The bill SB 403-FN, now Chapter 289, is designed to tackle the health care workforce shortage in New Hampshire by extending the deadlines for the legislative commission on interdisciplinary primary care workforce issues, amending the Nurse Practice Act, establishing the position and regulation of community health workers, and providing directives to the department of health and human services. The bill extends the reporting deadlines for the commission and amends the effective date of a section of the act to November 1, 2029. It also allows licensed nursing assistants to obtain a certificate of medication administration after meeting certain requirements and creates a new chapter for the regulation of community health workers, detailing their roles, certification process, and the executive director's powers and duties regarding them.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that certification for community health workers is voluntary and that they may provide services via telemedicine. The Department of Health and Human Services is empowered to contract with organizations to employ community health workers and to develop funding plans, including a Medicaid state plan amendment for reimbursement of their services. The effective date for a specific section of the act is January 1, 2025, while the rest of the act took effect on July 26, 2024. The summary does not mention any specific insertions or deletions from current law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 126-T:4, 151:2-b, 326-B:27, 310:2
As Amended by the Senate: 126-T:4, 326-B:27, 310:2
As Amended by the House: 126-T:4, 326-B:27, 310:2
Version adopted by both bodies: 126-T:4, 326-B:27, 310:2
CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION: 126-T:4, 326-B:27, 310:2