SB 2013

This bill creates a temporary moratorium on the acceptance and approval of applications by the board of nursing ("board"") from nursing education programs located outside this state that seek approval from the board to operate, enroll students, or place st udents for clinical experiences within this state. The moratorium begins on the effective date of this act and ends two years thereafter, and applies to any nursing education program that is not a “ program based in this state, ” which is a nursing educati on program with a physical campus or facility in this state and at least three full-time faculty members on-site assigned to the nursing degree program. This bill provides that an out-of-state nursing education program that was approved by the board prior to the effective date of this act retains its approval status during the moratorium period. However, such program must submit all data or information requested by the board and the Tennessee center for nursing advancement (""center""), including preceptor lists, student placement statistics, and program outcomes. DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS AND REPORTING This bill requires that the center, working with the board, must develop standards for out-of-state nursing programs that use Tennessee-licensed preceptors or clinical sites. These standards must address all of the following:  Verification and licensure of all preceptors used in this state, and verification of in-state residents enrolled in the programs.  Annual reporting requirements, including student placement numbers, preceptor utilization, faculty oversight, and student outcomes.  Minimum standards for faculty supervision and clinical oversight.  Data collection for tracking clinical placements.  Administrative costs incurred by the board to evaluate and monitor out-of-state programs.  Mechanisms for ensuring educational equivalency and the protection of Tennessee patients and preceptors. This bill requires the center to publish a report including these new standards by June 30, 2027, and deliver it to the legislature. Additionally, the center must publish an annual report by June 30 of each year detailing the activities, findings, and o versight of out-of-state programs using clinical sites in this state. BOARD AUTHORITY This bill clarifies that its provisions do not affect the board's authority to enforce existing nursing laws or compel compliance with data requests from previously approved out-of-state programs during the moratorium period. ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2013, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that the bill does not apply to a nurse anesthesia educational program that is physically located outside of this state and that places students in this state for purposes of clinical education or training if the program meets all of the following criteria:  Is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), or is undergoing a COA capability review and establishing eligibility for accreditation.  Is offered through a regionally accredited institution of higher education authorized to operate in its home state.  Prepares graduates for national certification as certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in accordance with COA standards.  Ensures that all students participating in clinical education within this state comply with applicable Tennessee licensure requirements, supervision requirements, and all other state and federal laws governing clinical practice and patient safety.  Receives approval for clinical placements from the board. However, such a program is not required to obtain additional authorization solely for the placement of students in clinical training experiences within this state. AMENDMENT #2 makes the following changes:  Changes the definition of ""program based in this state"" to require a nursing education program to have a minimum of one, instead of a minimum of three, full-time faculty members on-site assigned to the nursing degree program.  Clarifies that the moratorium on the acceptance and approval of applications from nursing education programs applies to nursing programs not based in this state rather than nursing programs located outside of this state."