Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
94th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 79 3
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By: Senator K. Hammer 5
By: Representative L. Johnson 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO ALLOW FULL INDEPENDENT PRACTICE AUTHORITY 9
FOR CLINICAL NURSE S PECIALISTS; TO AUTHO RIZE 10
EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHE R STATE TO QUALIFY F OR FULL 11
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE AUTHORITY; AND FOR O THER 12
PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO ALLOW FULL INDEPENDENT PRACTICE 17
AUTHORITY FOR CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS; 18
AND TO ALLOW EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHER STATE 19
TO QUALIFY. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 17 -87-314(a)-(c), concerning full 25
independent practice authority of certain nurses, are amended to read as 26
follows: 27
(a) As used in this section, “full independent practice authority” 28
means the ability of a certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse 29
specialist to practice with presc riptive authority without a collaborative 30
practice agreement as described in § 17 -87-310. 31
(b)(1) The Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee may grant 32
a certificate of full independent practice authority to a certified nurse 33
practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist who submits: 34
(A) An application; 35
(B) An appropriate application fee as determined by the 36 SB79
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Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee; 1
(C) Proof of successful completion of six thousand two 2
hundred forty (6,240) ho urs of practice: 3
(i) Under under a collaborative practice agreement 4
with a physician; or 5
(ii) In another state, territory, or foreign country 6
that authorizes a certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist 7
to practice if the certifi ed nurse practitioner or the clinical nurse 8
specialist also provides proof of his or her licensure in good standing from 9
that state, territory, or foreign country and proof of his or her licensure 10
in good standing from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing; and 11
(D) Any other relevant information as determined by the 12
Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee. 13
(2) A certificate of full independent practice authority shall 14
be renewed every three (3) years with an appropriate renewal fee as 15
determined by the Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee. 16
(c) A certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist with 17
a certificate of full independent practice authority may receive and 18
prescribe drugs, medicines, or therapeutic devices a ppropriate to the 19
certified nurse practitioner's area of practice or the clinical nurse 20
specialist's area of practice . 21
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 17 -87-314(e), concerning full independent 23
practice authority of certain nurses, is amended to read as follo ws: 24
(e) The Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee shall: 25
(1)(A) Review and approve or deny all applications for a 26
certificate of full independent practice authority for certified nurse 27
practitioners or clinical nurse specialists and for renewal of a certificate 28
of full independent practice authority for a certified nurse practitioner or 29
a clinical nurse specialist . 30
(B) If the Full Independent Practice Credentialing 31
Committee denies an application for a certificate of full independent 32
practice authority, the Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee 33
shall explain the reasons for the denial in writing to the applicant; 34
(2) Review complaints made against certified nurse practitioners 35
or clinical nurse specialists who have a certificate of full independent 36 SB79
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practice authority; 1
(3) Review recommendations made by the Arkansas State Medical 2
Board and the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and notify the certified nurse 3
practitioner or the clinical nurse specialist of any action taken b y the Full 4
Independent Practice Credentialing Committee based on the recommendations; 5
(4)(A) If the action taken is suspension or revocation of the 6
certificate of full independent practice authority, hold a hearing providing 7
the certified nurse practiti oner or a clinical nurse specialist who has a 8
certificate of full independent practice authority with ten (10) days' notice 9
in writing to appear before the Full Independent Practice Credentialing 10
Committee, at the time and place as the Full Independent Pra ctice 11
Credentialing Committee may direct, to show cause as to why his or her 12
certificate of full independent practice authority should not be suspended or 13
revoked. 14
(B) At the hearing, the Full Independent Practice 15
Credentialing Committee shall: 16
(i)(a) Have the power to subpoena witnesses. 17
(b) The Chair of the Full Independent Practice 18
Credentialing Committee or his or her designee shall sign subpoenas and have 19
the power to administer oaths; 20
(ii) Hear evidence; and 21
(iii)(a) Determine if the certificate of full 22
independent practice authority should be suspended or revoked. 23
(b) If the Full Independent Practice 24
Credentialing Committee determines that the certificate of full independent 25
practice authority should be suspended or revo ked, the suspension or 26
revocation shall take place immediately. 27
(C) However, only the Arkansas State Board of Nursing has 28
the authority to suspend or revoke the nursing license of a certified nurse 29
practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist ; and 30
(5) Provide reports quarterly and upon request regarding the 31
number of applicants approved and denied to the Senate Committee on Public 32
Health, Welfare, and Labor and the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, 33
and Labor. 34
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 17 -87-314(g)-(h), concerning full 36 SB79
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independent practice authority of certain nurses, are amended to read as 1
follows: 2
(g) A certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist 3
whose certificate of full independent practice authority has been denied, 4
suspended, or revoked by the Full Independent Practice Credentialing 5
Committee under this section may appeal the action of the Full Independent 6
Practice Credentialing Committee under the Arkansas Administrative Procedure 7
Act, § 25-15-201 et seq. 8
(h) A certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist with 9
a certificate of full independent practice authority shall conspicuously 10
identify the certificate of full independent practice authority and that the 11
certified nurse practitioner or the clinical nurse specialist is not required 12
to have a collaborative practice agreement on signage in the office where the 13
certified nurse practitioner or the clinical nurse specialist practices. 14
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