• Good News!!  SB 491, which would remove practice barriers for NPs in CA. passed the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Next step is a vote by the full Senate by May 31.  It's very important you read the announcement below and click on the Grassroots Action Center.  You can automatically send a letter of support to Ted Gaines and Jim Nielsen asking for their support in just a few seconds.
• I'm asking that all of our PA collegues send t
• heir support as well, and you can ask your physician friends and patients to support this legislation as well.    Thanks, Julie Winter

Appropriations Committee Approves SB 491;
Toughest Test Yet Lies Ahead

Senate Bill 491 was approved today by the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 4-0.  The bill is now eligible to be heard by the full Senate, which has a May 31 deadline to act on the bill.

Perhaps the single most important piece of legislation for nurse practitioners in California, the measure authored by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) would remove practice barriers for NPs, allowing them to work autonomously without physician supervision.  The bill previously passed out of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee on April 29. 

Many thanks to the nearly 2,000 CANP members and allies who have participated in our online advocacy campaigns to send messages to members of the two Senate committees requesting their support. We now urge you to contact your Senator to express your support for this vital measure. Because our previous campaigns targeted only the committees in which the bill was due to be heard, we ask that you utilize our Grassroots Action Center to send a message directly to your Senator today even if you already sent a message during one of the previous campaigns.

There’s a long, hard road ahead in order to see that Senate Bill 491 becomes law, and this next step represents the toughest test yet.  Powerful forces are fighting to oppose this measure in order to preserve the status quo, and their efforts will intensify as the bill moves further through the legislative process. It has never been more important that California nurse practitioners gather in a show of strength to make the case for autonomous practice.

Again, we urge you to utilize CANP’s Grassroots Action Center today to send a message to your Senator urging him or her to support the bill.  In addition, here are some other ways you can aid the effort:

• Visit the online Senate Bill 491 Resource Center, filled with materials to help you better understand and make the case for this most important piece of legislation for California NPs. 
• Mail a hard copy letter to your own state legislators. A sample letter can be found in the Senate Bill 491 Resource Center. 
• Spread the word among fellow members and your professional colleagues, and encourage them to get involved in the effort. 
• Urge fellow NPs to become a CANP member and add to the collective voice in support of removing practice barriers for California NPs.

SB 491 represents a crucial opportunity for California nurse practitioners. Our unified voice and actions are essential to our success. Please contact your Senator today, and urge him or her to vote “Aye” on Senate Bill 491.