Co-Sponsorship Memo Details

Pennsylvania’s older population is growing. As such, more and more nurses are going to be needed to provide vital care for older Pennsylvanians. To ensure that we can attract qualified nurses and to allow Pennsylvania nurses to practice in other states, I am proposing Pennsylvania’s implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).

The NLC is a mutual recognition model of nurse licensure which operates in a manner similar to state’s drivers’ licenses. Under the NLC, a nurse who is licensed in one member-state may legally provide care in another member-state. Through this licensure, nurses can provide services through telemedicine, online education, agency nursing, and disaster relief.

A companion bill to SB 655 in the Senate, my bill creates an efficient, expedited process for duly qualified nurses in Pennsylvania to receive a multistate license and provide care here or in any of the other 34 member-states in the NLC. Likewise, the bill creates a pathway for nurses in other member-states to practice in the Commonwealth, expanding the availability of health care services in Pennsylvania.

Please join me in passing this important legislation that modernizes nurse licensure and provides more nursing staff to Pennsylvania’s patients.