North Dakota passes radiologic technologist licensure bill

North Dakota has put into law a measure setting licensing standards and expanding the responsibilities of the state’s radiographers, radiation therapist, radiology assistants, nuclear medicine technologists, and sonographers.

Up to now the state had in place regulations covering equipment operations for radiographers, radiation therapists, and nuclear medicine technologists, but the regulations weren’t recognized as formal licensure by the state attorney general. The new law not only sets licensing standards but also provides radiologic technologists with a pathway to take verbal orders from physicians and other healthcare providers and enter them into a patient’s electronic health record.

The state will create a State Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Medical Examiners to oversee the licensure program.