Nurses; authorize US Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to take exam to be licensed as an LPN.

HB 646 would allow U.S. Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to qualify for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license by taking the state exam, after completing their Coast Guard training and two years of direct patient care experience. This expands an existing provision that already covers other military medics (like Army Combat Medics and Navy Corpsmen) but specifically adds Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to the list of eligible applicants. The bill does not change exam requirements or create new pathways - it simply extends current military licensure eligibility to this specific Coast Guard role. The proposal died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.