Legislation Will Put Pennsylvania in Interstate Licensing Compacts

Legislation addressing worker shortages in healthcare and facilitating Pennsylvania’s entry into interstate compacts has been sent to Gov. Josh Shapiro to be signed into law. Sponsored by Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, HB 2200 enables interstate licensing compacts to become operational. The legislation requires applicants in healthcare professions to submit fingerprints as part of their criminal history records check and lays out the process that Pennsylvania State Police and state licensing boards must follow in considering them. The change in law allows licensees to practice in other participating states with just one license. Without the fingerprinting process in place, previous efforts to implement the compacts were unsuccessful.