(1) The board has the following powers and duties:

(a) To approve, pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the board, educational programs in this state preparing individuals for licensure, including approving curricula, conducting surveys, and establishing standards for such educational programs; to deny approval of or withdraw approval from such educational programs for failure to meet required standards as established by this article or pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the board; and to further establish standards in accordance with this article in the form of rules and regulations to determine whether institutions outside this state shall be deemed to have acceptable educational programs and whether graduates of institutions outside this state shall be deemed to be graduates of approved educational programs for the purpose of licensing requirements in this state; and to determine by rule when accreditation by a state or voluntary agency may be accepted in lieu of board approval;

(b)

(I) To examine, license, reactivate, and renew licenses of qualified applicants and to grant to such applicants temporary licenses and permits to engage in the practice of practical nursing and professional nursing in this state within the limitations imposed by this article. Licenses shall be renewed, reactivated, or reinstated pursuant to a schedule established by the director of the division of professions and occupations within the department of regulatory agencies and shall be renewed, reactivated, or reinstated pursuant to section 24-34-102 (8), C.R.S. The director of the division of professions and occupations within the department of regulatory agencies may establish renewal fees, reactivation fees, and delinquency fees for reinstatement pursuant to section 24-34-105, C.R.S., and may increase fees to obtain or renew a professional nurse license or advanced practice nurse authority consistent with section 24-34-109 (4), C.R.S., to fund the division's costs in administering and staffing the nurse-physician advisory task force for Colorado health care created in section 24-34-109 (1), C.R.S. If a person fails to renew his or her license pursuant to the schedule established by the director of the division of professions and occupations, such license shall expire. Any person whose license has expired shall be subject to the penalties provided in this article or section 24-34-102 (8), C.R.S.

(II) In order to facilitate the licensure of qualified applicants, the board may, in its discretion, assign licensing functions in accordance with this article to either panel. Any action taken by a quorum of the assigned panel shall constitute action by the board.

(b.5) To revoke, suspend, withhold, limit the scope of, or refuse to renew any license, to place a licensee or temporary licensee on probation, to impose an administrative fine on a licensee, or to issue a letter of admonition to a licensee in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 12-38-116.5 upon proof that such licensee has committed an act that constitutes grounds for discipline under section 12-38-117 or 12-42-113;

(c) To permit the executive officer, during the period between board meetings, to administer examinations, issue licenses by endorsement and examination, renew licenses, and issue temporarylicenses and permits to qualified applicants, pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the board;

(d) To adopt and revise rules and regulations concerning qualifications needed to practice as a practical nurse when such practice requires preparation and skill beyond that of a practical nurse pursuant to section 12-38-112;

(e) Repealed.

(f) To provide by regulation for the legal recognition of nurse licensees from other states and jurisdictions;

(g) To charge and collect appropriate fees;

(h) To investigate and conduct hearings upon charges for the discipline of nurses in accordance with the provisions of article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., and to impose disciplinary sanctions as provided in this article;

(i) To cause the prosecution and enjoinder of any person violating the provisions of this article and incur necessary expenses therefor;

(j) To adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this article, such rules and regulations to be promulgated in accordance with the provisions of article 4 of title 24, C.R.S.;

(k) To administer the licensing and regulation of psychiatric technicians pursuant to article 42 of this title and to adopt and revise rules and regulations consistent with the laws of this state as may be necessary:

(I) To renew, grant, suspend, limit the scope of, and revoke licenses of psychiatric technicians in accordance with article 42 of this title;

(II) To prescribe standards and approve curricula for educational programs preparing persons for licensure as psychiatric technicians;

(III) To provide for surveys of such programs at such times as the board may deem necessary;

(IV) To accredit such programs as meet the requirements of the board and article 42 of this title;

(V) To deny accreditation to or withdraw accreditation from educational programs for failure to meet prescribed standards;

(VI) To conduct hearings pursuant to section 12-42-114;

(VII) To cause the prosecution and enjoinder of any person violating the provisions of article 42 of this title and incur necessary expenses therefor;

(l) (I) (A) Repealed.

(B) To conduct criminal history record checks on any individual under the jurisdiction of the board, against whom a complaint has been filed.

(C) Repealed.

(II) For purposes of this paragraph (l), "criminal history record check" means a written review of an individual's criminal conviction history.

(m) To facilitate the licensure of nurses under the "Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact", part 38 of article 60 of title 24, as follows:

(I) Appoint a qualified delegate to serve on the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators;

(II) Participate in the coordinated licensure information system, as that is defined in article II c. of section 24-60-3802;

(III) Require an applicant for licensure under the compact to have his or her fingerprints taken by a local law enforcement agency or any third party approved by the Colorado bureau of investigation for the purpose of obtaining a fingerprint-based criminal history record check. The applicant is required to submit payment by certified check or money order for the fingerprints and for the actual costs of the record check at the time the fingerprints are submitted to the Colorado bureau of investigation. Upon receipt of fingerprints and receipt of the payment for costs, the Colorado bureau of investigation shall conduct a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history record check utilizing records of the Colorado bureau of investigation and the federal bureau of investigation and shall forward theresults of the criminal history record check to the board. The board shall use the information resulting from the fingerprint-based criminal history record check to investigate and determine whether an applicant is qualified to hold a license pursuant to the compact. The board may verify the information an applicant is required to submit. The results of the criminal history record check are confidential. The board shall not release the results to the public, the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators, or other state licensing boards.

(IV) Notify the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators of any adverse action taken by the board; and

(V) Approve payment of assessments levied by the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators to cover the cost of the operations and activities of the commission and its staff.

(1.1) (a) The board shall appoint advisory committees pursuant to section 12-38-109 of at least three psychiatric technicians to advise the board on matters pertaining to psychiatric technician testing. The board shall, in its discretion, assign matters referred to the board by the psychiatric technicians advisory committee to a panel for consideration and implementation, if necessary.

(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 92, p. 954, § 3, effective March 19, 1992.)

(2) When the board determines that rules and regulations are completed and established, the board shall make copies available at a reasonable cost.

(3) The board shall, in its discretion, assign matters referred to the board by the nurse aide advisory committee, created pursuant to section 12-38.1-110, to a panel for consideration and implementation, if necessary.

(4) (a) The board shall administer the provisions of the nurse licensure compact pursuant to section 24-60-3202.

(b) This subsection (4) is repealed, effective January 1, 2019.