Senate Bill 175 - The SAVE Act Summary

• Modernizes nursing regulations in North Carolina by establishing a new Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license category encompassing four roles: Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

• Grants prescribing, ordering, dispensing, and furnishing authority directly to holders of APRN licenses through the Board of Nursing, replacing previous joint Medical Board and Board of Nursing oversight requirements.

• Repeals G.S. 90-18.2 (establishing nurse practitioner regulation under Medical Board authority) and related provisions, consolidating APRN regulation under the Board of Nursing.

• Requires hospitals and health care facilities to verify current, valid nursing licenses before hiring APRNs, registered nurses, or licensed practical nurses in North Carolina.

• Directs the Governor to submit a Medicare "opt-out" letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within 30 days, allowing hospitals and surgical centers maximum flexibility in obtaining reimbursement for anesthesia services.

• Becomes effective 90 days after enactment with grandfathering provisions allowing currently practicing APRNs to maintain all existing practice privileges.