Senate committee advances bill clarifying LPN role in delegated nursing assessments

The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday voted to send House Bill 89 to the Senate floor with a "do pass" recommendation, advancing a measure Representative Healy said clarifies how licensed practical nurses (LPNs) may participate in delegated nursing assessments.

Representative Healy told the committee HB 89 replaces an ambiguous phrase—"contributing to" an assessment—with language that permits registered nurses (RNs) to assign LPNs to "perform appropriate delegated focused assessments." "So it came to our attention that contributing really isn't, they can't ask them to contribute. It's very arbitrary," Healy said.

The bill’s sponsor said the change is a cleanup to align statute with IDAPA rules, which use the term "assess" rather than "contribute." Healy framed the change as clarifying delegation: an RN can "give them a specific list. Here's what I would ask you to do to help me with this assessment. Can you go in and do X, Y, and Z?" He added that adding the words "appropriate" and "focused" was requested by a nursing group to ensure tasks remained within the RN's purview.

Senator Brandon Shippey asked whether the bill’s phrase "performing appropriate delegated focused assessments" differs in practice from the statement of purpose language "performing delegated assessments." Healy replied that there is no practical difference beyond emphasis: "Focused means just, again, that list, and delegated is also. So the appropriate delegated, focused, with some verbiage. You're right. I guess I should have cleaned up the statement of purpose."

Senator Blaylock moved the committee recommendation to send HB 89 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; Senator Wintrow seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote.

The measure, as discussed in committee, changes statutory wording to reflect delegation practices used in clinical settings and to conform statutory language with existing administrative (IDAPA) rules. Committee debate was brief and focused on wording and scope-of-practice safeguards; no amendments or opposing testimony were recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 89 — Moved by Senator Blaylock, seconded by Senator Wintrow; outcome: committee "do pass" recommendation approved by voice vote (exact tally not recorded in the hearing transcript).

Representative Healy said the intent of the bill is to "keep patients safe and keep everybody working within their scope, enhancing teams in the medical practice," and that the change was intended to make delegation clearer for RNs and LPNs in settings such as assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

The bill will proceed to the full Senate for further consideration.