North Dakota House Bill HB1622

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Caption

AN ACT to create and enact chapter 43-17.5 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the physician assistant licensure compact; to amend and reenact section 43-17-01, subsection 1 of section 43-17-02.1, and sections 43-17-02.2 and 43-17-46 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the requirements of physician assistants privileged to practice under the physician assistant licensure compact; and to provide an effective date.

Summary

HB 1622 creates North Dakota’s participation in the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact by adding a new chapter to the Century Code and conforming existing physician assistant statutes to that compact. The bill allows a physician assistant who holds a qualifying license in one participating state to obtain a compact privilege to practice in another participating state, subject to the remote state’s laws, jurisprudence requirements, and disciplinary authority. It also establishes the conditions for compact eligibility, including graduation from an accredited program, national certification, background checks, and limits related to criminal convictions, controlled-substance discipline, and recent adverse actions. The bill also updates North Dakota’s physician assistant licensing definitions and title-protection provisions so that a person privileged under the compact is treated similarly to a state-licensed physician assistant for practice purposes, while still requiring an active North Dakota license or compact privilege to provide services in the state. It further amends fee provisions so compact-related assessments are paid through the Board of Medicine’s funding mechanism rather than the general fund, and it authorizes the board to impose higher fees and take action when required questionnaire or addendum responses are not timely submitted. The compact includes a national commission, data-sharing system, rulemaking process, enforcement mechanisms, and provisions for withdrawal, termination, and severability.

Impact

HB 1622 would expand the legal framework governing physician assistant practice in North Dakota by recognizing compact privileges from other participating states and by authorizing North Dakota physician assistants to practice in other compact states under the compact’s terms. It amends Chapter 43-17 to incorporate compact-based practice, title use, disciplinary authority, and fee administration, and it creates Chapter 43-17.5 to govern interstate licensure portability, data reporting, adverse-action sharing, and commission participation. The bill affects the Board of Medicine, physician assistants, and patients by increasing interstate mobility while preserving state authority over licensure, discipline, and controlled-substance prescribing rules.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly favorable and noncontroversial. It passed both chambers unanimously, with a 93-0 vote in the House and a 46-0 vote in the Senate, indicating strong bipartisan support and no recorded floor opposition. The absence of committee transcripts or recorded debate suggests the measure was treated as a technical or policy alignment bill rather than a contested proposal.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials, and the unanimous votes suggest little to no opposition. Potential issues inherent in the compact structure include the extent of interstate rulemaking authority, data sharing of investigative information, remote-state disciplinary power, and the requirement that North Dakota comply with compact commission rules and assessments. However, none of those concerns are shown to have been raised in the available discussion or voting record.