Printed on recycled paper 132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025 Legislative Document No. 1688H.P. 1123House of Representatives, April 17, 2025 An Act to Encourage Continuing Education Relating to Certain Infection-associated Chronic Conditions for Physicians and Nurses Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services suggested and ordered printed. ROBERT B. HUNT Clerk Presented by Representative RANA of Bangor. Cosponsored by Senator STEWART of Aroostook and Representatives: JULIA of Waterville, MATHIESON of Kittery, ROEDER of Bangor, Senators: BAILEY of York, INGWERSEN of York. Page 1 - 132LR2135(01) 1 2 is enacted to read: 3 4 The board shall encourage a licensee or applicant for relicensure under this chapter to 5 attend continuing education, including continuing education required for licensure of an 6 advanced practice registered nurse, relating to infection-associated chronic conditions, 7 including long COVID, chronic Lyme disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis, postural 8 orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and dysautonomia. For purposes of this section, "long 9 COVID" means a group of health problems related to and persisting or developing after an 10 initial period of COVID-19 infection that may be debilitating and may last from several 11 weeks to a period of years and "COVID-19" has the same meaning as in Title 24-A, section 12 4320-P, subsection 1, paragraph A. 13 as amended by PL 2017, c. 189, ยง1, is further amended 14 by enacting at the end a new paragraph to read: 15 The board shall encourage a licensee or applicant for relicensure to attend continuing 16 education approved by the board under this section relating to infection-associated chronic 17 conditions, including long COVID, chronic Lyme disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis, 18 postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and dysautonomia. For purposes of this 19 paragraph, "long COVID" means a group of health problems related to and persisting or 20 developing after an initial period of COVID-19 infection that may be debilitating and may 21 last from several weeks to a period of years and "COVID-19" has the same meaning as in 22 Title 24-A, section 4320-P, subsection 1, paragraph A. 23 is enacted to read: 24 25 26 under subsection 2, paragraph B, relating to infection-associated chronic conditions, 27 including long COVID, chronic Lyme disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis, postural 28 orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and dysautonomia. For purposes of this subsection, "long 29 COVID" means a group of health problems related to and persisting or developing after an 30 initial period of COVID-19 infection that may be debilitating and may last from several 31 weeks to a period of years and "COVID-19" has the same meaning as in Title 24-A, section 32 4320-P, subsection 1, paragraph A. 33 34 This bill requires the Board of Osteopathic Licensure, the Board of Licensure in 35 Medicine and the State Board of Nursing to encourage licensees and applicants for 36 relicensure to attend continuing education relating to infection-associated chronic 37 conditions, including long COVID, chronic Lyme disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis, 38 postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and dysautonomia. 34 35 36 37 38