New Jersey has formally joined the interstate Physician Assistant (PA) Licensure Compact following the signing of legislation on Friday. Supporters say it will expand workforce flexibility and improve access to care.
The compact establishes a shared licensure framework that allows qualified physician assistants to practice across state lines more efficiently. Rather than applying for and maintaining a separate license in each state, eligible PAs will be able to apply once and receive a “compact privilege” to practice in any participating state.
Each state retains its own regulatory authority, but the streamlined process is intended to reduce administrative delays and help deploy providers more quickly to areas experiencing healthcare shortages.
With the law’s enactment, New Jersey becomes part of a growing multi-state agreement that currently includes Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The New Jersey State Society of Physician Assistants welcomed the development.
“The New Jersey State Society of Physician Assistants applauds Phil Murphy for signing legislation to bring New Jersey into the interstate PA Licensure Compact,” said NJSSPA President Victoria Latella, PA-C. She said membership in the compact helps empower the state’s healthcare workforce and creates a more efficient pathway for PAs from neighboring states to practice in New Jersey.
Latella also credited the bill’s sponsors, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Herb Conaway, for advancing the legislation.
Although New Jersey is now a member, the compact is not yet operational. Licensure compacts typically require 18 to 24 months to implement. During that period, the PA Compact Commission develops bylaws and rules and establishes the technology infrastructure needed to manage applications, including issuing a request for proposals for a centralized database.
According to the American Academy of PAs, the compact is expected to begin issuing privileges to practice in early 2027. Once operational, eligible physician assistants will be able to submit a single application to obtain compact privileges for each participating state in which they plan to work.