relative to prescribing ibogaine for investigational use only and adopting the physician associate licensure compact.
What changed between versions
The ibogaine provision was changed from allowing physicians and other health care providers to 'prescribe ibogaine for investigational use only' to allowing licensed physicians or qualified licensed practitioners to 'administer ibogaine under the framework of an FDA-approved research protocol,' with the added qualifier 'to the extent allowable by federal law.' This narrows who can provide it, changes the action from prescribing to administering, and adds a specific regulatory requirement (FDA-approved protocol).
An entirely new section (RSA 328-D:18-a) was added adopting the Physician Associate Licensure Compact. This creates a multi-state compact allowing physician associates (PAs) to practice in other participating states through a 'compact privilege' based on holding an unrestricted license in one participating state. The compact includes provisions for definitions, state participation requirements, eligibility criteria for the compact privilege, adverse action procedures, establishment of a national PA Licensure Compact Commission with rulemaking authority, a shared data system for tracking licenses and disciplinary actions, and enforcement mechanisms including federal court jurisdiction.
New eligibility requirements were established for PAs seeking to practice across state lines: must have graduated from an accredited PA program, hold current NCCPA certification, have no felony or misdemeanor conviction, never have had a controlled substance license suspended or revoked, have a unique identifier, hold a qualifying (unrestricted) license, and have no current revocation or restriction on any license due to adverse action. A two-year waiting period applies after restrictions are lifted.
The compact establishes enforcement mechanisms including: the commission can initiate legal action in federal court against non-compliant states; states can be terminated from the compact for default; a data system tracks all licenses and adverse actions across participating states; and remote states retain authority to take adverse action against a PA's compact privilege within their own state.
The House version included an effective date provision stating 'This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.' This provision does not appear in the visible portion of the Senate version, suggesting it may have been removed or restructured.
