AAPA Highlights PA Licensure Compact in Latest American Health Law Association Publication
November 19, 2025
An AAPA-authored article highlighting the opportunities the PA Licensure Compact presents for states, healthcare systems, and PAs was recently featured in the November/December issue of the American Health Law Association’s Health Law Connections. Three members of AAPA’s Advocacy Division, Stephanie Radix, JD (Senior Director, Health Policy), Meghan Pudeler (Director, State Advocacy and Outreach), and Carson Walker (Director, Policy and Professional Advocacy), co-wrote the piece, which also dispels common misconceptions about the compact.
The authors outline the history of professional compacts, beginning with the introduction of the Nurse Licensure Compact in the 1990s, and their rising popularity in recent years. As they note, states continue to look towards the adoption of professional compacts as more than 350 pieces of compact-related legislation have been passed since 2016.
The PA Licensure Compact, an interstate occupational licensure compact for PAs, has been adopted in 19 states to date —Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin—and is expected to be available for PAs in early 2027.
AAPA’s leaders highlight some of the key benefits of the PA Licensure Compact, such as streamlined licensure processes, reduced administrative backlogs, greater information-sharing, and increased flexibility for states to set and collect fees for practice privileges and renewals. Despite these benefits, Radix, Pudeler, and Walker acknowledge hesitancies that exist around the cost of implementing the compact, potential loss of control, and possible job market implications from a significant increase in out-of-state practitioners. However, as they note in the article, there are several safeguards to mitigate these potential impacts.
As the PA Licensure Compact continues to gain steam, alongside other professional licensure compacts, AAPA, along with the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), and The Council of State Governments (CSG), continue to push for its adoption across the country.
The PA Licensure Compact is not currently giving out privileges to practice; however, it is expected PAs will be able to utilize the compact in early 2027.
You can read the full AHLA feature here. If you would like to learn more about the PA Licensure Compact, visit AAPA’s PA Licensure Compact page.
For questions regarding the compact, contact [email protected].
Copyright 2025, American Health Law Association, Washington, DC. Reprint permission granted.
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