FOREIGN-EDUCATED NURSE LICENSURE H.B. 4207 (H-2): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 4207 (Substitute H-2 as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Hoon-Yung Hopgood
House Committee: Health Policy
Senate Committee: Health Policy
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Public Health Code to allow the Michigan Board of Nursing to grant a license to an applicant for initial licensure as a registered professional nurse who was a graduate of a nurse education program located outside of the U.S. if he or she met existing requirements and satisfied each of the following conditions:
-- Provided verification that the program from which he or she graduated was substantially equivalent to the nursing education programs in Michigan that are approved by Board.
-- Had passed the requisite examination for licensure as a registered professional nurse, as approved by the Board.
Also, the Board could grant a license to an applicant licensure as a registered professional nurse who was licensed in another state or, until January 1, 2012, in a province of Canada, and who was a graduate of a nurse education program located outside of the U.S. and Canada if he or she met the requirements described above and provided verification of licensure or registration in each state, country, jurisdiction, territory, and province in which he or she was currently licensed or registered or had been licensed or registered. If the applicant, for at least five years immediately preceding the application, had maintained an active license or registration in another state with no disciplinary sanctions, he or she would not have to provide verification that the program from which he or she graduated was substantially equivalent to Board-approved programs.
Proposed MCL 333.17213 Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would likely lead to an increase in the number of individuals seeking licensure as a nurse in the State of Michigan. Costs associated with this increase in licensure requests would be largely mitigated by application and renewal fees charged by the Department of Community Health.
Giving the Board of Nursing greater latitude in granting licensure to foreign-trained nurses could provide an economic benefit to health providers by expanding the pool of available nurses who can practice at health facilities and easing the costs associated with recruiting new staff. This could lead to moderate cost savings to publicly operated health facilities.
Date Completed: 5-10-07 Fiscal Analyst: David Fosdick
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb4207/0708