Senate Health & Welfare reviews amendment to add APRNs to hospital statutes, holds votes

The Senate Health & Welfare committee reviewed S.163 on Feb. 24, a bill that would add advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to statutory language governing hospital licensure and the hospital patients’ bill of rights, and considered a small amendment that removes a requirement for physician consultation with attending APRNs.

Jen Cardbrief of the Office of Legislative Council told the committee the bill “adds APRNs throughout the bill of rights for hospital patients” and that the amendment “takes out” a sentence requiring physician consultation and support to be “available to an attending APRN at all times,” language she said testimony from the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) and others had described as unnecessary and potentially restrictive.

The amendment replaces the challenged subdivision with wording that a patient “shall have an attending physician or APRN who’s responsible for coordinating their care,” removing the explicit consultation mandate while leaving hospitals’ own credentialing, supervision and consultation policies intact. Cardbrief emphasized the change “does not change any of what hospitals are doing” and described the amendment as aligning statute with current practice.

Committee members discussed which licensing authorities the statute must reference. Cardbrief noted that the Board of Medical Practice licenses allopathic physicians and certain physician assistants, while the Office of Professional Regulation licenses osteopathic physicians, APRNs and other professionals; members sought clarity so the bill’s language correctly reflects those distinct authorities.

A senator moved to vote first on the amendment and then on S.163 as amended. The committee opened discussion but agreed to hold both votes until an absent senator returns; no formal roll‑call vote on either the amendment or the bill was recorded during the session.

The committee scheduled follow‑up to finalize technical language and to confirm the bill reporter and any necessary clarifications about licensing references and effective dates.