(a) Evidence of holding an active, unencumbered license.
(b) Declaration or evidence that Wisconsin is the primary state of residence.
(c) Evidence of graduation from one of the following:
1. A board approved nurse prelicensure education program.
2. A foreign nurse prelicensure education program that has been approved by the authorizing accrediting body in the applicable country and has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a board approved prelicensure education program.
(d) If the applicant graduated from a foreign prelicensure program not taught in English or if English is not the applicant’s native language, evidence of successfully passing an English proficiency examination that includes the components of reading, speaking, writing, and listening.
(e) Evidence of successfully passing an NCLEX exam or recognized predecessor.
(f) If the applicant has been convicted or found guilty, or has entered into an agreed disposition, of a misdemeanor offense, all related information necessary for the board to determine whether the circumstances substantially relate to the practice of nursing.
(3) The applicant shall submit, through an approved process, fingerprints or other biometric data for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information from the federal bureau of investigation and the Wisconsin department of justice.
Section 10. N 2.20 (title) is amended to read:
N 2.20 Endorsement of an applicant from a nurse licensure compact state for a single state license.
Section 11. N 2.21 (title) is amended to read:
N 2.21 Endorsement of an applicant from another U.S. state, territory or Canada for a single state license.
Section 12. N 2.31 (3) (note) is created to read:
Note: A temporary license does not grant multistate licensure privileges.
Section 13. N 9.01, 9.02, 9.03 and 9.04 are repealed.
Section 14. N 9 Appendix is created to read:
APPENDIX
NURSE LICENSURE COMPACT RULES
SECTION 100. DEFINITIONS
(1) "Commission" means the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators.
(2) “Compact” means the Nurse Licensure Compact that became effective on July 20, 2017 and implemented on January 19, 2018.
(3) “Convert” means to change a multistate license to a single-state license if a nurse changes primary state of residence by moving from a party state to a non-party state; or to change a single-state license to a multistate license once any disqualifying events are eliminated.
(4) “Deactivate” means to change the status of a multistate license or privilege to practice.
(5) “Director” means the individual referred to in Article IV of the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators Bylaws.
(6) “Disqualifying Event” means an incident, which results in a person becoming disqualified or ineligible to retain or renew a multistate license. These include but are not limited to the following: any adverse action resulting in an encumbrance, current participation in an alternative program, a misdemeanor offense related to the practice of nursing (which includes, but is not limited to, an agreed disposition), or a felony offense (which includes, but is not limited to, an agreed disposition).
(7) “Independent credentials review agency” means a non-governmental evaluation agency that verifies and certifies that foreign nurse graduates have graduated from nursing programs that are academically equivalent to nursing programs in the United States.
(8) “Licensure” includes the authority to practice nursing granted through the process of examination, endorsement, renewal, reinstatement and/or reactivation.
(9) "Prior Compact" means the Nurse Licensure Compact that was in effect until January 19, 2018.
(10) “Unencumbered license” means a license that authorizes a nurse to engage in the full and unrestricted practice of nursing.
SECTION 200. COORDINATED LICENSURE INFORMATION SYSTEM
201. UNIFORM DATA SET AND LEVELS OF ACCESS
(1) The Compact Administrator of each party state shall furnish uniform data to the Coordinated Licensure Information System, which shall consist of the following:
(a) the nurse’s name;
(b) jurisdiction of licensure;
(c) license expiration date;
(d) licensure classification, license number and status;
(e) public emergency and final disciplinary actions, as defined by the contributing state authority;
(f) a change in the status of a disciplinary action or licensure encumbrance;
(g) status of multistate licensure privileges;
(h) current participation by the nurse in an alternative program;
(i) information that is required to be expunged by the laws of a party state;
(j) the applicant or nurse’s United States social security number;
(k) current significant investigative information; and
(l) a correction to a licensee’s data.
(2) The public shall have access to items (1)(a) through (g) and information about a licensee’s participation in an alternative program to the extent allowed by state law.
(3) In the event a nurse asserts that any Coordinated Licensure Information System data is inaccurate, the burden of proof shall be upon the nurse to provide evidence in a manner determined by the party state that substantiates such claim.
(4) A party state shall report the items in the uniform data set to the Coordinated Licensure Information System within fifteen (15) calendar days of the date on which the action is taken.
202. QUERYING THE COORDINATED LICENSURE INFORMATION SYSTEM
(1) Upon application for multistate licensure, with the exception of renewal by a nurse, a party state shall query the Coordinated Licensure Information System to determine the applicant’s current licensure status, previous disciplinary action(s), current participation in an alternative program, and any current significant investigative information
(2) Upon discovery that an applicant is under investigation in another party state, the party state in receipt of the nurse licensure application shall contact the investigating party state and may request investigative documents and information.
SECTION 300. IMPLEMENTATION
301. IMPLEMENTATION DATE
The Compact shall be implemented on January 19, 2018.
302. TRANSITION
(1) (a) A nurse who holds a multistate license on the Compact effective date of July 20, 2017, and whose multistate license remains unencumbered on the January 19, 2018 implementation date and who maintains and renews a multistate license is not required to meet the new requirements for a multistate license under the Compact.
(b) A nurse who retained a multistate license pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and subsequently incurs a disqualifying event shall have the multistate license revoked or deactivated pursuant to the laws of the home state.
(c) A nurse whose multistate license is revoked or deactivated may be eligible for a single state license in accordance with the laws of the party state.
(2) A nurse who applies for a multistate license after July 20, 2017, shall be required to meet the requirements of Article III (c) of the Compact.
(3) During the transition period, a licensee who holds a single state license in a Compact state that was not a member of the prior Compact and who also holds a multistate license in a party state, may retain the single state license until it lapses, expires or becomes inactive.”
(4) After the implementation date, party states shall not renew or reinstate a single state license if the nurse has a multistate license in another party state.
303. RECOGNITION OF NEW PARTY STATES AFTER JANUARY 19, 2018
(1) All party states shall be notified by the Commission within fifteen (15) calendar days when a new party state enacts the Compact.
(2) The new party state shall establish an implementation date six (6) months from enactment or as specified in the enabling language and shall notify the Director of the date.
(3) Upon implementation, a new state licensee who holds a single state license in a Compact state that was not a member of the prior Compact and holds a multistate license in a party state, may retain the single state license until it lapses, expires or becomes inactive.
(4) At least ninety (90) calendar days prior to the implementation date, all other party states shall notify any active single state licensee with an address in the new party state that the licensee may only hold one multistate license in the primary state of residence. The licensee shall be advised to obtain or maintain a multistate license only from the primary state of residence.
(5) Each party state shall deactivate a multistate license when a new home state issues a multistate license.
SECTION 400. LICENSURE
401. PARTY STATE RESPONSIBILITIES
(1) On all application forms for multistate licensure, a party state shall require, at a minimum:
(a) A declaration of a primary state of residence and
(b) Whether the applicant is a current participant in an alternative program.
(2) (a) An applicant for licensure who is determined to be ineligible for a multistate license shall be notified by the home state of the qualifications not met.
