National Center for Interstate Compacts

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) will be highlighted at CSG’s Eastern Regional Conference in Baltimore and again at CSG’s Annual meeting in Anchorage.  The session in Baltimore will begin at 1:15 PM on Tuesday, August 5 and the session in Anchorage will take place at 9:00 AM on Sunday, August 10^th.  Both presentations are intended to inform policymakers about the new agreement and the potential benefits it can offer both states and institutions. 

A July 14 ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court is being hailed a victory for interstate compacts. In the ruling the Court upheld the right of a taxpayer to utilize the elective tax apportionment formula made available under the Multi-State Tax Compact of which Michigan is a member. The Court’s 4 to 3 decision reversed the decision of the Michigan Court of Appeals which had held that a subsequent legislative enactment had repealed the Compact’s election provision by implication.

A piece in Monday’s NY Times highlighted the Medical Licensing Compact.  CSG, through its National Center for Interstate Compacts, is consulting with the Federation of State Medical Boards and a drafting team of subject matter experts to develop the compact.  The goal of the compact is to better utilize telehealth and improve access to health care by more easily allowing doctors to practice in multiple states.  The compact would allow doctors who meet certain criteria to more easily obtain a license to practice in member states, while preserving the authority of each state to regulate the practice of medicine within its borders.  Compact language is expected to be ready for state legislative consideration as soon as the 2015 legislative session.