Washington bill would bar nonhuman entities from using nursing titles
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Summary
Senate Bill 5904 would amend the Nurse Practice Act to reserve nursing titles (RN, NP/ARNP, LPN) for licensed human practitioners and require disclosure when AI/chatbots are interacting with patients. Supporters say it protects transparency; opponents did not appear in the hearing to contest the premise.
Sen. Bateman introduced Senate Bill 5904 on Feb. 20, saying the measure would require anyone claiming to be a nurse to be a licensed human nurse and would force companies using chatbots to tell users they are not speaking with a person. "We want to make sure that people have confidence in the health care system," Sen. Bateman said.
Committee staff summarized the bill as a companion to House Bill 2155 and noted it would restrict professional titles and abbreviations — including "registered nurse," "nurse practitioner/ARNP," and "licensed practical nurse/LPN" — to licensed humans and prohibit nonhuman entities from using associated words, letters or signs. Lisonbee Ryan, staff to the committee, told members the bill closes a clarity gap as AI tools proliferate in clinical settings.
Nursing advocates testified in support. Alex Knox, a nurse from Spokane representing the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), said the rapid adoption of AI in healthcare creates patient-safety risks and that reserving the title "nurse" for humans preserves transparency and accountability. "Nurses are human beings caring for other human beings," Knox said, adding that AI "cannot and must not replace the judgment, expertise and accountability" central to nursing.
Jessica Hoffe, WSNA director of government affairs, told the committee the bill does not block innovation but would require disclosure when an interaction is driven by technology: "The bill establishes that nursing titles may only be held or used by a licensed human person," Hoffe said. She said AI can be a helpful clinical support but cannot be held accountable when something goes wrong.
The committee did not take a vote on SB 5904 during the hearing. Staff and supporters presented the bill for consideration and the committee suspended the public hearing to proceed with other items.
Next steps: SB 5904 received public testimony and could return for further committee action; no executive decision was recorded during this meeting.