Rhode Island General Assembly Passes Nurse Licensure Compact

General Assembly passes Nurse Licensure Compact Act

Legislation creating the Nurse Licensure Compact Act, a measure aimed at eliminating the need for nurses in Rhode Island to obtain and renew duplicative licenses for individual states, has recently passed the General Assembly and has been transmitted to the governor for his consideration.

Enactment of the legislation (2007 - S0640A) (2007 - H5956aa) sponsored by Sen. Maryellen Goodwin (D-Dist. 1, Providence) and Rep. Peter L. Lewiss (D-Dist. 37, Westerly), would make Rhode Island the 21st state to adopt the Compact.

Under the Nurse Licensure Compact, a nurse’s license to practice as a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) would be issued by the state of Rhode Island and would allow the nurse to practice in any other state that is part of the Compact without the need for duplicative licensing. A nurse would only, however, be allowed to hold licensure in one Compact state at a time.

Traditionally, nursing licensure and regulation has been state-based, and it will continue to be so under the Compact Act. However, the act will allow other states participating in the Nurse Licensure Compact to “recognize” Rhode Island’s licensees just as Rhode Island will recognize those from other states. However, the Compact Act requires nurses to obey the laws and rules of the state in which they practice, not the laws of their individual home states.

“The Nurse Licensure Compact will promote public health and safety by encouraging cooperative efforts among the party states in nurse licensing and regulation,” said Senator Goodwin. “Implementing this measure will increase patient access to safe nursing care by allowing qualified nurses to practice in multiple states where they previously may not have been able to practice due to regulatory barriers.”

“The implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact will allow greater coordination and cooperation between our state and other Compact member states at a time of expanded mobility of nurses and the use of advanced communication technologies,” said Representative Lewiss.

The bill’s sponsors said the Compact Act is very similar to the driver’s license model. A person holding a driver’s license in his or her home state is permitted to drive in other states without applying for a driver’s license in every state in which he or she drives. Though requirements for a driver’s license are similar across states, each state may determine and vary its own licensure requirements. The Nurse Licensure Compact is similar in that it allows a nurse licensed in one “home” compact state to practice in a party compact state without seeking an additional nursing license.

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/news/pr1.asp?prid=4302

For more information on the Nurse Licensure Compact, please visit the National State Board of Nursing's website at https://www.ncsbn.org/index.htm