On Wednesday morning June 26, 2024, the Senate Health Committee brought Sub SB 196, otherwise known as the “APRN Signature Authority” bill for a vote. Over the past several months, the bill was heard in committee on three different occasions with the proponent and interested party testimonies by AARP, ANA-Ohio, Ohio Association of Physician Assistants, and the Trinity Health System to name a few. Given there was no opposition, this bill passed the Senate Health Committee unanimously with a vote of 7-Yeas 0-Nays.
In an unusual turn of events, Senator Huffman allowed the bill to also be heard later that afternoon on the Senate floor. Bill sponsor, Senator Kristina Roegner presented Sub SB 196 to the floor, stating that “this was a textbook experience of how to get people on different sides of an issue to come and work together”. Roegner further explained the collaboration of OSMA and OAAPN during this General Assembly allowed for the bill to be brought to the floor without any opposition. The bill passed with a vote of 30 Yeas-1 Nay.
The bill will now move to the House for assignment to committee. We anticipate continued movement on this bill into the fall, and without any current opposition, hope to have signature authority passed before the end of the year.
Video from The Ohio Channel