Read the full stored bill text
S3514
SENATE, No. 3514
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 12, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes timelines for application review process
for certain credentials issued by New Jersey Board of Nursing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning application approval for certain
nursing professions and amending P.L.1947, c.262.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.1947,
c.262 (C.45:11-24) is amended to read as follows:
���� 2.��� a.� The board;
appointment; terms. In addition to the members appointed to represent the
interests of the public pursuant to P.L.1971, c.60 (C.45:1-2.1 et seq.), the
New Jersey Board of Nursing shall consist of 12 members, six of whom shall be
registered professional nurses, two of whom shall be licensed practical nurses,
two of whom shall be nurse educators, one of whom shall be an advanced practice
nurse, and one of whom shall be an additional public member, all to be
appointed by the Governor. Appointments to the board shall be for terms of five
years or for the unexpired portion of a term in the case of a vacancy for any
cause within a term, and until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.�
In making appointments the Governor shall give due consideration to, but shall
not be bound by, recommendations submitted by the various nurses' professional
associations of this State.� Upon notice and hearing, the Governor may remove
from office any member of the board for neglect of duty, incompetency, unprofessional
or dishonorable conduct.
���� b.��� Qualifications for
appointment.� The advanced practice nurse member shall be a resident of this
State, shall be a graduate of an accredited advanced practice nurse program,
shall have had at least five years' experience in professional nursing, shall
at the time of appointment be actively working as an advanced practice nurse,
and, except for the member first appointed, shall hold a certification as an
advanced practice nurse pursuant to P.L.1991, c.377 (C.45:11-45 et al.).� Each
registered professional nurse member of the board shall be a citizen of the
United States and a resident of this State; shall be a graduate of an
accredited school of nursing within the United States; shall be a registered
nurse in this State; shall have had at least five years' experience in
professional nursing following graduation from an accredited school of nursing;
and shall at the time of appointment be actively engaged in nursing or work
relating thereto.� The licensed practical nurse members of the board shall be
citizens of the United States and residents of this State; shall hold a valid
license to practice practical nursing in this State; shall have had at least
three years' experience in practical nursing; and shall at the time of
appointment be actively engaged in practical nursing or work related thereto.�
Each nurse educator member of the board shall be a resident of this State,
shall be a registered nurse in this State, shall have at least five years'
experience in professional nursing, and shall have been active as an educator
or administrator in an approved program to train registered nurses.
���� c.���� Oath or affirmation of
office.� Within 30 days after receipt of the commission, each appointee shall
take, subscribe and file in the office of the Secretary of State the oath or
affirmation prescribed by law.
���� d.��� Duties and powers.� The
board shall have the following duties and powers: (1) It shall hold annual
meetings and such other meetings as it may deem necessary at such times and
places as the board shall prescribe and a majority of the board including one officer
shall constitute a quorum.� (2) It shall elect from its members and prescribe
the duties of a president and secretary-treasurer, each of whom shall serve for
one year and until a successor is elected.� (3) It shall appoint and prescribe
the duties of an executive secretary to the board who need not be a member
thereof but who shall be a citizen of the United States, a graduate of a
college or university with a major in nursing education, a registered nurse of
this State with at least five years' experience in teaching or administration
or both in an accredited school of professional nursing, or have equivalent
qualifications as determined by the board. The executive secretary shall hold
office during the will and pleasure of the board.� (4) It shall employ and
prescribe the duties of such persons as in its judgment shall be necessary for
the proper performance and execution of the duties and powers of the board.�
(5) It shall determine and pay reasonable compensation and necessary expenses
of the executive secretary and all employees of the board.� (6) It shall pay to
each member of the board the compensation hereinafter provided.� (7) It shall
have a common seal, keep an official record of all its meetings, and through
its secretary-treasurer report annually to the Governor the work of the board.
(8) It shall examine applicants for a license or renewals thereof, issue,
renew, revoke and suspend licenses, as hereinafter provided.� (9) It shall in
its discretion investigate and prosecute all violations of provisions of this
act.� (10) It shall keep an official record which shall show the name, age,
nativity and permanent place of residence of each applicant and licensee and
such further information concerning each applicant and licensee as the board
shall deem advisable.� The record shall show also whether the applicant was
examined, licensed or rejected under this and any prior act.� Copies of any of
the entries of the record or of any certificate issued by the board may be
authenticated by any member of the board under its seal and when so
authenticated shall be evidence in all courts of this State of the same weight
and force as the original thereof.� For authenticating a copy of any entry or
entries contained in its record the board shall be paid a fee of $3.00, but
such authentication, if made at the request of any public agency of this or any
other jurisdiction, may be without fee. (11) In its discretion it may publish
at such times as it shall determine a list of nurses licensed under this act, a
list of schools of nursing accredited or approved under this act, and such
other information as it shall deem advisable. (12) It shall prescribe standards
and curricula for schools of nursing and evaluate and approve courses for
affiliation. (13) It shall hear and determine applications for accreditation of
schools of professional nursing, conduct investigations before and after
accreditation of such schools and institutions with which they are affiliated,
and issue, suspend or revoke certificates of accreditation as hereinafter
provided.� (14) It shall approve schools of practical nursing which shall
conform to the standards, curricula, and requirements prescribed by the board,
and suspend or revoke approval for violations thereof; provided, that this
power shall not extend to schools operated by any board of education in this
State.� (15) It may consult with the Medical Society of New Jersey and the New
Jersey Hospital Association with respect to any matter relating to the
administration of this act and shall consult with those associations with
respect to standards and curricula and any change thereof for schools of
nursing.� (16) It shall issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and
production of documents at any hearing before the board authorized by this act
and any member of the board shall administer an oath or affirmation to persons
appearing to give testimony at such hearings.� (17) It may conduct any
investigations, studies of nursing and nursing education and related matters,
and prepare and issue such publications as in the judgment of the board will
advance the profession of nursing and its service to the public. (18) It shall
perform all other functions which are provided in this act to be performed by
it or which in the judgment of the board are necessary or proper for the
administration of this act.� (19) It shall from time to time prescribe rules
and regulations not inconsistent with this act.� (20) It shall prescribe
standards and curricula for homemaker-home health aide education and training
programs which a homemaker-home health aide shall complete in order to work in
this State.� (21) It shall review applications to provide homemaker-home health
aide training programs and shall issue, suspend or revoke program approval.�
(22) It shall establish and maintain a registry of all individuals who have
successfully completed a homemaker-home health aide training and competency
evaluation program.� The board shall provide for the inclusion in the registry
of information about the disqualification of any person from certification as a
homemaker-home health aide pursuant to sections 7 through 13 of P.L.1997, c.100
(C.45:11-24.3 through 24.9), including the specific documented findings
constituting the basis for that disqualification; except that the information
shall indicate that the person was convicted of a crime or disorderly persons
offense as described in section 7 of P.L.1997, c.100 (C.45:11-24.3), but shall
not identify the conviction or convictions which constitute the basis for the
disqualification.� (23) It shall prescribe standards and requirements for a
competency evaluation program resulting in certification of the homemaker-home
health aide, and the renewal, revocation, and suspension of that certification.
(24) It shall review applications for homemaker home-health aide certification
and shall issue, suspend, revoke, or fail to renew certifications and conduct
investigations pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-14 et
seq.). (25) It shall require that nursing school curricula include, and shall
prescribe standards for, the training of registered professional nurses in the
supervision of, and the delegation of nursing tasks to, unlicensed assistive
personnel, and shall further prescribe standards establishing the criteria for determining
those tasks which registered professional nurses may delegate to unlicensed
assistive personnel working under their supervision and the type of supervision
required with respect to those personnel. (26) It shall prescribe standards and
requirements for unlicensed assistive personnel, including initial education
and continuing education and a competency evaluation program, which these
personnel shall satisfy in order to work in this State.� As used in this
paragraph and in paragraph (25) of this subsection, "unlicensed assistive
personnel" means any unlicensed or uncertified personnel employed by a
licensed health care facility that perform nursing tasks which do not require
the skill or judgment of a registered professional nurse and which are assigned
to them by, and carried out under the supervision of, a registered professional
nurse.� (27) It may require licensees to meet continuing education requirements
as a condition of relicensure.
���� e.���� Compensation.� Each
member of the board shall receive $15.00 per day for each day in which such
member is actually engaged in the discharge of duties and traveling and other
expenses necessarily incurred in the discharge of duties.
����
f.���� Upon receipt of an
application for initial licensure as a practical nurse or a registered
professional nurse or for initial certification as an advanced practice nurse,
the board shall, in the same form and manner in which an application was
received:
����
(1)�� issue a confirmation
to the applicant that the application was received;
����
(2)�� at 10 days after
receipt, send an update to the applicant on the status of the review of the
application; and
����
(3)�� at 30 days after
receipt, issue a final determination to the applicant of the application.
��
(cf: P.L.2017, c.125, s.1)
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the third month next after enactment and shall apply
to applications for initial licensure or certification received on or after
that date.
STATEMENT
����
���� This bill establishes certain
timelines to be followed by the New Jersey Board of Nursing for applications it
receives for initial licensure.� Specifically, upon receipt of an application
for initial licensure as a practical nurse or a registered professional nurse
or for initial certification as an advanced practice nurse, the board is to (1)
issue a confirmation to the applicant that the application was received; (2) at
10 days after receipt, send an update to the applicant on the status of the
review of the application; and (3) at 30 days after receipt, issue a final
determination to the applicant of the application.� These notifications are to
be sent in the same form and manner in which an application was received.