Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 12, 2017 04:58 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Dom Costa |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Revoking the License of a Professional Nurse for the Theft of a Controlled Substance |
| In the near future, I plan to re-introduce legislation – House Bill 117 of 2015 – that will amend the Professional Nursing Law to require the revocation of a professional nurse’s license for the conviction of an offense related to the theft of a controlled substance. As you know, nurses are often the first point of contact when a person interacts with our healthcare system. In fact, Gallup’s 2016 Honesty and Ethics Survey revealed that nurses were at the top of the nation’s most trusted professions. However, this honor can be diminished the moment a nurse is convicted of an offense related to the theft of a controlled substance, since nurses are often required to administer controlled substances to those under their care. As state representatives, I believe it is our duty to ensure that patients are protected by restricting these individuals from returning to work as a nurse after engaging in certain unlawful behaviors. To address this issue, my legislation amends Section 14(a)(8) of the Professional Nursing Law by authorizing the State Board of Nursing to revoke the license of a professional nurse that has been convicted of acquiring, obtaining, or possessing a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to further protect the patients across the entire Commonwealth. |
Introduced as HB314