Legislative Update: Full Senate Passes APRN Bills SB31 and SB43

Full Senate Passes APRN Bills SB31 and SB43

Thank you to all who contacted their Senators last week and advocated for the passage of SB31 and SB43.  Your voices were heard!! 

On March 19th, the full Senate voted and passed both SB31 and SB43.  The next step in the process is for each bill to be sent to the full Assembly for a vote.  The date of this full vote in the Assembly is unknown.  Once each bill has passed in both the Senate and Assembly, it will move on to the Governor for signature.  Please watch for additional communications and calls to action regarding these APRN specific bills.  Below is more information about each bill currently moving through the legislative process.

• Senate Bill 31 (SB31) and Assembly Bill 12 (AB12) – will allow APRNs or PAs to function as a medical advisor or state agent. This role is currently only held by physicians.  As a medical advisor or state agent, APRNs will hold the ability to write orders and function as the medical officer for health departments, immunization programs, and other state/county programs. Currently this bill is being sponsored by Donna Rozar, who is a registered nurse and immediate past Representative for the 69th Assembly District.  If needed, a future call to action will be initiated for this bill, but at this time there is no documented opposition to SB31 and AB12. 

• Senate Bill 43 (SB43) – will allow APRNs to pronounce death. Currently WI state statute only allows physicians, physician assistants (PA), and Hospice RNs to pronounce death.  This legislation will remove the restrictions currently in place that prevent APRNs from the pronouncing death of their patients.  SB43 has been authored and sponsored by Senator Cabral-Guevara.

For questions regarding this update or active APRN legislation, please contact MaryAnn Moon, Chair of the WIACNS Legislative/Regulatory Committee.   Ph. 507-272-2699 or E: maryann.moon@aah.org or mary.annmoon@icloud.com