Kansas Enacts Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC)

CHICAGO, April 12, 2018 -- Kansas has become the 30^th member of the eNLC with the signing of the bill by Gov. Jeff Colyer, on April 10, 2018. The eNLC was implemented Jan. 19, 2018, in the existing 29* states. Kansas’ eNLC implementation date is July 1, 2019.

“Kansas is pleased to be the 30^th state to pass legislation to join the eNLC. The Kansas Board of Nursing is committed to working toward a smooth implementation for nurses, employers and citizens of Kansas,” comments Carol Moreland, MSN, RN, executive administrator, Kansas State Board of Nursing.

The eNLC allows for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs) to have one multistate license, with the ability to practice in person or via telehealth in both their home state and other eNLC states. Licensing standards are aligned in eNLC states so all nurses applying for a multistate license are required to meet the same standards, which include a federal and state criminal background check that will be conducted for all applicants for multistate licensure.

The eNLC also enables nurses to provide telehealth nursing services to patients located in other eNLC states without having to obtain additional licenses. In the event of a disaster, nurses from multiple states can easily respond to supply vital services. Additionally, almost every nurse, including primary care nurses, case managers, transport nurses, school and hospice nurses, among many others, needs to routinely cross state boundaries to provide the public with access to nursing services, and a multistate license facilitates this process.

Boards of nursing (BONs) were the first health care provider regulatory bodies to develop a model for interstate practice with the original adoption of the NLC in 1997 and its implementation in 2000. While other health care provider regulatory bodies are just getting started in this process, the NLC has been operational and successful for more than 15 years.

Additional information about the eNLC can be found at https://www.ncsbn.org/enhanced-nlc-implementation.htm. For the latest information, follow the eNLC on Twitter or Facebook

About The Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA) 
The commission is a quasi-governmental and joint public agency of the party states created and established on July 20, 2017.  The commission is the governing body of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The NLC was originally adopted in 1997 and a comprehensively updated version was adopted in 2015 to supersede it. Demonstrating leadership in innovation, nursing is the first licensed health care profession to develop an interstate compact for multistate licensure. The purpose of the commission is to facilitate the states’ responsibility to protect the public as well as the exchange of information between party states, hallmarks of the mutual recognition model of licensure. Through this model, multistate licensure enables interstate practice by nurses who meet uniform licensure requirements.

About NCSBN
NCSBN marks its 40th anniversary milestone in 2018 with the inspiring theme of “Regulatory Excellence Surging Toward the Future.” Founded March 15, 1978, as an independent not-for-profit organization, NCSBN was initially created to lessen the burdens of state governments and bring together BONs to act and counsel together on matters of common interest. It has evolved into one of the leading voices of regulation across the world.

NCSBN’s membership is comprised of the BONs in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories — American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. There are also 30 associate members that are either nursing regulatory bodies or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories.

NCSBN Member Boards protect the public by ensuring that safe and competent nursing care is provided by licensed nurses. These BONs regulate more than 4.8 million licensed nurses.

Mission: NCSBN provides education, service and research through collaborative leadership to promote evidence-based regulatory excellence for patient safety and public protection.

The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not the individual member state or territorial boards of nursing.

*Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Contact: Dawn M. Kappel
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