Arkansas 2023 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB79 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 872 of the Regular Session
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4	3
5	4		State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/7/23 H3/13/23 H4/3/23 1
6	5		94th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	6		Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 79 3
8	7		4
9	8		By: Senator K. Hammer 5
10	9		By: Representative L. Johnson 6
11	10		7
12	11		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
13	12		AN ACT TO ALLOW FULL INDEPENDENT PRACTICE AUTHORITY 9
14	13		FOR CLINICAL NURSE S PECIALISTS; TO AUTHO RIZE 10
15	14		EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHE R STATE TO QUALIFY F OR FULL 11
16	15		INDEPENDENT PRACTICE AUTHORITY; AND FOR O THER 12
17	16		PURPOSES. 13
18	17		14
19	18		15
20	19		Subtitle 16
21	20		TO ALLOW FULL INDEPENDENT PRACTICE 17
22	21		AUTHORITY FOR CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS; 18
23	22		AND TO ALLOW EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHER STATE 19
24	23		TO QUALIFY. 20
25	24		21
26	25		22
27	26		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
28	27		24
29	28		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 17 -87-314(a)-(c), concerning full 25
30	29		independent practice authority of certain nurses, are amended to read as 26
31	30		follows: 27
32	31		(a) As used in this section, “full independent practice authority” 28
33	32		means the ability of a certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse 29
34	33		specialist to practice with prescriptive authority without a col laborative 30
35	34		practice agreement as described in § 17 -87-310. 31
36	35		(b)(1) The Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee may grant 32
37	36		a certificate of full independent practice authority to a certified nurse 33
38	37		practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist who submits: 34
39	38		(A) An application; 35
40	39		(B) An appropriate application fee as determined by the 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 H3/13/23 H4/3/23 SB79
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45	44		Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee; 1
46	45		(C) Proof of successful completion of six thousand two 2
47	46		hundred forty (6,240) hours of practice : 3
48	47		(i) Under under a collaborative practice agreement a 4
49	48		board-required agreement with a physician; or 5
50	49		(ii) From another state, territory, or foreign 6
51	50		country that authorizes a certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse 7
52	51		specialist to practice with prescriptiv e authority if the certified nurse 8
53	52		practitioner or clinical nurse specialist: 9
54	53		(a) Has prescriptive authority in the state, 10
55	54		territory, or foreign country; and 11
56	55		(b) Provides proof of his or her licensure in 12
57	56		good standing from: 13
58	57		(1) The state, territory, or foreign 14
59	58		country; and 15
60	59		(2) The Arkansas State Board of Nursing; 16
61	60		and 17
62	61		(D) Any other relevant information as determined by the 18
63	62		Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee. 19
64	63		(2) A certificate of full independent practice author ity shall 20
65	64		be renewed every three (3) years with an appropriate renewal fee as 21
66	65		determined by the Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee. 22
67	66		(c) A certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist with 23
68	67		a certificate of full independent pr actice authority may receive and 24
69	68		prescribe drugs, medicines, or therapeutic devices appropriate to the 25
70	69		certified nurse practitioner's area of practice or the clinical nurse 26
71	70		specialist's area of practice . 27
72	71		28
73	72		SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 17 -87-314(e), concerning full independent 29
74	73		practice authority of certain nurses, is amended to read as follows: 30
75	74		(e) The Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee shall: 31
76	75		(1)(A) Review and approve or deny all applications for a 32
77	76		certificate of full independent practice authority for certified nurse 33
78	77		practitioners or clinical nurse specialists and for renewal of a certificate 34
79	78		of full independent practice authority for a certified nurse practitioner or 35
80	79		a clinical nurse specialist . 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 H3/13/23 H4/3/23 SB79
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85	84		(B) If the Full Independent Practice Credentialing 1
86	85		Committee denies an application for a certificate of full independent 2
87	86		practice authority, the Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee 3
88	87		shall explain the reasons for the denial in writing to the applicant; 4
89	88		(2) Review complaints mad e against certified nurse practitioners 5
90	89		or clinical nurse specialists who have a certificate of full independent 6
91	90		practice authority; 7
92	91		(3) Review recommendations made by the Arkansas State Medical 8
93	92		Board and the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and notify the certified nurse 9
94	93		practitioner or the clinical nurse specialist of any action taken by the Full 10
95	94		Independent Practice Credentialing Com mittee based on the recommendations; 11
96	95		(4)(A) If the action taken is suspension or revocation of the 12
97	96		certificate of full independent practice authority, hold a hearing providing 13
98	97		the certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist who has a 14
99	98		certificate of full independent practice authority with ten (10) days' notice 15
100	99		in writing to appear before the Full Independent Practice Credentialing 16
101	100		Committee, at the time and place as the Full Independent Practice 17
102	101		Credentialing Committee may direct, to show cause as to why his or her 18
103	102		certificate of full independent practice authority should not be suspended or 19
104	103		revoked. 20
105	104		(B) At the hearing, the Full Independent Practice 21
106	105		Credentialing Committee shall: 22
107	106		(i)(a) Have the power to subpoena witnesses. 23
108	107		(b) The Chair of the Full Independent Practice 24
109	108		Credentialing Committee or his or her designee shall sign subpoenas and have 25
110	109		the power to administer oaths; 26
111	110		(ii) Hear evidence; and 27
112	111		(iii)(a) Determine if the certificate of full 28
113	112		independent practice authority should be suspended or revoked. 29
114	113		(b) If the Full Independent Practice 30
115	114		Credentialing Committee determines that the certificate of full independent 31
116	115		practice authority should be suspended or revoked, the suspension or 32
117	116		revocation shall take plac e immediately. 33
118	117		(C) However, only the Arkansas State Board of Nursing has 34
119	118		the authority to suspend or revoke the nursing license of a certified nurse 35
120	119		practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist ; and 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 H3/13/23 H4/3/23 SB79
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125	124		(5) Provide reports quarterly and upon request rega rding the 1
126	125		number of applicants approved and denied to the Senate Committee on Public 2
127	126		Health, Welfare, and Labor and the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, 3
128	127		and Labor. 4
129	128		5
130	129		SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 17 -87-314(g)-(h), concerning full 6
131	130		independent practice authority of certain nurses, are amended to read as 7
132	131		follows: 8
133	132		(g) A certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist 9
134	133		whose certificate of full independent practice authority has been denied, 10
135	134		suspended, or revoked by the Full Independent Prac tice Credentialing 11
136	135		Committee under this section may appeal the action of the Full Independent 12
137	136		Practice Credentialing Committee under the Arkansas Administrative Procedure 13
138	137		Act, § 25-15-201 et seq. 14
139	138		(h) A certified nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse spe cialist with 15
140	139		a certificate of full independent practice authority shall conspicuously 16
141	140		identify the certificate of full independent practice authority and that the 17
142	141		certified nurse practitioner or the clinical nurse specialist is not required 18
143	142		to have a collaborative practice agreement on signage in the office where the 19
144	143		certified nurse practitioner or the clinical nurse specialist practices. 20
145	144		21
146	145		/s/K. Hammer 22
147	146		23
148	147		24
149		-	~~APPROVED: 4/13/23~~ 25
	148	+	25
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