Senate Passes Roegner Bill Expanding Employment Opportunities for Nurses

COLUMBUS—State Senator Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) announced today that the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 341 which would enable Ohio to join the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), an agreement currently between 34 member states that allows Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses to work in multiple states. "State compacts are a great way to help people with occupational licenses practice and use their skills in other states without having to get relicensed for the same profession multiple times," Roegner said. "About a quarter of a million Ohioans could, under this bill, have the opportunity to practice in 34 states across the country using their existing license." The NLC focuses on increasing access to care by allowing nurses to provide care to patients located in other NLC states without having to obtain additional licenses. The NLC's 34 existing member states include Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana. Six other states, including Pennsylvania and Michigan, have also introduced pending legislation to join the compact.

This bill mirrors similar legislation, Senate Bill 272 and Senate Bill 258, which both passed the Ohio Senate unanimously in recent months and would enter Ohio into national licensing compacts for physical therapists and psychologists, respectively. Senate Bill 341 will now go to the House for consideration.