New Bill Introduced to Continue the Quest to Remove Practice Barriers

Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) and Assemblymember Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) this week introduced legislation – Senate Bill 323 – that will grant full practice authority to nurse practitioners in California, joining 20 other states and the District of Columbia as jurisdictions that permit NPs to practice to the full extent of their education, experience and expertise.

With a February 27 deadline for introduction of new bills for the current legislative session, the measure filed on February 23 is a “spot” bill that includes findings and declarations. The bill will remain in print for 30 days, after which it will be amended to include the substance of the proposal, as ongoing discussions among numerous stakeholders, led by CANP, finalize further amendments.

As in 2013, the introduction of Senate Bill 323 is anticipated to garner significant opposition from organized medicine, expected to lobby aggressively to prevent full practice authority for nurse practitioners.

Despite such opposition, a 2013 full practice authority proposal (SB 491 - Hernandez) was passed by the Senate and advanced to the Assembly, an historic achievement made possible in part by the grassroots outreach conducted by CANP chapters, members and allies in support of the work performed by CANP’s board members and legislative advocacy team.

Step Up and Join the Effort

Once again this year, such grassroots activity will be critical, especially given the election of 33 new legislators this year (more than one-fourth of all Senators and Assemblymembers), many of whom have come to the Capitol with little knowledge regarding the full practice authority issue.

CANP has launched an online Senate Bill 323 Resource Center to assist in outreach efforts. The Resource Center includes materials like fact sheets, a sample letter of support to send to your local elected officials, and our Grassroots Playbook to help coordinate your outreach efforts. Contents of the Resource Center will evolve over the course of the legislative year, so be certain to check back often for new tools to support your efforts.

It is more important than ever that NPs reach out to their locally elected legislators to educate them about nurse practitioners and the vital role they play in our health care delivery system. CANP Grassroots Coordinator Stephanie Tseu is available to assist in navigating and effectively engaging in the legislative process at the local level, and to serve as a central contact for questions on the bill and the legislative process. She can be reached via email at canpgrassroots@gmail.com.

Attendees at CANP’s 38th Annual Educational Conference will get the latest insight on what lies ahead – including the challenges, the opportunities and the expectations to assure success – during the conference’s annual Legislative Update session.  The session will feature CANP Legislative Advocate Kristy Wiese, CANP President Donna Emanuele and CANP President Elect Theresa Ullrich, and takes place Friday, March 20 beginning at 8:05 a.m.

There’s still time to register for the conference, which takes place March 19-22 at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa.