The Senate Health and Human Services Committee has passed legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer (R-30) that would allow nursing aides who were certified in a different state to use their license in New Jersey.

“Unless we take action to increase the number of medical professionals actively working in our state, we will have the nation’s third largest shortage of nurses by 2030,” Senator Singer said. “This is creating life or death situations in homes and hospitals in every corner of New Jersey. Nursing aides have one goal: to keep us healthy. We should not let State regulations keep them from achieving it.”

Senator Singer’s bill, S-2679, would codify out-of-state nursing aides reciprocity requirements into law.

S-2679 would also allow the Department of Health to require an individual’s certification to be accepted on the basis of their work experience.

“There are a number of out-of-state nursing aides with extensive work experience and glowing recommendations, who can’t work in New Jersey simply because our outdated reciprocity rules are keeping them from applying to jobs here. Why should these qualified professionals have to pay for costly training courses and examinations they have already completed?” Singer opined. “Enough paper-pushing. It’s time for us to take drastic action to combat this shortage and welcome every qualified medical professional to New Jersey.”