule.

63. Requires a challenge be made in writing and delivered to the Commission before the end of the notice period.

64. Allows the revision to take effect with no further action if no challenge is made, and prohibits the revision from taking effect without the Commission’s approval if the revision is challenged.

Oversight

65. Establishes oversight as follows:

a) requires each Party State to enforce the Compact and take all actions necessary and appropriate to effectuate the Compact’s purposes and intent;

b) entitles the Commission to receive service of process in any proceeding that may affect the powers, responsibilities or actions of the Commission, and stipulates the Commission has standing to intervene in such a proceeding for all purposes; and

c) stipulates failure to provide service of process in such proceeding to the Commission shall render a judgement or order void as to the Commission, this Compact or adopted rules.

66. Requires the Commission do the following if the Commission determines that a Party State has defaulted in the performance of its obligations or responsibilities under the Compact or the promulgated rules:

a) provide written notice to the defaulting state and other Party States of the nature of the default, the proposed means of curing the default or any other action to be taken by the Commission; and

b) provide remedial training and specific technical assistance regarding the default.

67. States if a defaulting state fails to cure the default, the defaulting state’s membership in the Compact may be terminated on an affirmative vote of a majority of the administrators, and all rights, privileges and benefits conferred by the Compact may be terminated on the effective date of termination.

68. States a cure of the default does not relieve the offending state of obligations or liabilities incurred during the period of default.

69. Requires Compact membership termination only be imposed after all other means of securing compliance have been exhausted, and requires notice of intent to suspend or terminate be given by the Commission to the governor of the defaulting state and to the executive officer of the defaulting state’s licensing board and each of the Party States.

70. States a state whose Compact membership has been terminated is responsible for all assessments, obligations and liabilities incurred through the effective date of termination, including obligations that extend beyond the effective date of termination.

71. Prohibits the Commission from bearing any cost related to a state that is found to be in default or whose Compact membership has been terminated unless agreed on in writing between the Commission and the defaulting state.

72. Allows the defaulting state to appeal the action of the Commission by petitioning the U.S. district court for the District of Columbia or the federal district in which the Commission has its principal offices, and requires the prevailing party be awarded all costs of such litigation, including reasonable attorney fees.

Dispute Resolution

73. Requires the Commission, on request by a Party State, to attempt to resolve disputes related to the Compact that arise among Party States and between Party and non-Party States.

74. Requires the Commission to adopt a rule providing for both mediation and binding dispute resolution for disputes, as appropriate.

Enforcement

75. Requires the Commission, in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, to enforce the provisions and rules of the Compact.

76. Allows the Commission, by majority vote, to initiate legal action In the U.S. district court for the District of Columbia or the federal district in which the Commission has its principal offices against a Party State that is in default to enforce compliance with the Compact and its adopted rules and bylaws.

77. Allows the relief sought to include both injunctive relief and damages, and requires the prevailing party, if judicial enforcement is necessary, be awarded all costs of such litigation, including reasonable attorney’s fees.

78. States the remedies in the Compact are not the exclusive remedies of the Commission, and allows the Commission to pursue any other remedies available under federal or state law.

Effective Date, Withdrawal and Amendment

79. States all Compact Party States that also were parties to the prior nurse licensure compact, superseded by this Compact, shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the prior compact within six months after the effective date of this Compact.

80. Requires each Compact Party State to continue to recognize a nurse’s multistate licensure privilege to practice in that Party State issued under the prior compact until that Party State has withdrawn from the prior compact.

81. Effectuates a Party State’s withdrawal six months after enactment of statute repealing the Compact, instead of six months after the withdrawing state has given notice of the withdrawal to the executive heads of all other Party States.

82. Requires representatives of non-Party States be invited to participate in the activities of the Commission on a nonvoting basis before the adoption of the Compact by all states.

Scope of Practice

83. States the Compact does not alter the scope of practice of a registered nurse practicing in this state, and requires a registered nurse practicing in this state comply with the scope of practice in statute.

84. States the Commission does not have the authority to alter the scope of practice for a registered nurse practicing in this state.

85. Allows the Governor to withdraw this state from the Compact if:

a) the Board notifies the Governor that the Commission has adopted a rule to change the scope of practice for registered nurses in this state; and

b) a law is enacted that repeals the Compact.

Miscellaneous

86. Requires the Board, within 30 days after a Commission action, to post on the Board’s public website notice of any Commission action that may affect a nurse’s license.

87. Repeals statutes relating to the current nurse licensure compact.

88. Requires Legislative Council staff to prepare proposed legislation conforming the Arizona Revised Statutes to the provisions of this act for consideration by the Legislature.

89. States the provisions of this act become effective on the earlier of:

a) December 31, 2018; or

b) the legislative enactment into law of the Compact by at least 26 other states.

90. Requires the Board to notify in writing the Director of the Arizona Legislative Council on or before January 15, 2017 of the date on which the condition was met.

91. Becomes effective on the general effective date or later, subject to the provisions of the conditional enactment.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

1. Prohibits the Compact and Commission from altering the scope of practice for a registered nurse practicing in this state.

2. Allows the Governor to withdraw this state from the Compact if the Commission adopts a rule to change scope of practice for registered nurses in this state.

Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole

1. Outlines requirements of closed meetings of the Commission.

2. Requires the Board to post certain information on its website notifying licensees of any Commission action that may affect a nurse’s license.

House Action Senate Action

HEALTH 2/2/16 DPA/SE 4-0-0-2 HHS 3/16/16 DPA 5-2-0

3^rd Read 2/16/16 60-0-0

Prepared by Senate Research

April 22, 2016

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