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Bill > H514


NC H514

NC H514
APRN Definitions


summary

Introduced
03/25/2025
In Committee
03/26/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025-2026 Session

Bill Summary

AN ACT TO DEFINE THE PRACTICE OF NURSING FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES: NURSE PRACTITIONERS (NP), CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIVES (CNM), CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS (CRNA), AND CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS (CNS). Whereas, North Carolina is expected to be the seventh largest state in the nation by 2035 and demand for health care will continue to increase; and Whereas, North Carolina has provided over 628,000 North Carolinians access to insurance through Medicaid expansion but lacks the health care providers to ensure their access to care; and Whereas, APRNs are registered nurses with master's or doctorate degrees and advanced education and training; and Whereas, North Carolina has over 20,000 advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who have been educated and licensed to practice to their full scope; and Whereas, more than three decades of research demonstrates that APRNs improve access to safe, high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered health care; and Whereas, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has called for states to allow APRNs to practice to the full extent of their licensure and education since the 2010 release of the IOM Report on the Future of Nursing; and Whereas, health care costs in North Carolina are among the highest in the nation; and Whereas, a recent report by a Ph.D. health care economist at Duke University estimates savings of at least $700 million annually for North Carolina patients, employers, and taxpayers by removing unnecessary and antiquated government regulations; and Whereas, 36 other states have rolled back these costly and burdensome government regulations on advanced practice registered nurses over the past 31 years with no evidence of negative effects on patient safety, and indeed positive impact on patient care, according to numerous studies; and Whereas, no state has enacted these reforms and later reversed course to reinstate these government regulations; and Whereas, the APRN role has existed for over a half century but remains undefined in North Carolina statute; and Whereas, North Carolina's courts and executive branch have called on the legislature, the body of the people, to remove the ambiguity surrounding APRN practice by clearly defining it in statute; Now, therefore,

AI Summary

This bill comprehensively redefines the practice of nursing for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in North Carolina, establishing clear legal definitions and expanding the scope of practice for four primary APRN roles: Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNP), Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS). The legislation provides detailed descriptions of each role's specific practice components, including advanced health assessments, diagnostic procedures, prescribing authority, patient care management, and the ability to consult or refer patients to other healthcare providers. The bill removes previous regulatory restrictions that limited APRNs' practice, aligning North Carolina with 36 other states that have already modernized their nursing practice laws. Key changes include granting APRNs more autonomy in conducting medical examinations, ordering diagnostic studies, prescribing medications, and treating patients across various population focuses such as family, adult/gerontology, pediatrics, and mental health. The bill also establishes new licensure requirements, standardizes APRN role titles and abbreviations, and aims to improve healthcare access and potentially reduce healthcare costs by allowing APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education and training.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (39)

Carla Cunningham (D)* Donny Lambeth (R)* Mitchell Setzer (R)* Donna White (R)* Jay Adams (R),  Eric Ager (D),  Vernetta Alston (D),  Mary Belk (D),  Hugh Blackwell (R),  Gloristine Brown (D),  Kanika Brown (D),  Terry Brown (D),  Mike Clampitt (R),  Bryan Cohn (D),  Allison Dahle (D),  Brian Echevarria (R),  Dudley Greene (R),  Julia Greenfield (D),  Pricey Harrison (D),  Julia Howard (R),  Cody Huneycutt (R),  Ray Jeffers (D),  Monika Johnson-Hostler (D),  Carolyn Logan (D),  Jordan Lopez (D),  Nasif Majeed (D),  Garland Pierce (D),  Dante Pittman (D),  Lindsey Prather (D),  Renée Price (D),  Amos Quick (D),  Dennis Riddell (R),  James Roberson (D),  Stephen Ross (R),  Carson Smith (R),  Brian Turner (D),  Julie Von Haefen (D),  Diane Wheatley (R),  Shelly Willingham (D), 

Last Action

Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Judiciary 1, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (on 03/26/2025)

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