OPPOSING NURSE LICENSURE COMPACT LEGISLATION

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers solidly supports license jurisdiction for registered nurses at the location of the provider pursuant to adoption of the resolution “License Jurisdiction for Interstate Practice” at the 2014 AFT Convention; and

WHEREAS, pending legislation in several states would amend nurse licensure in such a way that surrenders state-level authority to a multistate authority called the Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators. This authority would regulate practice standards for registered nurses who are licensed in a state other than the one in which they are practicing , an essential responsibility of the home state’s licensing authority in order to protect the public’s health and safety; and

WHEREAS, Nurse Licensure Compact legislation, in its current various forms, presents  barriers to all nurses, including obstacles to advancing practice authority, advocacy through collective bargaining, and potentially simplifying suppression of wages and working conditions through generalized, instead of community, standards:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers affirms its position that licensure jurisdiction for registered nurses should be at the location of the provider; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT opposes Nurse Licensure Compact legislation in its current various forms; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will provide support to AFT affiliates to advocate against Nurse Licensure Compact legislation and related policy with their state boards of nursing, legislatures and agencies.