But backers of the bill vowed to try again next year and expressed confidence that they will succeed.
“Because of its strong support by members of the Legislature and many Nebraskans, I fully anticipate we will eliminate this barrier to health care access in the next legislative session,” said State Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse, who had named the bill his priority.
Heineman’s veto of Legislative Bill 916 leaves in place a state law requiring nurse practitioners to have a practice agreement with a doctor.
The bill’s supporters said the requirement limits the number of nurse practitioners in Nebraska, adding to a shortage of primary and mental health care in rural areas.
The governor, in his veto message, said he expects there will be a shift toward more independence for nurse practitioners in the future.
But he said LB 916 goes “too far, too quickly.”
Heineman raised concerns about whether the bill adequately addressed patient safety. He said he discussed the issue at length with the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Joseph Acierno, who opposed the independent practice idea.
The governor said he would have signed the bill if it had required nurse practitioners to have about 4,000 hours of clinical experience.
LB 916 would have required newly graduated nurse practitioners to get 2,000 hours of clinical practice under the guidance of a doctor or established nurse practitioner.
