South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard is expected to soon sign a bill that will give residents of the state more options when it comes to their health care.

Since 1979, nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives have been allowed to practice only with a collaborative agreement that requires oversight by a physician. The bill, which passed in both legislative houses early this week, means South Dakota nurses can practice without oversight after they have completed 1,040 practice hours with physicians or experienced nurse practitioners or certified nurse-midwives, a change that will expand the pool of primary care providers for those seeking care.

The new law will also mean only the South Dakota Board of Nursing will regulate nurses–previously the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners also had authority. (Four states continue to give their states’ boards of medicine the authority to regulate nursing along with their states’ boards of nursing.)

This means the state’s laws for nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives will match the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation, national standards called for in the 2010 future of nursing report.

South Dakota’s AARP office played a large role in this win that will bring easier access to care to consumers, as well as reduce unnecessary costs.