H. B. 2696
(By Delegates Staggers, Azinger and Louisos)
[Introduced February 20, 2009; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §30-7-6 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to authorizing persons who are
emergency medical technician-paramedics with a minimum of five
years active service in West Virginia who are also licensed as
practical nurses to apply to obtain a license to practice
registered professional nursing.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §30-7-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 7. REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL NURSES.
§30-7-6. Qualifications; licensure; fees; temporary permits.
To obtain a license to practice registered professional
nursing, an applicant for such license shall submit to the board
written evidence, verified by oath, that he or she: (a) Is of good
moral character; (b) has completed an approved four-year high school course of study or the equivalent thereof, as determined by
the appropriate educational agency; and (c) has completed an
accredited program of registered professional nursing education and
holds a diploma of a school accredited by the board;
or is an
emergency medical technician-paramedic
as defined and certified
under the provisions of sections three and eight, article four-c,
chapter sixteen of this code (known as the Emergency Medical
Services Act) and a licensed practical nurse licensed under the
provisions of article seven-a of this chapter, who has a minimum of
five years service as an active paramedic with an agency in the
State of West Virginia and a current paramedic certification.
The applicant shall also be required to pass a written
examination in such subjects as the board may determine. Each
written examination may be supplemented by an oral examination.
Upon successfully passing such examination or examinations, the
board shall issue to the applicant a license to practice registered
professional nursing. The board shall determine the times and
places for examinations. In the event an applicant shall have
failed to pass examinations on two occasions, the applicant shall,
in addition to the other requirements of this section, present to
the board such other evidence of his or her qualifications as the
board may prescribe.
The board may, upon application, issue a license to practice
registered professional nursing by endorsement to an applicant who has been duly licensed as a registered professional nurse under the
laws of another state, territory or foreign country if in the
opinion of the board the applicant meets the qualifications
required of registered professional nurses at the time of
graduation.
The board may, upon application and proper identification
determined by the board, issue a temporary permit to practice
registered professional nursing by endorsement to an applicant who
has been duly licensed as a registered professional nurse under the
laws of another state, territory or foreign country. Such
temporary permit authorizes the holder to practice registered
professional nursing in this state while the temporary permit is
effective. A temporary permit shall be effective for ninety days,
unless the board revokes such permit prior to its expiration, and
such permit may not be renewed. Any person applying for a
temporary license under the provisions of this paragraph shall,
with his or her application, pay to the board a nonrefundable fee
of ten dollars.
Any person holding a valid license designated as a "waiver
license" may submit an application to the board for a license
containing no reference to the fact that such person has
theretofore been issued such "waiver license." The provisions of
this section relating to examination and fees and the provisions of
all other sections of this article shall apply to any application submitted to the board pursuant to the provisions of this
paragraph.
Any person applying for a license to practice registered
professional nursing under the provisions of this article shall,
with his or her application, pay to the board a fee of forty
dollars: Provided,
That the fee to be paid for the year
commencing July 1, 1989, shall be seventy dollars: Provided,
however,
That the board in its discretion may, by rule or
regulation, decrease either or both said license fees. In the
event it shall be necessary for the board to reexamine any
applicant for a license, an additional fee shall be paid to the
board by the applicant for reexamination: Provided further,
That
the total of such additional fees shall in no case exceed one
hundred dollars for any one examination.
Any person holding a license heretofore issued by the West
Virginia state board of examiners for registered nurses and which
license is valid on the date this article becomes effective shall
be deemed to be duly licensed under the provisions of this article
for the remainder of the period of any such license heretofore
issued. Any such license heretofore issued shall also, for all
purposes, be deemed to be a license issued under this article and
to be subject to the provisions hereof.
The board shall, upon receipt of a duly executed application
for licensure and of the accompanying fee of seventy dollars, issue a temporary permit to practice registered professional nursing to
any applicant who has received a diploma from a school of nursing
approved by the board pursuant to this article after the date the
board last scheduled a written examination for persons eligible for
licensure: Provided,
That no such temporary permit shall be
renewable nor shall any such permit be valid for any purpose
subsequent to the date the board has announced the results of the
first written examination given by the board following the issuance
of such permit.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize persons who are
emergency medical technician-paramedics with a minimum of five
years active service in West Virginia, who are also licensed as
practical nurses to apply to obtain a license to practice
registered professional nursing.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.