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HB 4899

Health occupations: nurses; evaluation of foreign trained registered nurses; modify. Amends sec. 17213 of 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.17213).

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Greg Alexander and 5 co-sponsors

The bill creates an explicit pathway for foreign-educated nurses to obtain Michigan RN licensure by recognizing specific credential evaluators and requiring board-approved exams.

bill electronically reproduced 09/11/2025
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Bill Summary · HB 4899

Summary — HB 4899 (2025): Evaluation and licensure of foreign‑trained registered nurses

Purpose

HB 4899 amends section 17213 of the Michigan Public Health Code (1978 PA 368; MCL 333.17213) to modify how the Michigan Board of Nursing may evaluate and license applicants who graduated from nurse education programs located outside the United States. The bill creates an explicit pathway and flexible verification options for licensure of foreign‑educated registered nurses (RNs), and for certain applicants already licensed elsewhere.

Key provisions

  • Grants the Board of Nursing authority, notwithstanding MCL 333.16145, MCL 333.16174(1)(c), or related rules, to issue an initial RN license to an applicant educated outside the U.S. if the applicant:
    • Meets the requirements of section 16174; and
    • Provides verification that their foreign nurse education program is “substantially equivalent” to Michigan‑approved programs. The Board must accept verification from:
    • National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES),
    • Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), and
    • Any equivalent organization as determined by the Board.
    • Has passed the board‑approved licensure examination for RNs (the bill references the requisite examination approved by the board).
  • Extends similar authority for applicants who are already licensed in another U.S. state (and includes a reference to applicants licensed in a Canadian province “until January 1, 2012,” as written). Such applicants must meet subsection (1) requirements and provide verification of licensure/registration history in every jurisdiction where they have been or are licensed.
  • Waiver for experienced licensees: an applicant who has maintained an active license or registration in another state for at least five consecutive years immediately preceding application, with no disciplinary sanctions, need not provide the program equivalency verification required under subsection (1)(a).

Who is affected

  • Foreign‑educated nurses seeking initial Michigan RN licensure.
  • RNs licensed in other U.S. states (and, per the text, certain Canadian licensees as noted).
  • The Michigan Board of Nursing (administration of credential evaluation and licensure discretion).
  • Employers and healthcare facilities hiring internationally educated nurses.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Streamlines licensure for many foreign‑educated nurses by specifying accepted credential evaluation bodies (NACES, CGFNS, or board‑equivalent organizations).
  • Gives the Board discretion to accept equivalent credential evaluators, potentially speeding application review.
  • The five‑year active license/no‑discipline exemption can expedite licensure for experienced out‑of‑state RNs.
  • The bill contains an anomalous date reference to January 1, 2012 for Canadian province licensure; that language appears verbatim from the introduced text and may require clarification.

Procedural history (selected)

  • Filed: March 13, 2025
  • Referred: Trade, Workforce & Economic Development (Apr 3, 2025)
  • Committee hearings: Apr 30 and May 7, 2025 (testimony recorded; left pending then reported favorably without amendment)
  • Committee report sent to Calendars: May 14, 2025
  • Bill electronically reproduced / introduced again: Sept 11, 2025 (introduced by Rep. Jamie Thompson; referred to Committee on Health Policy)
  • Statutory target: amendment to MCL 333.17213 (as added by 2007 PA 19)

If you want, I can produce a side‑by‑side comparison showing how current statutory section 17213 reads today versus the amended text in HB 4899.

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

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