HB 588 — An Act amending the act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), known as The Professional Nursing Law, further providing for continuing nursing education.

PRINTER'S NO.   597

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 588
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY KHAN, ORTITAY, KOSIEROWSKI, MARCELL, MUNROE, PUGH,
        McNEILL, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL, FREEMAN, GUENST, HADDOCK,
        HANBIDGE, PROBST, KENYATTA, CERRATO, KAZEEM, CIRESI, CEPEDA-
        FREYTIZ, BOROWSKI, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, HOHENSTEIN, PICKETT,
        D. WILLIAMS, NEILSON, STEELE, GREEN, DALEY AND MAYES,
        FEBRUARY 12, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
        FEBRUARY 12, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the practice of professional nursing;
 3      providing for the licensing of nurses and for the revocation
 4      and suspension of such licenses, subject to appeal, and for
 5      their reinstatement; providing for the renewal of such
 6      licenses; regulating nursing in general; prescribing
 7      penalties and repealing certain laws," further providing for
 8      continuing nursing education.
 9      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10   hereby enacts as follows:
11      Section 1.    Section 12.1(b) of the act of May 22, 1951
12   (P.L.317, No.69), known as The Professional Nursing Law, is
13   amended to read:
14      Section 12.1.    Continuing Nursing Education.--* * *
15      (b)   Beginning with the license period designated by
16   regulation, licensees shall be required to attend and complete
17   thirty (30) hours of mandatory continuing education during each
18   two-year license period. Nationally certified education courses
 1   shall be considered as creditable, in addition to any other
 2   courses the board deems creditable toward meeting the
 3   requirements for continuing education. Continuing education in
 4   older adult abuse recognition and reporting is required as
 5   follows:
 6      (1)     A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse seeking
 7   licensure renewal shall complete one (1) hour of the Board-
 8   approved mandatory thirty (30) hours of continuing education
 9   during the biennial period immediately preceding the application
10   for renewal in accordance with this section in older adult abuse
11   recognition and reporting, including, but not limited to,
12   recognition of the signs of older adult abuse and the reporting
13   requirements for suspected older adult abuse in this
14   Commonwealth. Continuing education under this paragraph shall be
15   approved by the department. The following apply to training
16   required under this paragraph:
17      (i)     The Board may not renew a license of a registered nurse
18   or licensed practical nurse who fails to verify compliance with
19   this requirement. A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse
20   whose license is not renewed by the expiration date of the
21   biennial period may not engage in the practice of professional
22   nursing until the older adult abuse continuing education
23   requirement is satisfied and the license has been renewed,
24   reinstated or reactivated.
25      (ii)    An applicant applying for initial licensure in this
26   Commonwealth shall not be required to meet the continuing
27   education requirement in this subsection on the first renewal
28   immediately following licensure, except for mandatory continuing
29   education in older adult abuse recognition and reporting
30   required under this subsection.

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 1      (iii)   The Board may perform audits on registered nurses or
 2   licensed practical nurses to determine compliance with the older
 3   adult abuse continuing education requirements. A registered
 4   nurse or licensed practical nurse shall retain documentation of
 5   the registered nurse's or licensed practical nurse's completion
 6   of older adult abuse continuing education for at least five (5)
 7   years. A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse shall
 8   comply with a request for submission of documents verifying the
 9   registered nurse's or licensed practical nurse's completion of
10   older adult abuse continuing education. For attendance at
11   continuing education programs or courses, the registered nurse
12   or licensed practical nurse shall retain the certificate of
13   attendance provided by the program or course provider and submit
14   the same to the Board upon request.
15      (iv)    A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse seeking
16   to reinstate a lapsed license or reactivate an inactive license
17   shall file an application for reinstatement or reactivation and
18   submit, or cause to be submitted, documentation to demonstrate
19   that the licensee completed the hour required in approved older
20   adult abuse recognition and reporting within the biennial period
21   immediately preceding application.
22      (v)    A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse seeking
23   to reinstate a suspended license shall submit, or cause to be
24   submitted, documentation to demonstrate that the registered
25   nurse or licensed practical nurse completed the hour in approved
26   older adult abuse recognition and reporting within the biennial
27   period immediately preceding application for reinstatement.
28      (vi)    Older adult abuse continuing education hours may not be
29   carried over from one biennial renewal period to the next.
30      (vii)   A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse may

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 1   request a waiver of the older adult abuse continuing education
 2   requirement because of serious illness, military service or
 3   other demonstrated hardship. The registered nurse or licensed
 4   practical nurse shall submit the request and any supporting
 5   documentation to the Board in writing at least ninety (90) days
 6   prior to the registered nurse's or licensed practical nurse's
 7   license expiration date unless an emergency or hardship occurs
 8   within the ninety-day period. The Board shall grant, deny or
 9   grant in part the request for waiver.
10      (viii)   (A)   Failure to complete the one-hour continuing
11   education requirement on older adult abuse in accordance with
12   this subsection shall be subject to the registered nurse or
13   licensed practical nurse discipline under section 13(b) in
14   accordance with the schedule of civil penalties in 49 Pa. Code §
15   43b.18a (relating to schedule of civil penalties-nurses). A
16   second or subsequent violation shall subject the registered
17   nurse or licensed practical nurse to discipline under section
18   14(a)(3).
19      (B)   A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse who has
20   not completed the mandatory hour of older adult abuse continuing
21   education shall make up the deficiency within six (6) months of
22   receiving notice of the deficiency.
23      (C)   Notwithstanding any civil penalty assessed under clause
24   (A), failure to provide the Board with documentation
25   demonstrating the completion of one (1) hour of older adult
26   abuse continuing education within six (6) months after receiving
27   notice of a deficiency shall subject the registered nurse or
28   licensed practical nurse to discipline under section 14(a)(3).
29      (D)   Failure to comply with an audit request for older adult
30   abuse continuing education documentation may subject a

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1   registered nurse or licensed practical nurse to additional
2   discipline under section 14(a)(4)(i).
3      (2)   (Reserved).
4      * * *
5      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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