So Much For Michigan Becoming Compact

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

Michigan HB4042 Bill has been vetoed. That is very discouraging. 

www.billtrack50.com/BillDetail/1017440 does not load

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/billanalysis/Senate/htm/2019-SFA-4042-F.htm

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This is such a letdown. My work requires that I have a compact license, and I had been planning to move to Michigan once the bill was enacted. 

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Specializes in school nurse.
45 minutes ago, KrysyRN said:

This is such a letdown. My work requires that I have a compact license, and I had been planning to move to Michigan once the bill was enacted. 

Are there obstacles preventing you from getting the specific state license? (Years ago when I moved to DC from MA, I ended up having DC, MA, MD and VA licenses for maximum flexibility.)

It does end up costing some $$$...

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

I can understand Michigan shooting this down because our legislature is truly awful - penny wise, pound foolish.  I don't know why they can't charge the nurse an "administrative fee"and get on with it.  But I have always wondered why nurses are opposed to their state becoming a compact.  In olden times, states had different standards for board scores - OK, I get that one.  But I don't know if that is still true.  Why don't we have a centralized credentialing center at this time?  Every time a nurse applied to have a credentialing package mailed, they would have to pay a fee.  Yeah, I get it.  It would be so much WORK:)  Of course, my board score was high enough that I could work in any state, but others may feel differently about that.  

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
51 minutes ago, subee said:

I can understand Michigan shooting this down because our legislature is truly awful - penny wise, pound foolish.  I don't know why they can't charge the nurse an "administrative fee"and get on with it.  But I have always wondered why nurses are opposed to their state becoming a compact.  In olden times, states had different standards for board scores - OK, I get that one.  But I don't know if that is still true.  Why don't we have a centralized credentialing center at this time?  Every time a nurse applied to have a credentialing package mailed, they would have to pay a fee.  Yeah, I get it.  It would be so much WORK:)  Of course, my board score was high enough that I could work in any state, but others may feel differently about that.  

I no longer remember what I made, only that the computer shut off pretty early and I nearly choked. But - you are right on about credentialing. Given that there are no legitimate nursing shortages in North Texas (we just have a  shortage of hospitals willing to adequately train new or newish nurses) and there are legitimate shortages in other states - the compact may be the difference between getting staffing and not getting staffing. Does MI turn out so many new nurses that they can afford not to be part of the compact?

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2 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Are there obstacles preventing you from getting the specific state license? (Years ago when I moved to DC from MA, I ended up having DC, MA, MD and VA licenses for maximum flexibility.)

It does end up costing some $$$...

So true.. It does get very expensive. I have a MI license. The obstacle is that I'm required to have a compact license for my job and would lose compact privileges if I moved to MI. I feel so foolish for not taking into consideration this bill might get vetoed. 

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
5 hours ago, ruby_jane said:

I no longer remember what I made, only that the computer shut off pretty early and I nearly choked. But - you are right on about credentialing. Given that there are no legitimate nursing shortages in North Texas (we just have a  shortage of hospitals willing to adequately train new or newish nurses) and there are legitimate shortages in other states - the compact may be the difference between getting staffing and not getting staffing. Does MI turn out so many new nurses that they can afford not to be part of the compact?

AND, one could think that we might have another pandemic in the future and it would be smoother if we already had nurses  from out of state in the Michigan system that could be put to use quickly, it should save a lot of heartache for everyone.  Like I said; our legislature is the worst.

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Pretty confused about why the Michigan Nurse Licensure Compact bill was vetoed by the governor. Thankfully many other states  are moving forward with compact legislation. Oregon and Alaska both have new bills; Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Vermont should join soon. In the next few years, almost all of the states will be members. Hopefully someone in the Michigan Legislature will introduce a new compact bill, and the governor will sign it. As more states join the compact, more nurses will realize how beneficial a compact license is to their professional practice. To all of the Michigan nurses who support the compact: let your legislators, the governor, and your State Board of Nursing directors know how you feel. Good Luck!!!

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
18 hours ago, Epidural said:

Pretty confused about why the Michigan Nurse Licensure Compact bill was vetoed by the governor. Thankfully many other states  are moving forward with compact legislation. Oregon and Alaska both have new bills; Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Vermont should join soon. In the next few years, almost all of the states will be members. Hopefully someone in the Michigan Legislature will introduce a new compact bill, and the governor will sign it. As more states join the compact, more nurses will realize how beneficial a compact license is to their professional practice. To all of the Michigan nurses who support the compact: let your legislators, the governor, and your State Board of Nursing directors know how you feel. Good Luck!

It was vetoed because legislators believed it would be too expensive for the state to administer.  That's why we need centralized credentialing.

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Specializes in school nurse.
On 1/13/2021 at 12:00 PM, KrysyRN said:

So true.. It does get very expensive. I have a MI license. The obstacle is that I'm required to have a compact license for my job and would lose compact privileges if I moved to MI. I feel so foolish for not taking into consideration this bill might get vetoed. 

So you can't have a compact state license and a license from a non-compact state? re: the compact requirement- How many states are you expected to be able to practice in?

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9 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

So you can't have a compact state license and a license from a non-compact state? re: the compact requirement- How many states are you expected to be able to practice in?

I work from home and have a telehealth position, so I have to be able to service all 50 states. Right now I have a compact license and 17 individual licenses from the noncompact states. 

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed the Nurse Licensure Compact because it wouldn't allow Michigan "to set the standard of care required of nurses"-according to the letter she sent out on 12-30-20. It is my understanding that a nurse practicing under a compact license must follow the "Nurse Practice Acts" of the state that her patient is in, not the state where she legally resides.

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