The bill amends the Public Health Code to allow the Michigan Board to grant licenses to registered professional nurses who have graduated from nursing education programs located outside of the United States. It specifies that applicants must meet the requirements of section 16174 and provide verification that their education is substantially equivalent to Michigan-approved programs. The bill also states that the board will accept verifications from recognized organizations such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services and the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.

Additionally, the bill permits the board to license registered nurses who are already licensed in another state or, until January 1, 2012, in a Canadian province, provided they meet the same requirements. If these applicants have maintained an active license in another state for at least five years without disciplinary sanctions, they are exempt from providing the educational verification required for other applicants. The language changes include the replacement of "pursuant to" with "under" and the substitution of gender-specific pronouns with the more inclusive term "the applicant."

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 333.17213