PA Compact Newsletter
Published March 13, 2026.Chair Corner
The PA Compact is gaining momentum. 23 States have now passed the PA Compact, and legislation has been introduced in 12 other states.
In addition, thanks to the PA Compact’s delegates, alternates, ex-officio members and staff, there are now visible signs of the work that has been underway for the past eighteen months. We hope that you are as excited about this progress as we are.
Two rules that create the backbone of the PA Compact and how it will function have gone through the public comment phase and are ready for a full commission vote to officially implement. The rules are:
Chapter 3 Compact Privilege; and
Chapter 4 Computer Data System, Confidentiality and Information Sharing.
The full commission will meet at 3:30 p.m. ET on 04/06/2026 to discuss and vote on the rules.
After reviewing the results of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to build the PA Compact data system, the Executive Committee voted to move forward with Focus Consulting LLC. Focus Consulting has been involved in multiple federal and state IT projects. Focus Consulting has proposed an aggressive development timeline with the goal of allowing states to begin onboarding by January 2027. If everything goes as planned, the PA Compact will be ready to issue privileges only 27 months after its inaugural meeting.
What can you do?
Stay informed! Anyone is welcome to attend and listen to both full commission and committee meetings. All meetings are listed on the website, and if you are curious about something, you are welcome to join. In between meetings, the PA Compact website is the place to find all the official information available.
Make sure your state is involved.
If your state is already a member, that is fantastic! But it is only the first step. In order for the PA Compact to succeed, there must be a seamless flow of data between the states and the PA Compact. As our data system is built, states will be provided with information about how to interact with the system, and work must be done on both ends to complete implementation. In addition, some states may need to make internal changes to their systems to allow for privileging vs. licensing. If necessary, those actions can be started now. Although the PA Compact cannot provide technical support to states about internal state changes, the PA Compact staff is available to answer questions and provide resources when possible.
If your state is not a member, work with your licensing board, state association, and legislature to introduce the legislation needed to join. The PA Compact has a Toolkit page that provides resources.
Together, we can make this project a success.
– Tim Terranova, Compact Commission Chair
Legislative Update
As of March 12, 2026, there are 23 Compact Member States. Legislation to enact the Compact is currently filed in 12 states—Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, and Pennsylvania. No states are actively issuing privileges yet. Click here to view a map of legislation in each state.
|
State |
Act/Bill number |
Enactment date1 |
Effective date2 |
|
Utah |
14-Mar-2023 |
3-May-2023 |
|
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Delaware |
21-Jul-2023 |
21-Jul-2023 |
|
|
Wisconsin |
7-Dec-2023 |
8-Dec-2023 |
|
|
Minnesota |
24-May-2024 |
25-May-2024 |
|
|
Washington |
13-Mar-2024 |
6-Jun-2024 |
|
|
West Virginia |
9-Mar-2024 |
6-Jun-2024 |
|
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Virginia |
4-Apr-2024 |
1-Jul-2024 |
|
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Maine |
23-Apr-2024 |
16-Jul-2024 |
|
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Colorado |
17-May-2024 |
7-Aug-2024 |
|
|
Post-Inaugural Meeting |
|||
|
Ohio |
24-Jul-2024 |
24-Oct-2024 |
|
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Oklahoma |
18-Apr-2024 |
1-Nov-2024 |
|
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Nebraska |
2-Apr-2024 |
1-Jan-2025 |
|
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Tennessee |
28-May-2024 |
1-Jan-2025 |
|
|
Kansas |
8-Apr-2025 |
1-Jul-2025 |
|
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Montana |
3-Apr-2025 |
1-Jul-2025 |
|
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Iowa |
27-May-2025 |
1-Jul-2025 |
|
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Connecticut |
30-Jun-2025 |
1-Jul-2025 |
|
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Arkansas |
18-Mar-2025 |
1-Oct-2025 |
|
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North Carolina |
1-Jul-2025 |
1-Apr-2026 |
|
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New Jersey |
9-Jan-2026 |
9-Jan-2026 |
|
|
North Dakota |
23-Jan-2026 |
23-Jan-2026 |
|
|
Arizona |
20-Feb-2026 |
24-Jul-2026 |
|
|
South Dakota |
9-Mar-2026 |
1-Jul-2026 |
|
- The enactment date refers to when a state's compact legislation was signed into law.
- The effective date refers to when a state’s compact legislation becomes effective. This is also when a participating state may begin exercising their voting power as a member of the Compact.
Committee Synopsis
Executive Committee
The PA Compact Commission Executive Committee met December 10, 2025, to review draft rules 3 and 4 and voted to move both rules to a public comment period. Having closed the data system proposal submission window on December 19, 2025, the committee reconvened January 14, 2026, to review data system vendor proposals and identified candidates for interviews. The committee subsequently interviewed three data system vendors on February 11, 2026. The committee met again on February 25, 2026, and voted to accept the proposal from Focus Consulting LLC. Compact commission chair and staff will initiate the contract negotiation process this month.
Communications Committee
The PA Compact Commission Communications Committee convened March 5, 2026, to draft and approve the March quarterly newsletter, which includes an FAQ highlight (see below) based on questions the Commission received since the December 2025 newsletter was released. The committee also reviewed and approved the Commission’s “State Preparation Guidelines,” which are available in the Toolkit on the PA Compact website as a resource to assist states in preparing to onboard to the compact data system when it becomes available.
Finance Committee
The PA Compact Commission Finance Committee convened on March 10, 2026, to conduct a quarterly budget review. The committee also began the process of determining the Commission’s compact privilege fee, which included reviewing data on the number of PAs licensed in the U.S., the prevalence of multiple license holders within the profession, and commission fees set by other occupational licensure commissions.
Rules Committee
The PA Compact Commission Rules Committee convened on December 15, 2026, to review the first draft of rule 5 on joint investigations. The committee reconvened on February 9, 2026, to review the public comments received on draft rules 3 and 4, which resulted in only non-substantive changes to each rule. The committee’s responses to public comments will be posted on the PA Compact website. Draft rules 3 and 4 will be voted on during a full commission meeting in April 2026. During the February meeting, the committee also reviewed a second draft of rule 5 on joint investigations. The committee met on March 9, 2026, and approved draft rule 5 on joint investigations and draft rule 6 on fees for transmission to the Executive Committee.
Request for Nominations – Technology Committee
The PA Compact Commission intends to create a Technology Committee to oversee its data system development. The Commission is seeking nominations for interested delegates, alternates, ex-officios, and state board staff and IT personnel to participate. Nominations may be sent to amortell@csg.org.
Compact Development Timeline
– Updates since the last newsletter.|
Summer 2019 |
Compact project started. |
|
Fall 2019 |
FSMB convenes meeting with state regulatory boards to discuss outline of compact. |
|
November 2022 |
Compact legislation finalized and made available for state adoption. |
|
April 2024 |
The compact activation threshold of seven participating states is met. |
|
September 2024 |
Compact Commission holds its inaugural meeting. |
|
October 2024 |
Executive, Rules, Finance, and Communications Committees convene and begin developing compact infrastructure. |
|
April 2025 |
Data System RFI responses received and reviewed. |
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May 2025 |
Executive Committee begins developing Data System RFP. |
|
October 20, 2025 |
Executive Committee releases Data System RFP. |
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November 14, 2025 |
Deadline for questions from vendors on the Data System RFP. |
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December 10, 2025 |
Executive Committee moves Draft Rules 3 and 4 to public comment period. |
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December 16, 2025 |
Draft Rule 3 – Compact Privilege and Draft Rule 4 – Data System are posted for public comment. |
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December 19, 2025 |
Submission deadline for data system proposals. |
|
January 14, 2026 |
Executive Committee review data system proposals and identify candidates for interviews. |
|
January 16, 2026 |
Public comment period closes on Draft Rules 3 and 4. |
|
February 9, 2026 |
Rules Committee reviews public comments on Draft Rules 3 and 4 and determines no substantive changes are necessary. |
|
February 11, 2026 |
Executive Committee interviews data system vendors. |
|
February 25, 2026 |
Executive Committee votes to accept data system proposal from Focus Consulting LLC. |
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Ongoing |
Commission and committee meetings; rule and policy development; onboarding of new Member States. |
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Current – 2026 |
Development and implementation of Data System. |
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Early 2027 (projected) |
Compact Commission begins granting compact privileges to practice. |
Q. What requirements must a PA satisfy for each Participating State in which they hold a compact privilege?
- Requirements for issuance of a privilege to practice in a Participating State are outlined in Section 4 of the Compact Model Language. PAs are required to meet the continuing medical education requirements of the state in which they hold a qualifying license. PAs must also maintain current NCCPA certification, which requires continuing education. They will not need to complete additional continuing medical education credits for states where they hold compact privileges.
The PA will have to follow the scope-of-practice requirements of each state in which they hold a privilege to practice and maintain any required supervision agreement. Additionally, for each Remote State in which a PA seeks authority to prescribe controlled substances, the PA shall satisfy all requirements imposed by such State in granting or renewing such authority.
Questions?
See the PA Compact FAQs, or email pacompact@csg.org.
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