Signed by Governor Tom Wolf

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes nurses to hold a license in multiple states.

Highlights:

• Establishes a multistate license issued to any eligible Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN) by their home state will be recognized by each party state authorizing an eligible nurse to practice (Art. 3).

• Requires each state to implement procedures for considering the criminal history records of Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPN/VN) who apply for initial multistate license or licensure by endorsement (Art. 3). 

• Requires each RN or LPN/VN applicant to meet the following requirements to obtain or retain a multistate license in their home state (Art. 3):

• Meets the home state’s qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as, all other applicable state laws;

• Has graduated from either:

• A licensure board-approved RN or LPN/VN prelicensure education program; or 

• A foreign RN or LPN/VN prelicensure 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 prelicensure education program; 

• Successfully passed an English proficiency examination that includes reading, speaking, writing, and listening if the prelicensure education program was not taught in English, or if English is not the applicant’s native language; 

• Has successfully passed an NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® Examination or recognized predecessor, as applicable; 

• Is eligible for or holds an active, unencumbered license;

• Has submitted fingerprints or other biometric data for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state’s criminal records;

• Has not been convicted, found guilty, or entered into an agreed disposition of either of the following:

• A felony offense under applicable state or federal criminal law; or

• A misdemeanor offense related to the practice of nursing as determined on a case-by-case basis;

• Is not currently enrolled in an alternative program;

• Is subject to self-disclosure requirements regarding current participation in an alternative program; and 

• Has a valid United States Social Security number.

• Specifies any practicing RN or LPN/VN under a multistate licensure privilege will be subject to the jurisdiction of the licensing board, the courts, and the laws of the party state where the nurse currently practices (Art. 3). 

• Requires eligible RN or LPN/VNs not living in a party state to be able to continue to apply for a party state’s single-state license as provided under the laws of each party state (Art. 3).

• Specifies eligible RN or LPN/VNs who live in a non-party state and obtain a single-state license from a participating state will not grant them the ability to practice nursing in any other state (Art. 3).

• Specifies that an eligible RN or LPN/VN can hold a multistate license issued by an eligible nurse’s home state, but only in one party state at a time (Art. 4).

• Specifies the following with regards to an eligible RN or LPN/VN if they move from one party state to another party state (Art. 4):

• Requires an eligible RN or LPN/VN to apply for licensure in the new home state that is part of the Compact  (Art. 4);

• Authorizes an eligible RN or LPN/VN to apply for the license of the new home state prior to moving;

• Requires a multistate license not to be issued by the new home state until the nurse provides satisfactory evidence of moving to the new home state and satisfies all applicable requirements to obtain a multistate license from the new home state; and

• Specifies if a nurse moves from a party state to a non-party state, the multistate license issued by the prior home state will convert to a single-state license that will be valid only in the former home state. 

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes nurses to hold a license in multiple states.

Highlights:

• Establishes a multistate license issued to any eligible Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN) by their home state will be recognized by each party state authorizing an eligible nurse to practice (Art. 3).

• Requires each state to implement procedures for considering the criminal history records of Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPN/VN) who apply for initial multistate license or licensure by endorsement (Art. 3). 

• Requires each RN or LPN/VN applicant to meet the following requirements to obtain or retain a multistate license in their home state (Art. 3):

• Meets the home state’s qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as, all other applicable state laws;

• Has graduated from either:

• A licensure board-approved RN or LPN/VN prelicensure education program; or 

• A foreign RN or LPN/VN prelicensure 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 prelicensure education program; 

• Successfully passed an English proficiency examination that includes reading, speaking, writing, and listening if the prelicensure education program was not taught in English, or if English is not the applicant’s native language; 

• Has successfully passed an NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® Examination or recognized predecessor, as applicable; 

• Is eligible for or holds an active, unencumbered license;

• Has submitted fingerprints or other biometric data for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state’s criminal records;

• Has not been convicted, found guilty, or entered into an agreed disposition of either of the following:

• A felony offense under applicable state or federal criminal law; or

• A misdemeanor offense related to the practice of nursing as determined on a case-by-case basis;

• Is not currently enrolled in an alternative program;

• Is subject to self-disclosure requirements regarding current participation in an alternative program; and 

• Has a valid United States Social Security number.

• Specifies any practicing RN or LPN/VN under a multistate licensure privilege will be subject to the jurisdiction of the licensing board, the courts, and the laws of the party state where the nurse currently practices (Art. 3). 

• Requires eligible RN or LPN/VNs not living in a party state to be able to continue to apply for a party state’s single-state license as provided under the laws of each party state (Art. 3).

• Specifies eligible RN or LPN/VNs who live in a non-party state and obtain a single-state license from a participating state will not grant them the ability to practice nursing in any other state (Art. 3).

• Specifies that an eligible RN or LPN/VN can hold a multistate license issued by an eligible nurse’s home state, but only in one party state at a time (Art. 4).

• Specifies the following with regards to an eligible RN or LPN/VN if they move from one party state to another party state (Art. 4):

• Requires an eligible RN or LPN/VN to apply for licensure in the new home state that is part of the Compact  (Art. 4);

• Authorizes an eligible RN or LPN/VN to apply for the license of the new home state prior to moving;

• Requires a multistate license not to be issued by the new home state until the nurse provides satisfactory evidence of moving to the new home state and satisfies all applicable requirements to obtain a multistate license from the new home state; and

• Specifies if a nurse moves from a party state to a non-party state, the multistate license issued by the prior home state will convert to a single-state license that will be valid only in the former home state. 

Full Bill Text