NURSES: Provide relative to licensing by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing

This bill updates Louisiana's nursing licensing laws to clarify the grounds for disciplinary action and establish procedures for reinstating suspended licenses. It directly affects registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, nursing students, and the Louisiana State Board of Nursing by defining specific behaviors that can lead to license denial, revocation, or suspension. Key provisions include allowing discipline for crimes affecting patient safety, substance abuse, incompetence, or prior license violations, while also recognizing medication-assisted treatment as evidence-based care for opioid use disorder. The bill requires independent medical evaluations for nurses seeking reinstatement after substance-related suspensions and prohibits denying reinstatement solely because a nurse is on prescribed medication-assisted treatment.