New Hampshire SB 425: adopting the physician associate licensure compact.

Bill Text

SB 425 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

03/05/2026 0840s

2026 SESSION

 26-2253

 06/08

SENATE BILL 425

AN ACT adopting the physician associate licensure compact.

SPONSORS: Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Rep. Edwards, Rock. 31

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill adopts the PA licensure compact.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03/05/2026 0840s 26-2253

 06/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT adopting the physician associate licensure compact.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Section; Physician Associates; Physician Associate Licensure Compact Adopted. Amend RSA 328-D by inserting after section 18 the following new section: 

 328-D:18-a Physician Associate Licensure Compact Adopted. The state of New Hampshire hereby adopts the provisions of the physician associate licensure compact as follows: 

 Section 1. Purpose.

 In order to strengthen access to medical services, and in recognition of the advances in the delivery of medical services, the participating states of the PA licensure compact have allied in common purpose to develop a comprehensive process that complements the existing authority of state licensing boards to license and discipline PAs and seeks to enhance the portability of a license to practice as a PA while safeguarding the safety of patients. This compact allows medical services to be provided by PAs, via the mutual recognition of the licensee’s qualifying license by other compact participating states. This compact also adopts the prevailing standard for PA licensure and affirms that the practice and delivery of medical services by the PA occurs where the patient is located at the time of the patient encounter, and therefore requires the PA to be under the jurisdiction of the state licensing board where the patient is located. State licensing boards that participate in this compact retain the jurisdiction to impose adverse action against a compact privilege in that state issued to a PA through the procedures of this compact. The PA licensure compact will alleviate burdens for military families by allowing active duty military personnel and their spouses to obtain a compact privilege based on having an unrestricted license in good standing from a participating state.

 Section 2. Definitions.

 In this compact: 

 A. “Adverse action” means any administrative, civil, equitable, or criminal action permitted by a state’s laws which is imposed by a licensing board or other authority against a PA license or license application or compact privilege such as license denial, censure, revocation, suspension, probation, monitoring of the licensee, or restriction on the licensee’s practice.

 B. “Compact privilege” means the authorization granted by a remote state to allow a licensee from another participating state to practice as a PA to provide medical services and other licensed activity to a patient located in the remote state under the remote state’s laws and regulations.

 C. “Conviction” means a finding by a court that an individual is guilty of a felony or misdemeanor offense through adjudication or entry of a plea of guilt or no contest to the charge by the offender.

 D. “Criminal background check” means the submission of fingerprints or other biometric based information for a license applicant for the purpose of obtaining that applicant’s criminal history record information, as defined in 28 C.F.R. § 20.3(d), from the state’s criminal history record repository as defined in 28 C.F.R. § 20.3(f).

 E. “Data system” means the repository of information about licensees, including but not limited to license status and adverse actions, which is created and administered under the terms of this compact.

 F. “Executive committee” means a group of directors and ex-officio individuals elected or appointed pursuant to Section 7.F.2.

 G. “Impaired practitioner” means a PA whose practice is adversely affected by health related condition(s) that impact their ability to practice.

 H. “Investigative information” means information, records, or documents received or generated by a licensing board pursuant to an investigation.

 I. “Jurisprudence requirement” means the assessment of an individual’s knowledge of the law