CHICAGO – Gov. Tom Wolf signed the NLC into law in the state of Pennsylvania on July 1, 2021. Pennsylvania is the 37th jurisdiction to have enacted the NLC. The compact allows registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs) to have one multistate license, with the ability to practice in person or via telehealth, in both the primary state of residence and other NLC jurisdictions.
Bill sponsor Sen. Lisa Boscola, said, “By not being a part of the nurse compact, Pennsylvania has frankly been at a disadvantage. We are a state with over 12.5 million people – and the proportion of our population over the age of 60 is one of the highest in the country. That number is only going to climb as the baby boomer generation continues to age and need more advanced medical care. Joining the compact is going to benefit Pennsylvania nurses, hospitals and health systems, physicians, nursing homes, home health care services and – above all – patients.”
Licensure requirements are uniform across NLC states, so nurses who are issued a multistate license have met the same requirements, which include a federal and state criminal background check.
The NLC also enables nurses to provide telehealth nursing services to patients located in other NLC jurisdictions without having to obtain additional licenses. In the event of a disaster, nurses from compact states can easily respond to supply vital services. Additionally, many nurses, including primary care nurses, case managers, transport nurses, school and hospice nurses, among many others, needs to routinely cross state boundaries to provide the public with access to nursing services, and a multistate license facilitates this process.
Although the NLC has been enacted in Pennsylvania, an implementation process must be completed before Pennsylvania residents will be able to apply for a multistate license and before nurses in other NLC states who hold a multistate license will be able to practice in Pennsylvania. Once an implementation date is determined, it will be posted on the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing website.
For more information, visit www.nlc.gov or contact nursecompact@ncsbn.org.
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