Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) (H 5278, S 492 )

This legislation, opposed by the ACLU, would have allowed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to attest to a patient’s mental health condition and participate in certifying patients for mandated outpatient treatment, something that only doctors can do presently. While APRNs play a significant role in the mental health community, ACLU Board member Heather Burbach argued that recommendations for such a weighty deprivation of liberty should stay in the hands of physicians. Although the legislation passed the Senate without addressing the ACLU’s concerns, no action was taken on the bill in the House.