State licensing requirements continued to shift in June, with changes affecting compact participation, renewal dates, application steps, professional titles, and scope of practice. The updates below explain what changed and where credentialing, provider data, or monitoring workflows may need attention.
Editorial note: This roundup was reviewed through July 20, 2026. It includes a July 9 Idaho announcement because the renewal-cycle change takes effect August 1 and may require immediate planning.
June 2026 Compliance Updates at a Glance
| Compact expansion | Alaska enacted legislation for five interstate licensure compacts. Wisconsin began issuing OT and OTA compact privileges. |
| Applications and renewals | Idaho announced a two-year renewal cycle for one licensing board; Illinois added LPN application types to CORE; North Carolina added an SSN-verification step. |
| Practice and title changes | Colorado set a future pathway for occupational therapy dry needling. Iowa adopted “physician associate” terminology, and North Carolina launched team-based PA practice. |
| Board and profession updates | Vermont enacted a broad professional-regulation package, and Idaho extended its Nurse Intern Pilot Program. |
| Pending legislation | Pennsylvania PA licensing bills passed the House and moved to a Senate committee, but they are not yet law. |
What to Check Before Updating Workflows
- Add each effective date to the systems, policies, forms, and workflows it affects.
- Do not treat compact-enabling legislation as an active compact privilege. Confirm when the relevant board or compact commission begins issuing privileges.
- Update provider-data fields and user-facing labels when a profession or license type changes name.
- Flag application changes that require paper forms, physical signatures, or mailing, since they can extend turnaround times.
- Keep watching for rules and board guidance after enactment; the operational details often arrive later.
Alaska
Status: Enacted | Chapter 28, SLA 2026; became law June 23, 2026
Alaska House Bill 110 became law on June 23. It authorizes the state to participate in five interstate healthcare licensure compacts: the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), the Social Work Licensure Compact, and the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact. The law also includes provisions related to respiratory care practitioner regulation and telehealth.
Passing the law does not make every compact privilege immediately available. Boards and compact commissions may still need to complete rulemaking, system configuration, fee setting, and other implementation work before practitioners can apply.
| Operational impact: Do not mark compact privileges as active until the relevant board or compact commission confirms availability. Continue tracking Alaska implementation announcements. |
Official source: Alaska Legislature – HB 110
Colorado
Status: Enacted | Signed April 2, 2026; dry-needling authority begins September 1, 2027
Colorado House Bill 26-1042 creates a pathway for licensed occupational therapists to perform dry needling as part of occupational therapy practice. The authority begins September 1, 2027, and depends on competency requirements, completion of an approved dry-needling course, and written informed consent from the patient.
The Division of Professions and Occupations must adopt rules covering education, training, and competency requirements before implementation.
| Operational impact: Keep dry needling out of occupational therapy privilege criteria until September 1, 2027, and incorporate any final training, competency, and consent rules before launch. |
Official source: Colorado General Assembly – HB26-1042
Idaho
Two-Year Renewal-Cycle Transition
Status: Implementation update | Announced July 9, 2026; begins August 1, 2026
The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) announced that licenses overseen by the Speech, Hearing and Communication Services Board will begin moving to a two-year renewal cycle on August 1, 2026. Over time, each license expiration date will align with the licensee’s birthday.
Current licensees will move into the new cycle based on birth date and birth year. New individual applicants will generally receive an initial license term of at least two years. DOPL said continuing-education requirements will not change, although renewal timing and fees may vary during the transition.
| Operational impact: Update expiration-date logic, reminders, and renewal communications to support birthday-based dates and transition-year variation. |
Official source: Idaho DOPL – Two-Year Renewal Cycle Update
Nurse Intern Pilot Program
Status: Extended | Program active through July 1, 2027
The Idaho Board of Nursing extended the Nurse Intern Pilot Program through July 1, 2027. The board also revised the practice limitations and updated the facility agreement and student application materials on its website.
| Operational impact: Replace earlier forms, review the revised practice limits, and confirm that facility policies reflect the current pilot requirements. |
Official source: Idaho DOPL – Nurse Intern Pilot Program Update
Illinois
Status: Operational update | Applications available in CORE as of May 13, 2026
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation added Licensed Practical Nurse and Temporary Licensed Practical Nurse applications to the CORE licensing system. New applications for both license types are available in CORE. Renewals, reinstatements, and other transaction types are expected to move into the system in later phases.
| Operational impact: Send new LPN and temporary LPN applicants to CORE. Confirm the correct channel for renewals, reinstatements, and other transactions until the migration is complete. |
Official source: Illinois IDFPR – CORE Phase Update
Iowa
Emeritus Physician Licenses
Status: Enacted | Iowa Acts Chapter 1148; approved June 2, 2026
Iowa Senate File 469 created an emeritus license for eligible physicians and osteopathic physicians who are at least 60 years old and will primarily supervise and train resident physicians. The license is valid for three years and may be renewed once.
Emeritus licensees receive reduced application and renewal fees and are exempt from continuing-education requirements. The license retains the profession’s scope of practice, subject to the conditions of the emeritus license.
| Operational impact: Add the emeritus license type to credentialing rules, including its purpose, three-year term, one-renewal limit, and any role-specific privileges. |
Official source: Iowa Legislature – SF 469 / Chapter 1148
Physician Associate Terminology
Status: Enacted | Effective July 1, 2026
Iowa Senate File 2190 changed the statutory title from “physician assistant” to “physician associate.” The terms are synonymous, and the change does not alter scope of practice, rights, or responsibilities. State forms and related materials will be updated as implementation continues.
| Operational impact: Update provider-data fields, forms, directories, and contracts to use the new term without changing scope or privilege rules. |
Official source: Iowa Legislature – SF 2190
North Carolina
Social Security Number Verification for Licensure
Status: Implementation requirement | North Carolina Medical Board process applies to applications received after May 21, 2026
North Carolina law requires occupational licensing boards to verify the Social Security numbers submitted with license applications. Each board may set its own process and documentation requirements.
For applications received after May 21, 2026, the North Carolina Medical Board requires Form SSA-89. The form must have a physical signature and be mailed to the board; applicants cannot upload it through the online portal.
| Operational impact: Revise applicant instructions and checklists to account for the mailed SSA-89 with a physical signature. Build the extra step into turnaround-time expectations. |
Official sources: North Carolina General Assembly – HB 926 / Session Law 2025-94 | North Carolina Medical Board – SSN Verification Guidance
Team-Based Practice for Physician Assistants
Status: Operational | Effective June 30, 2026
The North Carolina Medical Board opened team-based practice registration for eligible physician assistants on June 30, 2026. Registration is available through the Licensure Gateway while the board continues to finalize related rules and guidance.
Team-based practice is optional. Physician assistants who do not register continue to practice under the existing supervisory framework.
| Operational impact: Track which PAs register for team-based practice. Do not apply the new framework to PAs who remain under the supervisory model. |
Official source: North Carolina Medical Board – PA Team-Based Practice
Pennsylvania
Status: Pending legislation | House passage June 23, 2026; referred to Senate committee June 25, 2026
Pennsylvania House Bills 75 and 76 would streamline physician assistant licensure by recognizing PA licenses across the Commonwealth’s medical and osteopathic practice acts. The change would reduce the need for separate licensing processes based on the supervising physician’s profession.
Both bills passed the Pennsylvania House by a 202-0 vote on June 23, 2026, and were referred to the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee on June 25. They are not yet law.
| Operational impact: Monitor both bills, but leave current Pennsylvania PA licensing and credentialing requirements in place until the legislation is enacted and implementation guidance is issued. |
Official sources: Pennsylvania General Assembly – HB 75 | Pennsylvania General Assembly – HB 76
Vermont
Status: Enacted | Act 119; approved June 8, 2026
Vermont House Bill 588 became Act 119 and made several changes affecting professions regulated by the Office of Professional Regulation and the Board of Medical Practice. Among the changes:
- A limited academic dentist license.
- Authority for qualified pharmacists to test and treat COVID-19, influenza, and streptococcal pharyngitis and to provide specified HIV pre-exposure and post-exposure prevention medications.
- A report on the possible regulation of speech-language pathology assistants.
- Authority for the Board of Medical Practice to conduct criminal background checks for certain professions using a process similar to the Office of Professional Regulation.
The provisions do not all take effect on the same date. Organizations should review the timing and implementation requirements for each affected profession.
| Operational impact: Assign separate implementation tasks for pharmacy, dentistry, speech-language pathology, and Medical Board processes; the act does not take effect uniformly. |
Official source: Vermont Legislature – Act 119 / H.588
Wisconsin
Status: Operational | Compact privileges available beginning May 29, 2026
The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services began issuing Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact privileges for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. Wisconsin was the eighth state issuing OT Compact privileges when the change was announced.
Eligible practitioners apply through Compact Connect and complete Wisconsin-specific requirements in the state’s LicensE system. Practitioners licensed in Wisconsin may also seek privileges in other participating states that are actively issuing them.
| Operational impact: Store the compact privilege separately from the home-state license, and verify both before authorizing practice. |
Official source: Wisconsin DSPS – OT Compact Privileges
Keep Regulatory Changes Connected to Provider Data
A regulatory update only reduces risk when it reaches the systems people use every day. License dates, titles, practice authority, application instructions, and credentialing rules should be updated together so teams are not working from conflicting information.
Verisys helps healthcare organizations verify and monitor licenses across all 56 U.S. jurisdictions and 800+ provider taxonomies. Real-time alerts help teams respond when a license status or expiration date changes. Explore license verification and monitoring or Talk to a Verisys expert.
Disclaimer: This content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Laws, rules, effective dates, board processes, and implementation guidance may change. Organizations should review the official sources linked above and consult qualified legal or compliance counsel regarding their specific obligations
