New nursing license applicants would be subject to a criminal background check under a bill heard by the Health and Human Services Committee Jan. 28.<\/p>\n
LB129, introduced by Omaha Sen. Burke Harr, would require a criminal background check for applicants for an initial license to practice as a registered or licensed practical nurse.<\/p>\n
Harr said it is national best practice for nurses to be subject to a thorough criminal background check, and 34 states require them. Currently, nursing licensure applicants are subject only to a name check and review for in-state convictions, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis [current process] does not provide any information about an applicant\u2019s actions that took place outside the state of Nebraska,\u201d Harr said. <\/p>\n
Linda Lazure, testifying on behalf of the Nebraska Board of Nursing, supported LB129, saying the measure would ensure the health and safety of Nebraskans. She said that after a similar law was passed in Texas, the state discovered that 28 percent of applicants had felony criminal histories.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lesson to be learned is that requiring fingerprint-based criminal background checks is a sound safety policy,\u201d Lazure said.<\/p>\n
No opposition testimony was given and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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