Bill > S2996

This bill aims to remove certain practice restrictions for advanced practice nurses (APNs), who are registered nurses with specialized training to provide a higher level of healthcare beyond standard nursing practice, thereby increasing access to care, especially in areas with physician shortages. Key provisions include allowing APNs to diagnose, monitor, and manage patient conditions, initiate diagnostic tests, and prescribe or order medications, devices, and treatments, including those for primary health care, reproductive health services, and behavioral health care, without necessarily requiring a joint protocol with a collaborating physician, which is a formal agreement between an APN and a physician. This exemption from physician collaboration applies to APNs with over 5,000 hours of experience in specific practice areas, who are providing primary or behavioral health care, and meet other criteria such as not providing general obstetrics or elective cosmetic services, and for those providing behavioral health care, ensuring timely referral to a higher level of care when needed. The bill also clarifies that any state law or regulation requiring a physician's signature for certain actions will now also accept an APN's signature where consistent with their scope of practice, and it allows APNs to dispense certain medications for substance use disorder treatment under specific conditions, with provisions for immediate regulatory adoption to facilitate these changes.