Senate concurs with House amendment to S.163, expands hospital admitting role for APRNs and physician assistants

The Senate on Wednesday agreed to the Houses proposed amendment to S.163, a bill senators said clarifies the scope of practice for advanced clinicians in hospitals. The chamber concurred in the amendment by voice vote.

Senator from Chittenden, speaking for the Health and Welfare committee, said the change "validat[es] the role of APRNs in their independence" and noted the amendment "has added in physician assistants that when they are in the hospital ... they may admit and assume a primary role in caring for patients." The senator asked the full Senate to concur with the House proposal, and the presiding officer put the question; senators responded in the affirmative.

Supporters framed the amendment as formalizing clinical authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants when practicing in hospital settings, allowing them to admit patients and take primary responsibility for care in those circumstances. The committee review that preceded the floor action recommended concurrence in the amendment as received from the House.

The concurrence was recorded as a voice vote; the presiding officer declared "the ayes have it" and the Senate concurred in the House amendment. The amendment and the concurrence do not, in the transcript, specify implementation details such as regulatory rules or effective dates.

Next steps: The Senate will reconvene at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, 04/23/2026. The transcript does not record further floor action on S.163 or the text of administrative or regulatory steps required to implement the change.