March 22, 2023

Eliminating Barriers to Interstate Compacts

On March 20, 11 members of the House of Representatives, led by Representatives Tracey Mann (R-KS) and Joe Neguse (D-CO), reintroduced the State Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act. The measure, first introduced in the 117th Congress, would make it easier for health care providers to practice more quickly when they move across state lines by allowing the FBI to share background checks across states.

The bill was quickly endorsed by a number of health care related organizations including the National Rural Health Association, occupational and physical therapy organizations, and the American Speech Language Hearing Association. If enacted, the bill would reduce the amount of time consumed by new, additional background checks on staff, including long-term care providers and administrators. In the spirit of the workforce crisis requiring 100 different solutions, this would be one more tool in the toolbox.