Pa. PAC supporting nurse practitioner independence releases candidate surveys
by Whitney Downard, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
October 15, 2026
In a continued push to practice to the full extent of their licensing and training, the lobbying group for nurse practitioners is pressuring state legislative candidates to commit to change ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
Healthcare costs and accessibility both loom large in the minds of voters this election cycle, and nurse practitioners pitch themselves as a solution — if only lawmakers would grant them full practice authority.
“The people who are elected to Pennsylvania’s General Assembly in November will have significant ability to enact policies that can make healthcare cheaper and easier to get,” said Janice Miller, the president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners. “Who can argue with that?”
Current Pennsylvania law requires Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (CRNPs) to have a written collaborative agreement with a licensed physician, but Miller’s organization claims getting a doctor’s approval slows down the process.
More than half of states fall under the “full practice” designation. But the effort is routinely opposed in the commonwealth by the Pennsylvania Medical Society, which generally resists any expansion of duties for non-physicians, including pharmacists and says nurse practitioners add to the bottom line.
But the number of doctors across the nation is declining — potentially exacerbated, in part, by the federal immigration crackdown.
“In many communities like mine, it’s becoming harder and harder for rural Pennsylvanians to access and afford the healthcare they need. Family practice physicians are retiring with no replacements lined up,” said Tammy Huey, a former CRNP in Venango County.
Nurse practitioners renew push for independence from physician oversight in Pa.
Of the 382 General Assembly candidates running for election — including 25 senators and all 203 House members — 82 submitted their responses to the coalition’s political action committee.
The first three questions ask about prioritizing healthcare, concerns about the healthcare workforce shortage and specialties for nurse practitioners — to which all candidates responded in the affirmative.
Just one candidate indicated that he didn’t support full practice across the last three questions: James Edwards, a Republican challenging incumbent Rep. Dan Goughnour (D-Allegheny). All others said that they supported expanding independence for nurse practitioners.
In this 2026 cycle, the PAC gave money to two candidates — Rep. Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) and Sen. President Pro Tem Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) — according to the state’s campaign finance reporting.
Elections are Nov. 3 and the last day to register to vote is Oct. 19.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.
