Bill Text: HI HCR204 | 2023 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requesting The Hawaii State Center For Nursing To Convene A Working Group To Study The Potential Impacts To The State Of Joining The Multi-state Nurse Licensure Compact.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-31 - Report adopted. referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Gates, Ichiyama, Ilagan, Kila, Poepoe, Quinlan excused (6). [HCR204 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2023-HCR204-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
204 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employment Projections 2021-2031, the registered nurse workforce is expected to grow from 3,130,600 registered nurses in 2021 to 3,326,000 registered nurses in 2031, which is an increase of 195,400 registered nurses or 6.2 percent; and
WHEREAS, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects the average annual number of openings for registered nurses from 2021 through 2031, after factoring in retirements and workforce exits, to be 203,200 openings per year; and
WHEREAS, according to the Hawaii State Center for Nursing, there are 15,072 licensed registered nurses who live and practice in the State; and
WHEREAS, according to the Healthcare Association of Hawaii's 2022 Healthcare Workforce Initiative Report, there were approximately 1,000 unfilled registered nurse positions in the State; and
WHEREAS, during and following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals, nursing facilities, and other health care practices faced nursing shortages, which continue to exist; and
WHEREAS, shortages in the local nursing workforce require health care facilities to recruit traveling nurses, which can be costlier than hiring a local workforce; and
WHEREAS, the State and health care systems have invested and continue to invest in growing the local nursing and health care professional workforce through expanded educational opportunities, incentives, and other investments; and
WHEREAS, as of January 2023, there were 39 states that are members of the multi-state Nurse Licensure Compact; and
WHEREAS, the Nurse Licensure Compact would enable nurses to practice in person or provide telenursing services to patients located across the country without having to obtain additional licenses; and
WHEREAS, the Nurse Licensure Compact would allow a nurse to work across state borders and provide vital services in the event of disaster; and
WHEREAS, the Nurse Licensure Compact would also allow military spouse nurses to seamlessly continue working without having to obtain new licenses each time they relocate, thus expanding the nursing workforce; and
WHEREAS, according to the Hawaii State Center for Nursing, 16 percent of registered nurses plan to retire in the next five years; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the Senate concurring, that the Hawaii State Center for Nursing is requested to convene a working group to study the potential impacts to the State of joining the multi-state Nurse Licensure Compact; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to consist of the following members:
(1) The Director of the Hawaii State Center for Nursing, or the Director's designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the working group;
(2) The Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, or the Director's designee;
(3) A representative of the Regulated Industries Complaints Office of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, to be appointed by the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;
(4) A representative of the State Board of Nursing, to be appointed by the Chairperson of the State Board of Nursing;
(5) The chairperson of the House of Representatives standing committee with primary jurisdiction over health, or the chairperson's designee;
(6) The chairperson of the House of Representatives standing committee with primary jurisdiction over consumer protection, or the chairperson's designee;
(7) The chairperson of the Senate standing committee with primary jurisdiction over health, or the chairperson's designee;
(8) The chairperson of the Senate standing committee with primary jurisdiction over consumer protection, or the chairperson's designee; and
(9) A representative from each of the following organizations:
(A) The Hawaii - American Nurses Association;
(B) The Hawaii Association of Health Plans;
(C) The Hawaii Government Employees Association; and
(D) The Healthcare Association of Hawaii; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to investigate the feasibility and impacts of adopting the multi-state Nurse Licensure Compact, including:
(1) Identification of possible impacts to in- and out-migration of registered nurses, including migration related to job transfers, travel nursing, and telehealth nursing;
(2) Identification of any issues regarding the regulation of out-of-state registered nurses, including issues related to recouping costs arising from investigations of consumer complaints or other disciplinary actions;
(3) Identification of issues regarding disciplinary actions taken against a multistate-licensed nurse;
(4) Identification of issues regarding health care workforce research and planning efforts;
(5) Identification of issues regarding disparity in licensure renewal and competency requirements between states;
(6) Identification of impacts to jurisdiction and regulatory oversight of nurses in the State;
(7) Identification of any fiscal impact to the State and the State's current nursing workforce; and
(8) Any other matters the working group deems relevant; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Director of the Hawaii State Center for Nursing, Executive Director of the Hawaii – American Nurses Association, President of the Hawaii Association of Health Plans, President of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.
Working Group; Study; Nurse Licensure Compact
