Ratification of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, and providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures. (FE)

1. Under the enhanced compact, party states grant multistate nursing licenses, with the compact setting out minimum qualifications that an applicant must satisfy in order to be granted a multistate license, including that an applicant submit to a background investigation. Under the enhanced compact, a multistate license is recognized by each party state as authorizing a nurse to practice, under a multistate licensure privilege, in that party state. The enhanced compact also provides that party states may grant single-state licenses, which authorize practice only within the issuing state. The enhanced compact does not affect the requirements established by a party state for the issuance of a single-state license.

Under the original compact, a license issued by a home state to a resident in that state is simply recognized by each other party state as authorizing a multistate licensure privilege to practice in that party state, with the qualifications for obtaining a license to be determined under each party state's laws.

2. The enhanced compact establishes an Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (commission), which consists of the heads of each party state's board that licenses nurses, or their designees. The commission has various powers and duties granted in the compact, including overseeing the administration of the compact, enforcing the compact, adopting bylaws, promulgating binding rules for the compact, and employing an executive director and employees. Under the original compact, the compact is administered by compact administrators, with the administrator for this state designated as the secretary of safety and professional services or his or her designee.

3. The enhanced compact includes various provisions regarding resolutions of disputes between the commission and party states and between party and nonparty states. The enhanced compact requires the commission to attempt to resolve disputes related to the compact that arise among party states and between party and nonparty states, after which such disputes would be handed through arbitration.

Under the original compact, disputes are simply to be handled through arbitration.

4. The enhanced compact includes a process for termination of a party state from the compact that has defaulted in the performance of its obligations under the compact. No such provisions are included in the original compact.

Pursuant to the terms of the enhanced compact, the enhanced compact became effective in party states that have already enacted it on July 20, 2017, which was the date the enhanced compact was signed into law by a 26th state. The enhanced compact may be further amended upon enactment of an amendment by all member states.

The enhanced compact provides that all party states to the enhanced compact that also were parties to the original compact are deemed to have withdrawn from the original compact within six months after the effective date of the enhanced compact.