45:11-48.1 Findings, declarations.
1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Advanced practice nurses are registered nurses who are certified to provide an advanced level of health care to patients that exceeds the standard scope of nursing practice. b. Advanced practice nurses augment the system of care in New Jersey and nationwide by providing treatment services at a level that can relieve some of the demand on physicians, of whom there is a chronic shortage, and expedite access to care for patients, including those in medically underserved areas and among medically underserved populations. c. Studies suggest that approximately one quarter of the population of the United States lives in an area with a shortage of primary care professionals. Limited access to care is frequently worse among racial and ethnic minorities, people with low incomes, and individuals for whom a lack of transportation creates logistical barriers to health care. d. One way to reduce gaps in health care access is to allow full practice authority for advanced practice nurses, over 75 percent of whom are educated in a primary care specialty and can directly improve access to both primary care services and specialty care services. e. As of March 2026, 27 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories have adopted full practice authority for advanced practice nurses. The requirement to practice in collaboration with a physician limits the ability of advanced practice nurses to provide primary care and specialty care services and has been associated with advanced practice nurses leaving New Jersey for other jurisdictions with fewer practice restrictions. f. It has been estimated that removing practice restrictions for advanced practice nurses has the potential to reduce health care access disparities by a factor of more than 38 percent. g. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Governor Murphy issued Executive Order No. 112 (2020), which, among other things, directly and through waivers issued pursuant to its authority, waived existing practice restrictions for advanced practice nurses, including joint protocol and supervision requirements. h. According to surveys, over 45 percent of advanced practice nurses in New Jersey reported working without practice restrictions as authorized under Executive Order No. 112 (2020) and the waivers issued pursuant to the executive order. No adverse incidents were reported during the waiver period involving advanced practice nurses practicing without practice restrictions. i. Given the need for expanded access to care, it is necessary and appropriate to take steps to remove practice restrictions that serve as a barrier for advanced practice nurses to practice in New Jersey in certain healthcare settings to the full extent of their education, clinical training, and national certification. L.2026, c.6, s.1.