Legislative Updates – Kentucky Organization of Nurse Leaders

Below is a list of issues the Kentucky Nurses Association supports and proposed bills, click on the bill name to go to the webpage.

1) SB 91: Evacuation of Surgical Smoke

Sen. Julie Raque Adams

Operating room nurses, health care providers and surgical patients are often exposed to surgical smoke during surgery. This bill requires a workplace safety initiative to ensure a smoke evacuation system is in place during surgical procedures.

2) HB 286: Removes the Collaborative Agreement for Prescriptive Authority for Controlled Substances (CAPA-CS) for APRNs after 4 years of prescribing controlled substances with a CAPA-CS

Rep. Russell Webber & Rep. Terri Branham Clark

This will help remove barriers to care, allowing NPs to practice in underserved communities and to practice to the full extent of their education and training.

3) SB 56: Prohibiting Sale of Tobacco to Youth Under 21

Sen. Alvarado

This bill ensures that purchasers of tobacco products are at least 21 years old, matching recent federal law. This legislation will help curb teen and youth tobacco use and improve the health of residents of the Commonwealth.

4) HB 199 & SB 85: Ban Conversion Therapy

Rep. Lisa Willner & Sen Alice Forgy Kerr
These bills demonstrate that conversion therapy is harmful to children and youth and requires licensure board disciplinary action for practitioners providing such therapy to individuals under 18 years of age.

Additional topics of support include:

Increase Access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE)
Possible Sponsor: Rep. Stevenson

This initiative will emphasize the requirement for all hospitals to provide victims access to SANEs. Access to these specialized nurses is scarce in some regions and therefore, care can be compromised.

School Nurse in Every School, Every Day, All Day

Requesting $2.5 million be added to the budget to obtain and educate school nurses throughout Kentucky based on evidence of need. When speaking with your legislators about this issue, please provide them with the School Nurse Initiative Funding Options handout. This document provides funding options for the School Nurse Initiative.