Review urges neutral, data‑driven process for scope‑of‑practice changes; recommends experience floor for APRNs

The Office of Professional Licensure Review (OPLR) briefed the Business and Labor Interim Committee on Aug. 20 with recommendations to streamline scope‑of‑practice decisions and to adjust several health occupations’ regulatory models. Jeff Shumway, director of OPLR, joined by policy analyst Jordan Geege, said the office applied statutory criteria — safety, access and affordability — to evaluate nursing and allied‑health occupations.

OPLR proposed a prespecified, neutral review pathway for scope‑of‑practice changes. Under that model, requests for expanded practice would be evaluated against objective criteria (such as demonstrated safety, patient benefit, and industry need) by a neutral technical panel; promising proposals could be piloted in an existing regulatory sandbox before going to the Legislature. Shumway said the change aims to reduce time‑consuming, adversarial, one‑off legislative fights and to produce evidence‑informed bills.

For speech and hearing occupations (audiologists, speech‑language pathologists…