Just like many school kids, state policy makers know that the bell is about to ring with more business at the state house. Senator Pat Testing - R-Stevens Point - stands ready to pick up where they left off after the state budget was signed into effect.

Testin tells Pam Jahnke that they're continuing to monitor the effects on state programs because of federal changes.  Testin says the state avoided some damage by getting the state budget signed into effect before the "Big Beautiful Bill" was signed less than 24 hours later.  

Testin is also relieved to finally deliver the  Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Modernization Act.   Testin says this directive has been in the works for more than a decade.  

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, close to 40 percent of Wisconsin’s need for primary care providers is currently unmet. In 10 years, the state will likely require more than 740 additional primary care professionals to meet the growing demand for care. However, by 2035, Wisconsin’s supply of primary care physicians is expected to grow by just 4 percent. 

The new state statute authorizes APRNs to practice independently and without the need for a collaborative agreement with a physician – so long as the cases do not fall outside their areas of expertise. 

Wisconsin now joins nearly 30 other states – including Minnesota and Iowa – that have passed policies similar to the APRN Modernization Act.

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