This Study Is Being Conducted As A Follow-Up To A Study Conducted In 2000 Regarding Actions The Commonwealth Could Take To Recruit, Train, And Educate Qualified Nurses In Virginia

During the 2000 interim, the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) conducted a study of actions that the Commonwealth could take to recruit, train and educate qualified nurses in Virginia. Last year's study was conducted in response to issues raised in House Joint Resolution (HJR) 288 and Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 228 of the 2000 Session of the General Assembly.

Following last year's study, the JCHC had legislation drafted to authorize Virginia's participation in a multi-state nurse licensure compact. (A copy of the draft legislation is provided at Appendix A.) Under such an arrangement, nurses who live in a "compact state" maintain one license which authorizes practice in all other participating compact states. One of the advantages of the compact is that nurses do not have to maintain duplicate licenses. However, when the draft legislation was circulated for public comment, the Department of Health Professions (DHP) raised concerns that participation in the multi-state nurse licensure compact may reduce nurse licensure fee revenues by approximately $500,000 per biennium. This potential revenue loss would result from nurses living in other compact states who no longer would have to pay a Virginia license fee to practice in Virginia. DHP further commented that, as a consequence, license renewal fees would have to be increased to offset the loss of revenue.

In response to the concerns raised by DHP, the JCHC decided not to introduce the legislation, and, instead, conduct further study of the issue during the 2001 interim.