Advocacy – Non-Member

VCNP’s Government Relations Committee meets year round to prepare for the Virginia General Assembly each January. Committee members organize regional legislative events each fall, connect with local legislators, and work to provide resources to the regional members to help them better understand how their involvement in the legislative process can advance NP practice for all of Virginia’s NPs.


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Advocacy Toolkit

To access VCNP legislation and additional advocacy resources, you must be a member of VCNP.


Autonomous Practice Licensure

Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice

Legislative Information


Links to Organizations


2023 Virginia General Assembly

VCNP worked with Delegate Roxann Robinson to introduce HB 2183. During the January 19 House Health, Welfare & Institutions subcommittee meeting, House Bill 2183 failed to move forward after a tie vote.


2022 Virginia General Assembly

VCNP worked with Delegate Dawn Adams to introduce HB 1245. The bill failed after going into “conference” (a small group of House and Senate members who meet to reconcile differences between each chamber), but they were unable to come to an agreement. As of July 1, 2022 the sunset clause from HB 1737 ended, and NPs returned to the five-year experience requirement to apply for autonomous practice licensure.


2021 Virginia General Assembly

On February 25, Governor Northam signed HB 1737, which became effective July 1, 2021. HB 1737 reduced from five to two the number of years of full-time clinical experience a nurse practitioner must have to be eligible to practice without a written or electronic practice agreement. This legislation had a “sunset” clause and expired in June 2022.


2020 Executive Order 57

In April 2020, Executive Order 57 allowed NPs with 2 years of experience to practice without a practice agreement during the COVID-19 state of emergency.


2019 Virginia General Assembly

Virginia HB 1640 and SB 1178 ensure that NPs are able to bill insurance directly through their National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers. Without this simple code change, patients could lose their access to needed care due to an inability to utilize their insurance.


2018 Virginia General Assembly

HB 793 eliminated the requirement for a practice agreement with a physician for a nurse practitioner (NP) who has completed the equivalent of at least five years of full-time clinical experience and submitted an application attestation for autonomous practice licensure from the physician. NPs meeting this requirement may practice autonomously in the category in which the NP is certified and licensed.

FAQs: Autonomous Practice Licensure & the Attestation Process