State legislative sessions are in full swing and with that comes dangerous scope of practice (SOP) bills. This week, the Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN) has helped the Wisconsin Radiological Society and the Kentucky Radiological Society issue two calls to action in response to scope bills.
In Wisconsin, Senate Bill 394 has passed both the House and Senate and will be sent to Governor Evers. This bill would greatly expand the scope of practice of certain nurses and even allow independent practice for some.
If you are a member of the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) practicing in Wisconsin, contact Governor Evers today and ask him to veto SB 394.
Like Wisconsin, Kentucky had its own SOP bill (House Bill (HB) 354) that the Kentucky Radiological Society is advocating against. If enacted, HB 354 would:
- Phase out a statutory requirement for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to have a collaborative agreement (CAPA-CS) with a physician to prescribe Schedule II through V controlled substances.
- Eliminate the one-year practice requirement before an APRN is able to prescribe controlled substances under a CAPA-CS.
HB 354 has passed the Kentucky House of Representatives and will now be considered in the Kentucky Senate. ACR members practicing in Kentucky are encouraged to reach out to your respective state senator and urge them to vote no on HB 354.
The RAN is a grassroots network whose goal is to create advocacy leaders within each chapter and provides resources and support to chapters with advocacy and engagement, such as: CTAs, direct access to state and federal legislators, advocacy training and more. The RAN is always looking for #radvocates, if you want to learn more or would like to get involved, please contact us.
For more information on state legislative issues, please contact Eugenia Brandt Director, Government Affairs. For more information on calls-to-action and support on advocacy, please contact Melody Ballesteros, Assistant Director, Government Relations.