Lawmakers in Colorado Agree to Allow Nurses to Work Across State Lines

The first bill presented to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper in the 2018 legislative session is bipartisan legislation revising the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) to the Enhanced NLC, which keeps many nurses from having to obtain a new state license, reports the Denver Channel . "Healthcare does not stop at state lines and we need to ensure our nursing staff don't have to either," said Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D-Colo.). "This current compact has been operational and successful for more than 17 years. Our bipartisan bill allows Colorado nurses to maintain their multi-state license and join the enhanced nurse licensure compact." Once approved by Hickenlooper, the bill will let the approximately 86,000 Colorado nurses who were already part of the NLC to be grandfathered in to the new compact and to skip an additional background check. Advocates say Colorado joining the updated program will put them in the same group with at least 25 other states that have already signed on, which let nurses from those states work across state lines where there is a compact. The agreement goes into effect on Jan. 19, and it is expected to clear a path for telehealth treatments and permitting nurses to work across state lines during natural disasters.