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BILL # SB 1295 |
TITLE: advanced practice registered nurses; compact |
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SPONSOR: Shamp |
STATUS: Senate Engrossed |
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PREPARED BY: Mitch Wenzel |
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REVISED
Our prior analysis assumed the Board or Nursing would collect fees for compact licensees. We have revised our analysis to reflect that compact fees would only be collected by the licensee's home state and to acknowledge potential annual assessment fees charged to compact states by the interstate commission.
The bill would adopt the Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) Compact. This compact would allow APRNs to obtain multi-state licensure in other participating compact states. In addition, the bill would establish the Interstate Commission of APRN Compact Administrators, which would appoint a delegate from Arizona for the compact's national administrative body.
Estimated Impact
We
estimate that if the bill incentivizes APRN's currently licensed in Arizona to
obtain a compact license in a different home state, licensing fee revenues for the
Board of Nursing may decrease. We cannot determine the magnitude of the impact
in advance. The compact would not become effective until a sufficient number of
states have ratified the agreement.
The board stated that the implementation of the APRN Compact would have no fiscal impact.
Current law requires 10% of licensing revenues to be deposited in the General Fund. We cannot determine the magnitude of this impact in advance.
The board currently regulates APRNs practicing in Arizona. Arizona licenses four APRN clinical categories: 1) certified registered nurse anesthetists; 2) certified nurse specialists; 3) certified nurse midwives; and 4) nurse practitioners. As of November 2023, the Board reported 16,800 active APRN licensees. Active practitioners are required to renew their license every four years, which includes a fee of $150. New applicants also pay a fee of $150 for initial licensure. The agency retains 90% of generated revenues to fund operating costs and deposits 10% into the General Fund.
To the extent that the board would require additional personnel to assist in regulating APRNs licensed in Arizona through the compact agreement, the board's operating costs would increase. The compact has not reached its mandatory threshold of seven states to begin operations. Four states have currently enacted legislation to adopt the compact.
(Continued)
To the extent that the bill incentivizes APRNs currently licensed in Arizona to obtain a compact license in another home state, the board could lose revenue. The board does not expect implementation of the compact to have a fiscal impact.
As a member of the compact, Arizona would choose a delegate as part of the compact's national administrative body called the Interstate Commission of APRN Compact Administrators. Additional operating costs may be necessary for travel, lodging, and meals for the delegate to attend commission meetings. We do not anticipate that these costs would be significant.
The bill would allow the commission to levy and collect an annual assessment to party states to cover the commission's operations, activities, and staff. We do not have any information on the details of the assessment since the compact has not reached the mandatory 7-member threshold.
Local Government Impact
None
3/18/24