65-1117. Renewal of license; inactive license, fee; continuing education requirements; rules and regulations; reinstatement of lapsed license; exception; notification of change in name or address or criminal conviction. [See Revisor's Note] (a) All licenses issued under the provisions of this act, whether initial or renewal, shall expire every two years. The expiration date shall be established by the rules and regulations of the board. The board shall send a notice for renewal of license to every registered professional nurse and licensed practical nurse at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of such person's license. Every person so licensed who desires to renew such license shall file with the board, on or before the date of expiration of such license, a renewal application together with the prescribed biennial renewal fee. Every licensee who is no longer engaged in the active practice of nursing may so state by affidavit and submit such affidavit with the renewal application. An inactive license may be requested along with payment of a fee which shall be fixed by rules and regulations of the board. Except for the first renewal for a license that expires within 30 months following licensure examination or for renewal of a license that expires within the first nine months following licensure by reinstatement or endorsement, every licensee with an active nursing license shall submit with the renewal application evidence of satisfactory completion of a program of continuing nursing education required by the board. The board by duly adopted rules and regulations shall establish the requirements for such program of continuing nursing education. Continuing nursing education means learning experiences intended to build upon the educational and experiential bases of the registered professional and licensed practical nurse for the enhancement of practice, education, administration, research or theory development to the end of improving the health of the public. Upon receipt of such application, payment of fee, upon receipt of the evidence of satisfactory completion of the required program of continuing nursing education and upon being satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements set forth in K.S.A. 65-1115 or 65-1116, and amendments thereto, in effect at the time of initial licensure of the applicant, the board shall verify the accuracy of the application and grant a renewal license.

(b) Any person who fails to secure a renewal license within the time specified herein may secure a reinstatement of such lapsed license by making verified application therefor on a form provided by the board, by rules and regulations, and upon furnishing proof that the applicant is competent and qualified to act as a registered professional nurse or licensed practical nurse and by satisfying all of the requirements for reinstatement including payment to the board of a reinstatement fee as established by the board. A reinstatement application for licensure will be held awaiting completion of such documentation as may be required, but such application shall not be held for a period of time in excess of that specified in rules and regulations.

(c) Any person whose license as a registered professional nurse has lapsed for a period of more than 13 years beyond its expiration date and who has been employed for at least 10 of the last 13 years in an allied health profession which employment required substantially comparable patient care to that of care provided by a registered professional nurse may apply for reinstatement as a registered professional nurse and shall not be required to complete a refresher course as established by the board, but shall be reinstated as a registered professional nurse by the board upon application to the board for reinstatement of such license on a form provided by the board, upon presentation to the board of an affidavit from such person detailing such person’s work history, upon determination by the board that the work history with regard to patient care is substantially comparable to patient care provided by a registered professional nurse, upon determination by the board that such person is otherwise qualified to be licensed as a registered professional nurse and upon paying to the board the reinstatement fee established by the board. This subsection shall expire on January 1, 2012.

(d) (1) Each licensee shall notify the board in writing of (A) a change in name or address within 30 days of the change or (B) a conviction of any felony or misdemeanor, that is specified in rules and regulations adopted by the board, within 30 days from the date the conviction becomes final.

(2) As used in this subsection, "conviction" means a final conviction without regard to whether the sentence was suspended or probation granted after such conviction. Also, for the purposes of this subsection, a forfeiture of bail, bond or collateral deposited to secure a defendant's appearance in court, which forfeiture has not been vacated, shall be equivalent to a conviction. Failure to so notify the board shall not constitute a defense in an action relating to failure to renew a license, nor shall it constitute a defense in any other proceeding.

History: L. 1949, ch. 331, § 6; L. 1975, ch. 316, § 5; L. 1976, ch. 274, § 1; L. 1978, ch. 240, § 4; L. 1980, ch. 187, § 1; L. 1983, ch. 206, § 8; L. 1988, ch. 242, § 1; L. 1993, ch. 194, § 11; L. 1995, ch. 97, § 1; L. 1997, ch. 146, § 1; L. 2007, ch. 99, § 1; L. 2011, ch. 114, § 79; June 9.