It was a great day for Pennsylvania nurses in Harrisburg on April 30, 2024! Just in time for National Nurses Week, May 6-12, 2024, action is being taken towards making Act 68 Nurse Licensure Compact fully implemented.
Act 68 NLC was signed into law in July 2021, but hasn’t been fully implemented.
Governor Shapiro authorized partial implementation of the act Sept. 5, 2023, which allowed nurses with multistate licenses from one of the other 38 NLC states to work in Pennsylvania. But, Pennsylvania nurses still had to wait for full implementation. (NCSBN NLC States https://nursecompact.com/index.page#map)
Yet, this week, two bills moved forward in the PA legislature which will make this happen, Senate Bill 1165 and House Bill 2200.
Senate Bill 1165 Allowing Pennsylvania to Fully Implement Interstate Licensure Compacts , sponsored by Senator Boscola, was reported out of the Committee and is up for a vote by the full SENATE. (Click on the link below for a video of Senator Boscola addressing the Committee.
The second bill to move forward is House Bill 2200 FBI-Approved Language to Implement Licensure Compacts. It was approved by the full HOUSE with 200 Yea votes. HB2200 amends Title 63 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes requiring applicants for a multi-state compact license to get an FBI background check with fingerprints.
According to the last posted set of minutes from the State Board of Nursing (SBN), they are continuing to make technological changes to the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) so that it is ready to issue multistate licenses once Act 68 Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is fully approved. (State Board of Nursing Minutes, December 11, 2023.)
The American Nurses Association celebrates National Nurses Week May 6 – May 12, 2024, and through the entire month of May. This year’s theme is “Nurses Make the Difference” honoring “the varying roles of nurses and their positive impact on our lives”.
Maybe Pennsylvania nurses have a little more to celebrate than other states this year, as they await full implementation of Act 68 Nurse Licensure Compact!
Click this link to FIND MY LEGISLATOR and call or write asking them to vote in favor of both SB1165 and HB2200
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator
UPDATE 6/11/2024
Senator BOSCOLA , who sponsored Act 68, the Professional Nurse Licensure Act, was called upon last week at the full Senate and asked all members to join in voting for SB 1165 PN 1534.
Allowing Pennsylvania to Fully Implement Interstate Licensure Compacts – An Act amending Title 63 (Professions and Occupations (State Licensed)) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in powers and duties, providing for criminal history background checks.
Upon third consideration by the Senate, SB1165 passed on June 5, 2024 with a vote of 46-4.Video and transcript of Sen.
BOSCOLA the Session Proceedings, June 5, 2024 – Pennsylvania Senate
https://pasenate.com/session-proceedings-june-5-2024/
Transcription of Senator Boscola
“Thank you colleagues to join me in voting on 1165. As many of you remember I introduced legislation that resulted in Act 68 of 2021 authorizing Pennsylvania to enter into the nurse compact licensure. Unfortunately following the signing of Act 68 it was discovered that Pennsylvania lacked the necessary background check procedures to fully implement the nurse, licensure compact which will join other healthcare compacts now benefiting such as physicians assistants, telepsychologists, and physical therapists.
“After two years, two years, of stakeholder engagement and collaboration between the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Dept Of State, the FBI, and the US Department of Justice, this bill contains the approved background check procedures that will allow for the implementation of pending healthcare, compacts, and any other future healthcare compacts this general assembly wishes to consider.
“In closing, I would like to thank my colleague and my Chairman Sen. Stefano, and our counterpart in the House, chairman Burns and Metzger for recognizing the importance of this legislation, and the positive impact it will have swiftly passed.
“And I have to do special shout out to Governor Shapiro for making this a top priority in the Dept Of State and for working across agencies to get this moving.
“Our nurses and healthcare workers looking to work in Pennsylvania or in a compact state have been waiting so so long, so this important legislation needs to pass swiftly and quickly and I appreciate everyone’s support if possible. Thank you”
SB1165 has been sent to the House PROFESSIONAL LICENSUREcommittee for concurrence. The committee on meets on June 12th.
The State Board of Nursing (SBN) has been working on the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) to be prepared once Act 68 is fully implemented. The SBN answers FAQs and provides other information about Nurse Licensure Compact at this link https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Nursing/Pages/NLC.aspx
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) offers webinars to help employers and others to be prepared:
- Multistate Licensure for Telehealth Practice
June 18, 2024, 2:00 pm CT
Registration Link - Understanding Primary State of Residence
July 17, 2024, 2:00 pm CT
Registration Link
April 23, 2024 NLC webinar: Fireside Chat – Legislative Update with Nicole Livanos, JDdiscussion on status of pending legislation in various states & territories. May 16, 2024 NLC webinar: The NLC – What Nurse Employers Need to Know
Based on Sen. Boscoloa’s comments, I’m excited anticipating that PA nurses will have the opportunity to obtain a multistate licenses very soon.
Mary O'Connor, PhD, MSN, RN
Professor Emeritus, PennWest University, California campus
Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders (PONL), Legislative Committee