Legislative Session number- 82

Bill Name: SF2508

Enacting the "Nurse Licensure Compact"ARTICLE 1 - FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF
PURPOSEStating certain findings relating to the health and safety of the public
and regulation of the practice of nursing and the general purpose relating to
state responsibility for the licensure and regulation of nurses ARTICLE 2 -
DEFINITIONSDefining certain terms ARTICLE 3 - GENERAL PROVISIONS AND
JURISDICTIONProviding for the recognition of licenses to practice registered
nursing (RN) or licensed practical nursing (LPN) issued by home states by party
states as a multistate licensure privilege to practice; authorizing party states
to limit or revoke the multistate licensure privilege to protect the health and
safety of the public, specifying certain notice requirements; requiring nurses
practicing in party states to comply with practice laws of the state; compact
not to affect additional requirements imposed by states for advanced practice
registered nursing ARTICLE 4 - APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSURE IN A PARTY
STATESpecifying procedures for applications for licensure in party states;
restricting licensure to one state at a time; authorizing application for
licensure in a new home state before a change of residence ARTICLE 5 - ADVERSE
ACTIONSRequiring the licensing boards of remote states to promptly report
actions and significant current investigative information; granting licensing
boards of party states the authority to complete pending investigations and take
appropriate actions, restricting the power to impose adverse actions against
licenses issued to the home state; providing for participation in alternative
programs in lieu of licensure action under certain conditions ARTICLE 6 -
ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES INVESTED IN PARTY STATE NURSE LICENSING BOARDS Granting
party state nurse licensing boards the authority to recover costs of
investigations and disposition of cases resulting from adverse actions taken
against nurses, to issue subpoenas for hearings and investigations requiring the
attendance and testimony of witnesses and for the production of evidence, to
issue cease and desist orders to limit or revoke the authority to practice and
to promulgate uniform rules and regulations ARTICLE 7 - COORDINATED LICENSURE
INFORMATION SYSTEMRequiring party states to participate in a cooperative effort
to create a coordinated database of licensed registered and practical nurses
including information on the licensure and disciplinary history of the nurses to
assist in the coordination of licensure and enforcement efforts; requiring the
licensing boards of party states to promptly report adverse actions, actions
against multistate licensure privileges and current significant investigate
information to the system, providing for the protection or expungement of
certain information; requiring compact administrator formulation of necessary
and proper procedures for the identification, collection and exchange of
information ARTICLE 8 - COMPACT ADMINISTRATION AND INTERCHANGE OF
INFORMATIONDesignating the heads of the nurse licensing boards or designees of
the party states as compact administrators, specifying certain powers and duties
ARTICLE 9 - IMMUNITY Granting immunity from liability for party state officers,
employees and agents in good faith performance of duties ARTICLE 10 - ENTRY INTO
FORCE, WITHDRAWAL AND AMENDMENT Providing for the effectiveness of the compact,
for party state withdrawal and for amendmentARTICLE 11 - CONSTRUCTION AND
SEVERABILITYProviding for liberal construction and severability and for the
settlement of disputes; providing for the application of the compact to certain
existing laws; authorizing the governor to withdraw the state from the compact
upon notice by the board of nursing of a lowering of requirements for nurse
licensure in a party state; granting the board the authority to recover from
nurses the costs of investigations and dispositions of cases resulting from
adverse actions; establishing a nurse licensure compact advisory committee to be
appointed by the board, specifying certain membership representation
requirements and duties (je)