Senate bill would bar non-competes for advanced practice nurses; committee asks for separate bill on consolidating RN/APRN licensing

A bill to make non-compete provisions unenforceable for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) moved through the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee after witnesses and sponsors said the measure would align protections granted RNs with nurse practitioners and other APRNs.

Senator Suprentiss introduced the bill as a technical fix to ensure APRNs receive the same non-compete protections already in place for registered nurses. Kim Mohan of the New Hampshire Nurse Practitioners Association told the committee the bill would cover all APRNs including nurse anesthetists, midwives and certified nurse specialists, and that the language mirrors the existing registered-nurse non-compete law.

Committee members raised broader questions about licensing structure. Several lawmakers asked whether New Hampshire could consolidate RN and APRN licensing into a single credential. Mohan said APRNs hold both RN and APRN credentials because statute requires both; she supported examining consolidation but recommended separate legislative work to address that distinct change.

Committee members agreed to keep the APRN non-compete language separate from any broader licensing overhaul. Representative DeVries moved and the committee approved advancing the APRN non-compete bill with a recommendation that staff and stakeholders pursue a separate amendment or bill to study consolidating RN/APRN licensure in the future.

Supporters argued the change would help retain the nursing workforce and remove contractual friction in recruiting. Former county official Brian Chiricello and others testified in support, citing workforce shortages and the administrative burden of non-compete provisions. The committee did not report a fiscal impact.