As Pennsylvania continues to face a shortage of health care professionals, we must do all we can to attract and retain high-quality providers. One way to do that is through interstate licensing compacts, which allow licensed professionals to more easily work across state lines and through telemedicine by eliminating the need for individual state licenses.
 
The General Assembly has passed four interstate compacts that have not reached the governor’s desk. As the 2025-2026 Legislative Session draws to a close, we must do all we can to ensure these compacts cross the finish line.

I will soon introduce legislation authorizing Pennsylvania to join the four compacts that have already advanced through one chamber:  Social Work, Dental, Physician Assistant and Audiology- Speech Language Pathology.  My bill will establish a new section in Title 63 (Professions and Occupations) of the PA Consolidated Statutes and place each compact in its own chapter. The four compacts are all operational, meaning enough states have passed enabling legislation to join them that compact commissions have been formed. Some states are already issuing compact licenses.

Compacts improve continuity of care for patients and reduce red tape and application wait times as separate state licenses are no longer needed.  For states, compacts strengthen our healthcare labor market while improving collaboration and expanding consumer protections through a nationwide database of background checks and disciplinary actions.  And for the Physician Assistant Compact in particular, Pennsylvania stands to gain additional federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program by enacting the legislation.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to allow Pennsylvania health care providers to work and treat patients seamlessly across state lines.