Langhorne, PA – Today, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) announced today that, after two years of sustained, bipartisan advocacy and hands-on coordination with federal and state partners, Pennsylvania will fully implement three major interstate licensure compacts on July 7—unlocking thousands of new job opportunities for medical professionals and expanding access to high-quality care across the Commonwealth.
"For two years, I worked closely with the FBI and the Pennsylvania Department of State to get this critical approval across the finish line. Now, with federal approval secured, Pennsylvania can fully implement its licensure compacts — streamlining the process, expanding our health care workforce, and getting more qualified providers to patients faster,” said Fitzpatrick. “I'm grateful to Governor Shapiro, PA State Representative Kristin Marcell, and PA State Senator Frank Farry for their partnership in helping to drive this effort forward. This is a big win for our PA-1 community, our health care system, and every Pennsylvanian counting on access to timely, high-quality care.”
The compacts—the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), and the Physical Therapy Compact (PT Compact)—allow licensed professionals to practice across state lines without navigating redundant, state-specific licensing processes. With over 300,000 nurses, 65,000 physicians, and 17,000 physical therapists currently licensed in Pennsylvania, the change represents a seismic expansion in provider flexibility, workforce mobility, and system-wide efficiency.
“In the midst of historic and persistent workforce shortages, we need every tool available to attract the health care providers who will meet Pennsylvania’s growing need for care,” said Nicole Stallings, President and CEO of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. “Full implementation of interstate licensure compacts helps bring providers to our communities and supports access to care. Pennsylvania’s hospitals thank the Shapiro Administration, General Assembly leadership, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, and many others who worked together on this critical step.”
Pennsylvania’s road to full participation began in 2016, when the General Assembly authorized entry into the IMLC. Subsequent legislation approved the PT Compact in 2020 and the NLC in 2021. Despite bipartisan support, full implementation remained stalled for years due to unresolved federal compliance requirements and a lack of coordination among key agencies.
As these delays persisted, Congressman Fitzpatrick remained in close communication with hospital leaders, nurses, physicians, and health care providers across PA-1, who consistently identified compact implementation as a top workforce priority. In response, Fitzpatrick led targeted federal efforts to address the bottlenecks—modernizing background check systems, coordinating directly with the FBI and state regulators, and driving the process toward final approval.
“I’ve long worked alongside our local hospitals, nurses, doctors, and health care professionals who have been clear about the challenges they face,” said Fitzpatrick. “They’ve consistently raised this as a top concern, and I’ve made it a priority to fight for the tools they need. This implementation is the result of listening to them, standing with them, and doing the work to get it done.”
With the final federal approvals now secured, Pennsylvania’s full participation will take effect on July 7, marking a major step forward in expanding access to timely, high-quality care and empowering Pennsylvania’s health care professionals with the tools and mobility they need to serve patients across the Commonwealth.
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