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Minutes for HB2496 - Committee on Health and Human Services
Short Title
Enacting the nurse licensure compact.
Minutes Content for Wed, Jan 31, 2018
Chairman Hawkins opened the hearing on HB2496.
Eileen Ma, Assistant Revisor, Office of the Revisor of Statutes briefed the committee on this bill which is known as the nurse licensure compact.
Proponents:
Representative Tom Phillips, Assistant Majority Leader, Kansas Legislature, said he has a working relationship with the military and civilian leadership at Fort Riley. He said he supports passage of this bill because it is important for soldiers stationed at Fort Riley for their spouses to be able to readily find employment within the Flint Hills region (Attachment 1).
Representative Stan Frownfelter, Assistant House Democratic Leader, Kansas Legislature, supports this legislation because under the eNLC, nurses are able to provide care to patients in other eNLC states without having to obtain another license in that state (Attachment 2).
Wendy Shrag, Vice President State Government Affairs, Fresenius Medical Care, spoke to the committee asking for support for the nurse licensure compact because of these two important issues: 1) provides seamless staffing for dialysis facilities during times of natural disasters, and 2) using specialized registered nurses to deliver supportive nursing services to our patients through telephone and management services (Attachment 3).
Carol Moreland, RN, Executive Director, Kansas State Board of Nursing, presented her concerns with the nursing compact bill, and said a special meeting was scheduled by the Board of Nursing on February 1, 2018, to discuss the bill in detail, and then, they will submit amendments to HB2496 that addresses their concerns with the bill (Attachment 4).
Linda Mowbray, Vice President, Kansas Health Care Association/Kansas Center for Assisted Living, said they support HB2496 as a mechanism to expedite the ability of nurses to enter the state and begin practicing without the long wait of re-licensing in Kansas when they already have a valid, clean record in another state (Attachment 5).
Victoria McClintock, RN, Director, Rolling Hills Health and Rehab, stated five distinct reasons why she supports this bill (Attachment 5).
Ken Keller, Administrator, Rolling Hills Health and Rehab, supports HB2496 because it will produce a employer friendly workforce, and practical economic benefits for both nurses and employers. He further stated the present 100 year old model of licensure needs to be updated because it no longer keeps pace with our mobile society and our technological advances in healthcare (Attachment 5).
Opponents:
No opponents appeared before the committee.
Neutral:
No neutral conferees appeared before the committee.
Proponent written:
Andy Copeland, Vice President, ARJ Infusion Services (Attachment 6);
Judy Cole-Davis, Member of Volunteer Executive Council, AARP Kansas (Attachment 7);
Merilyn Douglass, APRN, President, Kansas Advanced Practice Nurses Association (Attachment 8);
Chad Austin, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, Kansas Hospital Association (Attachment 9).
Opponent Written:
There was no opponent written testimony.
Neutral Written:
There was no neutral written testimony.
A period of time was reserved for questions and answers. After all questions were answered, the Chairperson closed the hearing on HB2496.
