For nurse practitioners · Every jurisdiction

The Watch

Every pending change to nurse-practitioner practice authority we can pin to a primary source, by jurisdiction, with the date we last read each source.

The loop ran on 2026-08-11: all 31 watch items were re-read against their primary sources, and the 47 guidance entries were checked for supersession. Every item below links the source it was read from and carries the date we read it; where a jurisdiction has nothing pending, it is named at the foot of this page rather than left out.

This is the whole record — 28 of the 36 jurisdictions we track carry something pending today. Each item has its own anchor, so a single row can be linked on its own.

Arizona

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

Five-business-day provisional licensure for out-of-state APRNs/RNs — effective September 26, 2025

HB 2133 (Laws 2025, Chapter 223, signed June 25, 2025; effective September 26, 2025 with the session's general effective date) added A.R.S. § 32-1635.02: the Board of Nursing must issue a provisional license to a qualifying out-of-state APRN, RN, or LPN within 5 business days of a complete application, convertible to a regular license after 6 months. For an NP relocating to or picking up work in Arizona, the licensure wait drops from months to days.

Arizona Legislature, Laws 2025, Chapter 223 (HB 2133)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

California

Rulemaking in progress

BRN opens rulemaking to conform 103/104 NP regulations to SB 1451 (notice dated July 2, 2026)

Expected — August 25, 2026 — written comment deadline; hearing only if requested 15+ days before close

The BRN proposes amending 16 CCR 1481, 1482, 1482.3, 1482.4 and 1487 to implement AB 890 (Ch. 265, Stats. 2020) and SB 1451 (Ch. 481, Stats. 2024): recognizing pre-2017 retired population-focus exams for 103/104 NPs, clarifying that 104 NPs may perform both BPC 2837.104(b) and (c) functions, removing the Method 3 equivalency option, and updating consumer-notice rules. For a Gale NP, this is the final text that will govern 103/104 certification mechanics — comments are due August 25, 2026.

CA Board of Registered Nursing, Notice of Proposed Action (16 CCR 1481–1487), 7/2/2026

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

The 104 NP window opened in 2026 — first 103 NPs reach the three-year mark

The BRN's AB 890 page states it 'will not be able to certify 104 NPs until 2026' because BPC 2837.104 requires three full-time-equivalent years (4,600 hours) in good standing as a 103 NP first; the earliest 103 NPs — the 103 NP application opened in BreEZe in late January 2023, announced by BRN news release February 2, 2023 — reach eligibility during 2026. 104 status permits independent practice outside a group setting within the NP's population focus — the exact cohort Gale's first California providers belong to. SB 1451 (Ch. 481, Stats. 2024, effective January 1, 2025) already eased the path: three full-time-equivalent years or 4,600 hours of direct patient care within the last five years may be deemed to satisfy the transition-to-practice requirement, clinical experience need not be limited to a single category, and physicians or NPs who attest to a transition to practice are shielded from liability unless the attestation was produced fraudulently.

CA Board of Registered Nursing, Assembly Bill 890 page

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Colorado

Sunset ahead

Nurse Practice Act repeals September 1, 2027 — COPRRR's 2026 sunset review of the Nursing Board is underway

Expected — COPRRR sunset report due by October 15, 2026; Act repeals September 1, 2027 unless the 2027 General Assembly continues it

HB 20-1216 continued the Nurse Practice Act only through September 1, 2027, and COPRRR's official schedule lists the Nursing Board (plus Nurse Aides Certification and the Nurse-Physician Advisory Task Force) among '2026 Sunset Reviews in Progress,' with reports released each October 15. The 2027 continuation bill is where APRN provisions could be reopened — including SB 23-167's regime (effective May 25, 2023) whose 750-hour prescribing mentorship rules are now fully in effect in 3 CCR 716-1 ch. 1.15 with no open Board of Nursing rulemaking found. For an NP, Colorado's current provisional-to-full prescriptive authority path is stable today but goes on the table in the 2027 session.

Colorado DORA, Office of Policy, Research & Regulatory Reform — Review Schedule

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Connecticut

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

Nurse Licensure Compact fully implemented October 1, 2025 — RN/LPN only, APRN license stays single-state

CT DPH began recognizing and issuing multistate RN/LPN licenses on October 1, 2025 (free conversion via elicense.ct.gov for CT residents). APRN licensure is untouched: an NP still needs a Connecticut APRN license, and the 2014 framework — independence after 3 years/2,000 hours of collaborative practice — is unchanged; searches of the 2025 and 2026 sessions found no APRN scope-expansion act reaching the governor (the 2025 effort, SB 1064, did not pass). Practical effect for a Gale NP: the underlying RN credential can now be multistate, easing cross-border telehealth staffing, but NP-level practice remains Connecticut-licensed.

Connecticut Department of Public Health, Nurse Licensure Compact

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Delaware

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

End of Life Options Act effective January 1, 2026 — APRNs may serve as attending or consulting providers

HB 140, the Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Act, was signed May 20, 2025 and took effect January 1, 2026. Delaware NPs/APRNs may now act as the attending or consulting provider for terminally ill adults requesting medical aid in dying — one of the few jurisdictions placing APRNs at parity with physicians in that role, on top of Delaware's existing full practice authority.

Delaware General Assembly, HB 140 (153rd General Assembly)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Guam

Rulemaking in progress

Board of Nurse Examiners' rewritten nursing rules (APRN chapter complete) awaiting legislative adoption since mid-2025

The Guam Board of Nurse Examiners finalized a comprehensive update of its rules and regulations — members confirmed the APRN section complete after legal review — and at its June 12, 2025 meeting agreed to submit the package to the Guam Legislature for adoption as Guam law requires; the board's packet reached the Speaker July 17, 2025. No adopting public law had appeared as of August 11, 2026, so Guam NPs continue practicing under the existing full-practice rules until the Legislature acts.

Guam Legislature, Doc. No. 38GL-25-0906 (GBNE board packet, July 2025)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Idaho

Rulemaking in progress

Board of Nursing rules rewrite in progress — proposed draft posted July 23, 2026

Expected — 2026-2027 rulemaking cycle; pending-rule review by the 2027 Idaho Legislature (Jan-Apr 2027)

Idaho DOPL and the Board of Nursing opened a 2026-2027 negotiated rulemaking to revise IDAPA 24.34.01 (draft v1 May 28, 2026; proposed draft July 23, 2026), following a prior cycle adopted via the January 2026 bulletin. The redline moves license-renewal deadlines from September 1 to the licensee's birthdate (implementing the biennial-renewal transition under Idaho Code 54-1411, which began for nursing April 1, 2026) and adds nurse apprentice/intern provisions; no change to Idaho's full practice authority for NPs, but renewal mechanics and temporary APRN licensure language are being reworked.

Idaho DOPL, Board of Nursing statutes, rules and rulemaking (IDAPA 24.34.01)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Illinois

Sunset ahead

Nurse Practice Act scheduled for repeal January 1, 2028 — mandatory rewrite lands in the 2027 session

Expected — January 1, 2028 — statutory repeal of 225 ILCS 65 unless reenacted/extended

The Act's text on ILGA carries '(Article scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)' throughout 225 ILCS 65, forcing the General Assembly to rewrite the statute in 2027. That rewrite is the vehicle where the full-practice-authority fight resumes — today an Illinois NP needs a written collaborative agreement unless FPA-licensed after 4,000 clinical hours plus 250 CE hours, and FPA prescribing of controlled substances remains restricted. NPs considering Illinois should expect the entire practice framework to be renegotiated within roughly 17 months.

Illinois General Assembly, 225 ILCS 65 (Nurse Practice Act)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

PA 104-0244 (HB 2688) effective January 1, 2026 — CNM/APRN collaboration and birth-center practice without a collaborative agreement

Signed August 15, 2025 after passing the House 114-0 (4/9/2025) and Senate 57-1 (5/22/2025), the act amends the Nurse Practice Act to allow written collaborative agreements between full-practice-authority certified nurse midwives and APRNs, and lets a CNM granted clinical privileges by a licensed birth center's clinical director provide out-of-hospital birth services without a written collaborative agreement. It is a narrow but real loosening of Illinois's physician-anchored collaboration model — a signal for where the 2027 rewrite may go.

Illinois General Assembly, HB 2688 Bill Status / Public Act 104-0244

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Iowa

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

ARNP rules chapter rescinded and rewritten — effective June 4, 2025

Expected — June 4, 2030 — automatic rescission date for the rewritten chapter under Iowa Code 17A.7 unless readopted

Under Iowa's Executive Order 10 red-tape review, the Board of Nursing replaced the ARNP chapter wholesale (655—Ch. 7, ARC 9164C, IAB 4/30/25, effective 6/4/25): streamlined licensure/renewal tied to the RN license expiration, an $81 fee, telehealth and cross-coverage definitions, and a grandfathering exception for ARNPs certified before accredited-program requirements. Full independent practice and prescribing are unchanged, but the entire chapter now carries a built-in rescission date of 6/4/30, so it must be readopted before then.

Iowa Administrative Code, Nursing Board [655] Chapter 7 (ARC 9164C)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Kansas

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

HB 2528 board-accountability and licensure law — signed April 7, 2026, effective April 16, 2026 (Kansas Register publication)

Expected — First day of the 2027 Kansas legislative session (second Monday of January: January 11, 2027) — permanent Board of Nursing appointees take office subject to Senate confirmation; sitting members' terms already expired July 1, 2026, with a governor-appointed interim board serving until the session convenes

HB 2528 (signed by Gov. Kelly April 7, 2026; published in the Kansas Register April 16, 2026, Vol. 45, Issue 16, and effective upon that publication per its Sec. 14 — not statute-book publication) adds a late-renewal path for professional and APRN licenses, allows a one-time 180-day temporary APRN permit pending completion of the license application, limits 'unprofessional conduct' to acts related to nursing practice, voids board actions on nonpractice violations with refunds owed, and bars board retaliation with a new civil cause of action. For an independent NP this is a friendlier, more constrained licensing board; under the enrolled bill the terms of members serving on July 1, 2026 expired that day, a governor-appointed interim board serves until the first day of the 2027 regular session, and permanent members seated at the session's start are subject to Senate confirmation.

Kansas Legislature, 2026 HB 2528

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Maine

Rulemaking in progress

Board of Nursing rulemaking to end the 24-month supervision requirement is live — comments closed July 25, 2026

Expected — Fall 2026 — final adoption of amended 02-380 C.M.R. Ch. 8 (routine technical rule; comment period closed 2026-07-25)

PL 2025 c.540 (LD 961, emergency-enacted 2026-02-17) authorizes the Board of Nursing to replace the fixed 24-month supervised-practice requirement with board-set practice standards, and the Board filed proposal 2026-P157 amending 02-380 C.M.R. Ch. 8 (noticed 2026-06-24, comment deadline 2026-07-25, no hearing held) adding practice standards for mentorship by a certified nurse practitioner. No adoption notice had appeared through the 2026-08-05 weekly notices, so the old supervision framework still governs until Ch. 8 is finalized — for a Maine NP, independent practice via the new mentorship standards likely arrives this fall.

Maine SOS Rulemaking Notices 06/24/2026, proposal 2026-P157 (with LD 961 status, ME Legislature)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Massachusetts

Enacted, not yet effective

Nurse Licensure Compact enacted November 20, 2024 but still not operational in mid-2026

NP practice authority itself is unchanged (full practice authority since 2021), but the Acts of 2024, c.238 (signed 2024-11-20) adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact and directs the Board of Registration in Nursing to adopt implementing regulations. As of August 2026 Massachusetts is still not issuing or recognizing multistate RN licenses and no go-live date has been announced, so NPs relocating to or from Massachusetts still need a standalone MA RN license plus APRN authorization. No NP-specific bill showed real movement before formal sessions ended 2026-07-31.

MA General Court, Acts of 2024, Chapter 238 (NLC sections)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Minnesota

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

Setting restriction on the 2,080-hour transition period removed for primary care and mental health NPs — effective August 1, 2026

2026 Session Laws ch. 115 (HF 3825, signed 2026-05-27), art. 11 amends 148.211 subd. 1c: the 2,080-hour postgraduate collaborative-agreement requirement stays, but the mandate that it occur in a hospital or integrated clinical setting is struck, and qualifying collaborators now include APRNs with 3+ years of practice; new subd. 1d keeps the integrated-setting requirement only for NPs outside primary care and mental health. With no special effective-date clause, it took effect 2026-08-01 under Minnesota's default rule — a new primary-care or behavioral-health NP can now complete transition hours in an independent practice with a remote-eligible collaborator. Full repeal of subd. 1c (HF 1794) passed the House 119-12 on 2026-04-27 but died in Senate committee.

MN Revisor of Statutes, 2026 Session Laws ch. 115 (HF 3825), art. 11

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Montana

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

Noncompete shield covering APRNs in force (MCA 28-2-724, amended 2025); APRN Compact bill died March 2025

Expected — January 2027 — next biennial legislative session, earliest window for a new APRN Compact attempt

MCA 28-2-724, amended three times in the 2025 session (Ch. 104, 131, 698, L. 2025), voids employment-contract terms that restrict an APRN from practicing in any geographic area or time period, treating current patients, or soliciting them after the job ends (sale-of-practice excepted) — directly useful to NPs leaving employers to go independent. The APRN Compact bill, HB 526, failed on the Montana House floor 44-55 on March 4, 2025 and died; the 2025 MCA confirms no compact part exists, and the legislature does not reconvene until January 2027. Full practice authority is unchanged.

Montana Code Annotated 2025, 28-2-724

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Nebraska

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

LB 912 adds fluoroscopy to NP scope — operative July 18, 2026, three months after session adjournment despite the bill's emergency clause

LB 912 (approved by the Governor 2026-04-14) amends Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-2315 so an NP may perform and utilize fluoroscopy for procedural guidance after completing education and training approved jointly by DHHS and the board under rules adopted pursuant to sec. 71-3508, and may direct fluoroscopy in collaboration with a licensed medical radiographer. The act carries an emergency clause (sec. 40), but sec. 34 of the slip law expressly delays the fluoroscopy section (sec. 16) until three calendar months after adjournment of the session — the Legislature adjourned sine die 2026-04-17, so the provision became operative 2026-07-18. The practical gate is that training-approval piece, which runs through department/board rules with no published date. Nebraska's full practice authority framework is otherwise unchanged; no other NP bills advanced before the session ended.

Nebraska Legislature, LB 912 slip law (109th Leg., 2nd Sess.)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Nevada

Rulemaking in progress

R087-25 medical-assistant delegation regulation re-adopted March 11, 2026 — final approval still pending

Implementing AB 319 (Ch. 246, Statutes of Nevada 2025, which amended NRS 632.120), Board of Nursing regulation R087-25 lets an RN or APRN delegate clinical tasks to medical assistants with documented competency, in-person oversight for invasive procedures, and a ban on MAs diagnosing, treating, or prescribing — a practical staffing win for small NP-owned clinics. After Legislative Commission pushback on February 26, 2026, the board re-adopted it March 11, 2026 with the remote-supervision section deleted; as of the NAC 632 revision of April 2026 it is not yet codified, so final Legislative Commission sign-off and Secretary of State filing remain the datable step with no posted date.

Nevada Legislature, Legislative Review of Adopted Regulations, LCB File R087-25 (State Board of Nursing)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

New Hampshire

Rulemaking in progress

Nur 400 'Continued Status' rules overhaul underway — Notice 2026-68, hearing held April 23, 2026

The Board of Nursing (c/o OPLC) filed Notice 2026-68 to readopt and amend Nur 400, which governs renewal, reinstatement/re-entry, continuing competency, disciplinary sanctions, and delegation for all nurse licensees including APRNs — replacing rules that expired in April 2024. The proposal moves renewal to OPLC's universal renewal application, requires proof of BLS/ACLS/CPR at renewal (a new burden flagged in public comment), and retains the APRN survey/opt-out requirement; the hearing was April 23, 2026 and written comments closed April 30, 2026, with adoption not yet appearing in the state's Nur filing history as of August 2026.

NH Office of Legislative Services / OPLC, Rulemaking Notice 2026-68 (Nur 400)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

New Jersey

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

P.L.2026 c.6 (signed March 30, 2026) makes joint-protocol-free practice permanent for 5,000-hour primary/behavioral-health APNs; hour-verification regs not yet proposed

Expected — 2026-09-30 — six months after the effective date, APNs who will not reach 5,000 hours within 12 months of enactment must have a joint protocol in place

Effective immediately on signing (2026-03-30), APNs in primary or behavioral health with more than 5,000 hours of licensed advanced practice in their population focus may practice and prescribe without a joint protocol (general obstetrics and elective aesthetic/cosmetic services excluded); those who will not reach 5,000 hours within 12 months of enactment may go protocol-free only for six months after the effective date. The law directs the Board of Nursing and the Commissioner of Health to adopt regulations including the hour-verification process, but as of 2026-08-11 nothing has been proposed — the Division of Consumer Affairs rule-proposals page shows no NJAC 13:37 APN filing and the Board's APN page still describes the joint-protocol regime. An NJ NP past 5,000 hours can practice independently now but should keep hour documentation ready for the coming verification rule.

NJ Legislature, A4052/S2996 enacted as P.L.2026, c.6

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

New Mexico

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

Nursing Practice Act overhaul (HB 178) signed April 8, 2025; board implementation running into 2026

HB 178 (Laws 2025, Ch. 101; passed House 56-3 on 3/4/25, Senate 41-0 on 3/20/25, signed 4/8/25) updated the Nursing Practice Act: modernized APRN definitions (CNP, CRNA, CNS), clarified RN assistance with sedation under a prescriber's order, gave nurses the choice of single-state vs. multistate licensure, and authorized Board of Nursing rulemaking on AI in nursing. Follow-on board changes are landing now — the BON began charging a $50 fee for multistate compact licenses on June 1, 2026 (opt-out to single-state available at renewal). Full practice authority itself is unchanged; an NP there should watch 16.12 NMAC updates and budget the compact fee at renewal.

NM Legislature, HB 178 (2025), Ch. 101; NM Board of Nursing

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

New York

Sunset ahead

NP independent-practice provisions extended to July 1, 2030 (A10007-C / Chapter 57, signed May 28, 2026)

Expected — July 1, 2030 — new sunset of the Education Law § 6902(3) independent-practice provisions

The FY2027 health budget bill (A10007-C, passed both chambers May 27, 2026, signed as Chapter 57 on May 28, 2026) replaced the July 1, 2026 sunset: the current statute now carries a version of § 6902(3) 'effective until July 1, 2030,' so NPs with 3,600+ practice hours continue practicing on attested collaborative relationships with no written practice agreement. Permanence bills have not moved — S2360 has sat in Senate Higher Education since Jan 16, 2025 (A1220 likewise in committee), so the 2030 cliff is the next real date.

NY Senate Open Legislation, Education Law § 6902 (rev. 2026-05-29); A10007-C/Ch. 57 of 2026

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

North Dakota

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

Board credential verification now required for nursing PLLC registration (announced July 29, 2026)

As of the Board of Nursing's July 29, 2026 announcement, a nursing professional organization (e.g., an NP's PLLC) must clear NDBON credential verification before registering with the ND Secretary of State and for annual reports: Certificate of Professional License form SFN 13610, owner/member CVs, a description of services, signed compliance attestations, and a $20 review fee, under NDCC ch. 10-31 (Professional Organizations) and 43-12.1 (Nurse Practice Act). An NP forming an independent practice in ND must build this board sign-off into the entity-formation timeline; an online portal via the Nurse Portal is under development. No 2025-session statute changes to NP practice authority were found (ND has been full practice authority since 2011).

ND Board of Nursing, July 29, 2026 announcement

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Oregon

Rulemaking in progress

HB 3044 (2025) Nurse Practice Act modernization — Phase 2 rulemaking underway (hearing July 21, 2026)

Expected — Late 2026 — OSBN board adoption of Phase 2 rules (Divisions 31 & 62) following the July 21, 2026 public hearing; Phase 1 rules took effect Jan 1, 2026

HB 3044 (2025 session) authorized the Oregon State Board of Nursing to modernize its rules. Phase 1, effective Jan 1, 2026, repealed the separate APRN licensure division (Div. 53) into a consolidated Division 31 covering all license types and updated Division 55 (APRN scope and standards); Division 21 changes adopted April 16, 2026 let APRN programs offer master's/post-master's/post-doctoral certificates. Phase 2 rulemaking on Divisions 31 and 62 ran public comment June 30 to July 21, 2026 with a hearing July 21, 2026 and now awaits board adoption — an Oregon NP should re-check licensure and renewal citations, since the rules an NP's license sits under have physically moved divisions.

Oregon State Board of Nursing rulemaking page (HB 3044 implementation)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Rhode Island

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

APRNs gain physician-equivalent immunity under the Mental Health Law (S 2978, signed June 19, 2026)

S 2978 (introduced Mar 4, 2026 at the request of the Dept. of BHDDH) amends R.I. Gen. Laws 40.1-5-41 so APRNs — not just physicians and surgeons — are immune from suit for participating in civil-commitment and related Mental Health Law proceedings absent actual fraud or gross/willful negligence; it took effect on passage when signed June 19, 2026. This chiefly matters for psychiatric NPs doing certification and commitment work. Note the 2026 APRN telemedicine bill S 2111 was held for further study by Senate HHS on March 3, 2026 and did not advance; the APRN non-compete ban (sec. 5-34-50) dates to June 2024 and is existing law, not a new change.

RI General Assembly, 2026 S 2978

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Utah

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

SB 31 scope expansion effective May 6, 2026 — APRN minor-surgery authority sunsets July 1, 2028

Expected — July 1, 2028 — APRN (and PA) minor surgical procedures authority repeals unless the legislature extends it

SB 31, Office of Professional Licensure Review Amendments (signed by Gov. Cox March 17, 2026; effective May 6, 2026), permits APRNs to perform minor surgical procedures, gives CRNAs prescriptive authority immediately before and after a procedure, extends the registered nurse apprentice window, and repeals-and-reenacts Nurse Practice Act sections 58-31b-102 and 58-31b-302 while amending several other 58-31b sections. The new minor-surgical-procedures authority carries an explicit repeal date of July 1, 2028, so a Utah NP adding procedural services should track whether the 2028 legislature renews it. Full practice authority (SB 36, 2023) is otherwise unchanged.

Utah Legislature, 2026 S.B. 31 (enrolled); Gov. Cox signing list, Mar 17, 2026

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Vermont

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

Act 92 (S.163): APRNs recognized as hospital attending clinicians — effective May 6, 2026

Act 92 amends hospital licensure requirements and the Bill of Rights for Hospital Patients so an APRN (or PA), not only a physician, may serve as the attending clinician responsible for coordinating a hospital patient's care and signing patient records, with Office of Professional Regulation discipline attached to non-compliance. Vermont's full-practice-authority framework is otherwise unchanged — for an NP this removes a statutory ambiguity around hospital attending status rather than altering licensure.

Vermont General Assembly, Act No. 92 (2026) official act summary

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Washington

Enacted, not yet effective

ARNP title becomes APRN statewide on June 30, 2027 (HB 2416, 2024)

Expected — June 30, 2027 — title change takes effect

The Board of Nursing confirms the 2024 law renaming 'Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner' to 'Advanced Practice Registered Nurse' becomes effective June 30, 2027; until then, legally binding documents and prescriptions should continue using ARNP, though licensees may use either title on business materials without penalty. A Washington NP (or a platform serving them) must update bylaws, EHR fields, billing documents, and prescription templates before that date — the Board plans escalating outreach through 2026.

Washington State Board of Nursing, ARNP Title Change (HB 2416)

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Already in force (1)

Recently effective

NCQAC eliminated proof of 250 clinical practice hours for ARNP renewal and interstate endorsement in 2020 (WAC 246-840-342, -360) — still in effect

The Board of Nursing's announcement (May 6, 2020) states the commission adopted amendments eliminating the requirement that ARNPs submit proof of 250 clinical practice hours at license renewal or initial interstate endorsement, deferring instead to maintenance of active national certification; the change was proposed as WSR 20-03-125 (CR-102 filed January 17, 2020) and has been in effect since 2020 (WAC 246-840-342's history notes WSR 20-10-015, effective April 24, 2020), and the current WAC 246-840-342 text on the legislature's site carries no such proof requirement. This lowers a documentation barrier for out-of-state NPs endorsing into Washington — already a full-practice-authority state — but it is settled 2020 policy, not a recent change. (WSR 25-20-086, filed September 30, 2025, is an unrelated CR-102 covering RN/LPN licensure rules.)

Washington State Board of Nursing (NCQAC), Adopted Amendments to ARNP Clinical Practice Hour Requirements

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Wisconsin

Enacted, not yet effective

APRN Modernization Act (2025 Act 17) takes effect September 1, 2026 — Board of Nursing emergency rules in place

Expected — September 1, 2026

Until Sept 1, 2026 NPs still practice as APNPs under existing collaboration requirements — new APNP applications closed Aug 3, 2026, and APRN applications are open in LicensE but will not be issued before Sept 1. On the effective date every active APNP certificate converts automatically to an APRN license, and independent practice opens to APRNs documenting 7,680 clinical hours over 24+ months (at least 3,840 in advanced practice with a physician immediately available for consultation) under the Board's emergency rules rewriting Wis. Admin. Code ch. N 8.

Wisconsin DSPS / Board of Nursing APNP-to-APRN transition page; 2025 Wis. Act 17

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

Wyoming

Enacted, not yet effective

APRN Compact enacted (codified at W.S. 33-21, Art. 3) but dormant until seven states join

The Wyoming State Board of Nursing's APRN Compact page states the compact 'will be implemented when 7 states have enacted the legislation' — Wyoming has codified it (Wyoming Statutes Title 33, Ch. 21, Article 3) but no multistate APRN license exists yet, and no activation date can honestly be given. Wyoming is otherwise quiet: already full practice authority, no NP practice-authority bills emerged from the February 9 – March 11, 2026 budget session, and no open WSBN APRN rulemaking was found. For a Gale NP, Wyoming is a stable FPA state whose one datable future event is the compact's seven-state trigger.

Wyoming State Board of Nursing, APRN Compact page

first recorded 2026-08-11 · last read 2026-08-11

The quiet ones

Eight of the thirty-six jurisdictions have nothing pending we can pin to a primary source: Alaska, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, the Northern Mariana Islands, South Dakota and Virginia. We list them by name because an omission would leave you wondering whether we looked.

Each of those jurisdictions has its own dated, sourced page: Alaska · District of Columbia · Florida · Hawaii · Maryland · Northern Mariana Islands · South Dakota · Virginia.