A bill to establish independence for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners passed a committee in the Florida House of Representatives Dec. 11, according to WGCU, the local NPR station.
The bill was presented by Rep. Cary Pigman, MD, R-Avon Park, an emergency medicine physician who wants to address physician shortages in the state, according to the report. He told the House Health Quality Subcommittee this is the 18th time he has presented this bill or a similar bill. However, WGCU notes that this time, the bill is a priority of the House Speaker.
Expanding the licensure of ARNPs still faces stiff opposition from physician groups in the state, as well as from the Senate, according to the report.
The bill was taken up by the Florida House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee on Dec. 18.
Read more here.
Editor's note: This story was updated on Dec. 19 at 10:15 a.m. CT.
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