Tracking state legislation in the U.S., the American College of Radiology (ACR) has highlighted several instances where scope of practice bills have died in committee as of April 24.
In Indiana, Senate Bill (SB) 246 would have allowed advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to only practice in collaboration with a licensed practitioner who specializes in the same practice area as the APRN. That bill would also have allowed a physician to enter into a collaboration agreement with a maximum of four APRNs.
Two other bills introduced in Indiana have also died in committee, according to the ACR. SB 383 and House Bill (HB) 1116 would have removed the requirement that an APRN have a practice agreement with a collaborating physician and remove a provision requiring an APRN to operate under a collaborative practice agreement or the privileges granted by a hospital governing board.
In Mississippi, HB 98 would have allowed APRNs who have completed 3,600 practice hours to be exempt from the requirement of entering and maintaining a collaborative/consultative relationship with a licensed physician.
In Texas, however, HB 1756 was referred to the House Public Health Committee, the ACR reported. This bill would allow APRNs to order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests.
These bills and others, including physician assistant licensure compact decisions, are covered in an April 24 ACR bulletin.
