Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law Friday that would extend the lifespan of temporary medical licenses, which would have become invalid if he ended the ongoing state of emergency declared at the beginning of the pandemic.
The bill, which passed through the state Senate and House with only one “no” vote, would extend all active temporary licenses to the end of this year.
Ducey says the signing of this bill will allow people to keep their jobs, and for health care facilities to keep their staff, while giving licensing boards the opportunity to process permanent applications.
Ducey has also hinted at the end of the formal state of emergency, telling Fox10 that he was working with the state Legislature to “wind down a number of things that are purely administrative” and saying the state is “wide open.”
The state of emergency originally began on March 11, 2020.
