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Committee hears bill to let nurse anesthetists prescribe drugs; medical society warns of training gap
Summary
The House Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony on Senate substitute for SB67, which would allow certified registered nurse anesthetists to prescribe, procure and administer drugs consistent with their education; supporters said the change would expand access in rural hospitals while physicians’ groups urged caution and stricter limits.
The House Committee on Health and Human Services took testimony on a Senate substitute for Senate Bill 67, a proposal to authorize registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) to prescribe, procure and administer certain drugs and durable medical equipment consistent with their education and qualifications. Committee staff Carly summarized the bill and said the measure passed the Senate 36‑4 and would take effect July 1, 2025, upon publication in the statute book.
Supporters described workforce and access benefits. Kelly Hutton Gordon, president‑elect of the Kansas Association of Nurse Anesthetists and a practicing CRNA for more than two decades, told the committee that CRNAs perform lifesaving procedures in rural Kansas and that “CRNAs provide 85% of solo practice across the state of Kansas in these rural hospitals.” She said federal guidance and peer‑reviewed studies support CRNA safety and urged the panel to modernize state statutes so CRNAs can practice to the full extent of their training.
William Wilkes, senior director of government affairs for the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, said the bill would remove regulatory barriers that limit access to timely care and increase competition in the health‑care marketplace.
The Kansas Medical Society opposed the bill as drafted. Rochelle Colombo, the society’s executive director, said the original version would have “completely undone the CRNA Practice Act” and that differences in training between CRNAs and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) matter when they perform medical tasks such as diagnosing and prescribing. Colombo noted that the 2022 legislature extended limited prescriptive authority to other APRNs, and she warned that practice beyond the statutory scope has already occurred in some settings.
Committee members questioned how the bill interacts with current practice and supervision models. Representative Opeza asked whether language on anesthetic agents and exceptions was clear; staff explained that subsection (a) authorizes anesthesia care as specified while subsection (b) cross‑references controlled‑substance registration and federal DEA requirements. Representative Lehi and others noted that physician oversight in many rural settings takes the form of collaborative agreements rather than continuous on‑site supervision.
No committee vote was recorded during the hearing. Members asked staff to consider amendments and asked proponents and opponents to confer on language about limits (for example, a prohibition on prescribing drugs for abortion that appears in the bill), DEA registration requirements to prescribe controlled substances, and safeguards to protect patient safety while improving access in rural hospitals.
