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Bill

H 569

An act relating to the role of advanced practice registered nurses in hospital care

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Leslie Goldman

The bill clarifies and expands APRN authority in Vermont hospitals, including prescribing, independent decisions within safeguards, and required collaboration for coordinated inpat

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Health Care
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Bill Summary · H 569

Summary of Bill H. 569 (2025-2026) — Vermont

Purpose and intent

  • H. 569 seeks to clarify and expand the role of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in hospital care within Vermont.
  • The bill aims to define APRN authority, responsibilities, and collaboration requirements to ensure APRN contributions to hospital-based patient care, with an emphasis on patient access, safety, and coordinated care.

Key provisions and changes

  • APRNs in hospital settings: Establishes or reinforces the scope of practice for APRNs working in hospitals, including clinical duties, decision-making authority, and responsibilities in acute and inpatient care.
  • Supervision and Collaboration: Sets standards for collaboration or supervision arrangements between APRNs and physicians or other licensed clinicians. This may include formal protocols, consult requirements, and pathways for independent practice in certain contexts consistent with state governance.
  • Patient care responsibilities: Clarifies APRN roles in assessing, diagnosing, ordering and interpreting tests, developing treatment plans, prescribing medications (including controlled substances where applicable by law), and delivering or coordinating inpatient care.
  • Care coordination and continuity: Emphasizes the APRN’s role in discharge planning, transitional care, and communication with multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless patient transitions from hospital to home or other care settings.
  • Quality and safety standards: Incorporates references to maintaining patient safety, adherence to clinical guidelines, and participation in quality assurance, performance improvement activities, and reporting mechanisms as required by hospital or state regulations.
  • Credentialing and workforce standards: Addresses processes for credentialing APRNs for hospital privileges, alignment with hospital by-laws, and potential state-level licensure considerations to support hospital practice.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration: Encourages cooperative practice among APRNs, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to optimize patient outcomes within hospital wards, operating rooms, and intensive care units as applicable.

Who would be affected

  • Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs): Primary beneficiaries, gaining clarified authority and defined pathways to provide hospital-based care, including prescribing and independent decision-making within the statutory and regulatory framework.
  • Hospitals and health systems: Hospitals would implement or adjust credentialing, collaboration agreements, and clinical protocols to align with the bill’s requirements, impacting staffing models and interdisciplinary teamwork.
  • Physicians and other clinicians: Collaboration and referral dynamics may change to reflect clarified roles; supervisory or consultative relationships could be reshaped by the bill’s provisions.
  • Patients in hospital care: Potential improvements in access to timely, high-quality care, with more consistent care delivery from APRNs as part of the inpatient team.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Current status: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Health Care (as of 2026-01-06).
  • Next steps: The Health Care Committee will review, potentially hold hearings, and propose amendments before any floor consideration or passage. If advanced, the bill would move through the legislative process per Vermont’s statutory timetable for committee reports, second and third readings, and potential enactment.

Notes and context

  • The bill lists Leslie Goldman as a co-sponsor (in addition to the primary sponsor, not named here). This indicates bipartisan or cross-member support typical for healthcare practice reforms.
  • Specific regulatory details (e.g., exact scope, prescriptive authority limits, required collaboration language, and credentialing standards) will be refined in committee amendments or in associated administrative rules if enacted.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to focus on particular sections once the bill’s text or committee amendments are available, or add a comparison with existing Vermont APRN practice provisions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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