Grants to HealthNet of Rock County, Inc.; a reference to generalized public health nursing programs; and updating terminology from “advanced practice nurse prescriber” to “advanced practice registered nurse” (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Health Services)

2025 Wisconsin Act 17 created a system of licensure for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), under which a person who meets certain criteria, including completion of a graduate- or postgraduate-level education program and possession of malpractice insurance, may obtain an APRN license, and a person holding an APRN license may issue prescription orders and, if practice hours requirements are met, practice without being supervised by a physician or dentist. Currently, advanced practice nurse prescribers who are not employed by a local health department but who provide services without compensation for the programs and services provided by a local health department are, for the provision of those services, state agents of the Department of Health Services. In addition, under current law, an advanced practice nurse prescriber may be selected by a school district or a local health department to supervise an immunization program and issue orders for the administration of immunizations in accordance with written protocols issued by DHS, and, if the advanced practice nurse prescriber is not an employee of the school district or local health department and receives no compensation for their services as supervisor of the immunization program, the advanced practice nurse prescriber is a state agent of the Department of Health Services for the provision of those services. The bill replaces advanced practice nurse prescribers with APRNs for purposes of supervising a school district or local health department immunization program and being agents of DHS for the provision of services without compensation for programs and services provided by a local health department or serving as a supervisor of an immunization program.

For further information, see the Notes provided by the Law Revision Committee of the Joint Legislative Council.