(a)  Upon application for a license, the licensing board in a party state shall ascertain, through the coordinated licensure information system, whether the applicant has ever held, or is the holder of, a license issued by any other state, whether there are any restrictions on the multistate licensure privilege, and whether any other adverse action by any state has been taken against the license.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-6

  • Adverse action: means a home or remote state action. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • Coordinated licensure information system: means an integrated process for collecting, storing, and sharing information on nurse licensure and enforcement activities related to nurse licensure laws, which is administered by a nonprofit organization composed of and controlled by state nurse licensing boards. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Home state: means the party state which is the nurse's primary state of residence. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • Licensing board: means a party state's regulatory body responsible for issuing nurse licenses. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • Multistate licensure privilege: means current, official authority from a remote state permitting the practice of nursing as either a registered nurse or a licensed practical/vocational nurse in such party state. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • Nurse: means a registered nurse or licensed practical/vocational nurse, as those terms are defined by each party's state practice laws. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • Party state: means any state that has adopted this compact. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • State: means a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4

(b)  A nurse in a party state shall hold licensure in only one party state at a time, issued by the home state.

(c)  A nurse who intends to change primary state of residence may apply for licensure in the new home state in advance of such change. However, new licenses will not be issued by a party state until after a nurse provides evidence of change in primary state of residence satisfactory to the new home state’s licensing board.

(d)  When a nurse changes primary state of residence by;

(1)  Moving between two party states, and obtains a license from the new home state, the license from the former home state is no longer valid;

(2)  Moving from a non-party state to a party state, and obtains a license from the new home state, the individual state license issued by the non-party state is not affected and will remain in full force if so provided by the laws of the non-party state;

(3)  Moving from a party state to a non-party state, the license issued by the prior home state converts to an individual state license, valid only in the former home state, without the multistate licensure privilege to practice in other party states.

History of Section.
P.L. 2007, ch. 50, § 2; P.L. 2007, ch. 62, § 2.