AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 73-15-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE TRAINING REQUIRED FOR A UNITED STATES COAST GUARD HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIAN AND THEN COMPLETED TWO YEARS OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE THAT INVOLVES PROVIDING DIRECT PATIENT CARE, SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION TO BE LICENSED AS A LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
Summary
HB648 amends Mississippi’s practical nursing licensure law to expand eligibility for the licensed practical nurse (LPN) examination to a specific group of military-trained applicants: United States Coast Guard Health Services Technicians. Under the bill, a Coast Guard Health Services Technician who has completed the required military training and then accumulated two years of clinical experience involving direct patient care would be allowed to apply to take the LPN licensing exam, alongside the military medic categories already recognized in current law.
The bill does not create a new license category or waive the examination; it changes who may sit for the exam. Applicants would still need to meet the existing requirements in Section 73-15-21, including a high school diploma or equivalent, English proficiency if applicable, and the Board of Nursing’s licensure investigation and criminal history background check. The act would take effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
HB648 would amend Section 73-15-21 of the Mississippi Code, the statute governing qualifications for licensure as a licensed practical nurse. Its practical effect is to broaden the pool of applicants eligible for LPN examination by expressly including Coast Guard Health Services Technicians with two years of qualifying clinical experience. The Board of Nursing would retain discretion over examination, licensure, background checks, fees, and all other existing requirements, so the bill changes access to the exam rather than the standards for licensure itself.
Sentiment
The available context suggests generally favorable or at least noncontroversial sentiment around the bill. The caption frames it as a workforce and military-credential recognition measure, and the text extends an existing pathway already available to other military medical specialties. No committee transcript, vote record, or recorded opposition is provided, so there is no evidence of organized debate in the materials supplied.
Contention
The main policy issue is whether Coast Guard Health Services Technicians should be treated the same as other military medics for purposes of LPN exam eligibility. Supporters would likely view the bill as a fair recognition of military medical training and hands-on patient care experience, while any concern would center on whether that training and experience are sufficiently comparable to civilian practical nursing education. The bill does not appear to alter background-check requirements, fees, or the Board of Nursing’s discretion, so those areas do not emerge as points of contention in the provided record.